cloth diapers without a dryer?

[cathmom]

Is it feasible? Would you do it?

[hornblower]

I usually hung diapers to dry on my balcony. The only problem was that they were not very soft. Sometimes I fluffed them in the dryer for 1/2 the time & then hung them. Sometimes scrunching & unscrunching them up repeatedly while folding them helped. I think eventually my kids' bums toughened up :-)

 

About 1/2 my diapers were flats & they dry so fast that what I often did was put those in the dryer & use the folded flats as the inner layer & the velcro presewns on the outside.

[Once]

I did cloth diapers with my first up until we moved. We moved into an apartment with washers and dryers three buildings over. That is when I stopped. Dh and I thought that the math of all the change required for the machines was not going to save money for us. It was challenging enough just going up there once a week. Diapers would have been worse.

 

If you have a washer but no dryer I would think hanging them to dry outside would be fine of you live in a hot dry sunny area. I don't think that they would get disinfected enough just by hanging them inside on a rack. If your babe ever got a diaper infection the diapers would really need to be carefully disinfected.

 

So, fwiw, I think no unless you live in the desert and have plenty of space for hang drying outside. Have you looked into the possibility of a diaper service?

[Another Lynn]

I use cloth and line-dried some last summer. The only bummer is they don't get as soft. I think it also depends on what kind of cd you want to use. Flats would be a great choice for line-drying. You could make them much more convenient by pairing them with pocket diapers - which will also dry pretty quickly and are typically lined with fleece or suede cloth which would be soft.

 

Prefolds will take a little longer to dry and fitteds would be the longest.

 

Yes, I would do it. I hate disposable diaper trash and I love cloth diapers!

[stacim]

Yep! I don't know if I'd do it w/o a washer (okay, these days, maybe I would), but I would definitely do it w/o a dryer. I agree w/PPs that flats would be a great option. Pocket dipes w/microfiber or flats for inserts would work well also. :001_smile:

 

~Staci

[homeschoolmom]

I used indisposibles cloth diapers for DD and was told not to use the dryer - that while they might be softer; they wouldn't last as long. Fabric softener was a big no-no as I recall as it coats the fabric making it less absorbant (same holds true for towels).

 

I used a drying rack that reminded me of an octopus. It had many arms and clips on the arms and had a hanger type top that I could hang from a plant hook or the clothes line.

 

Diapers took awhile to dry this way so I could not wait until I was almost out. Other than that, no problems.

 

DD never had diaper rash or other bottom irritation so the fact that the diapers weren't dryer soft didn't bother her.

[ChrisN in NY]

I hung my cloth diapers on the line for a long time. We did have a dryer, but I only ran it in the winter to save money.

 

They go up on the line much faster than a regular load of clothes, fwiw.

 

:tongue_smilie:

[HRAAB]

I used cloth diapers without a dryer although I admit that during the winter sometimes I would throw them in the dryer. I do have a drying rack for indoors, but sometimes laziness overcame me.

 

My mil raised 14 children without a dryer and never used one disposable diaper. So, yes, it can be done. :001_smile:

 

Janet

[jojomojo]

A tip I remember reading once was double layering (or barely staggering) them on the line would make them softer. They take longer to dry though. Flats/prefolds aren't the easiest diapering system to use, but they are the easiest to wash and dry. You could always use them in pocket diapers to get the best of both worlds :)

 

I would definitely still use cloth if I didn't have a dryer. I would be line drying our cloth now if I had a more private backyard (new development, no fence yet).

[MommyX8]

I went to Chicago for my oldest daughter's college graduation and my 1 year old came along. She hadn't worn a sposie, so I wasn't about to start.

 

I brought pocket diapers and flats. I folded the flat as the insert. I washed them out at night and hung them to dry. Since the flats are only 1 layer of fabric, they washed well and dried very quickly. And the pocket diapers are PUL and microfleece, so they dry quickly, too.

 

I came home and sold all my fitteds and changed over to this system. With my dryer, they are dry in 30 minutes.

[tibbyl]

We used cloth diapers. Typically did not dry them in dryer. In warm weather I hung them on backyard clothesline to dry. In cold weather, they hung on an indoor dryer rack to dry. I never worried about the stiff texture.

[Quiver0f10]

I use just regular prefolds when my oldest 4 were in diapers and always hung them to dry. With the last few kids I have used all in ones and dred them mostly, but have hung them too.

[Rosie_0801]

We have. The house looked like a laundry during the winter, but drying nappies was a good excuse to leave the heater on! We don't have a dryer, so the house usually looks like a laundry in winter, so that was nothing new. You'll need about 4 dozen if you want to do this. We soak them in Napisan before washing them, and never had any bacterial problems. In fact, we never got through a whole jar of nappy rash cream. If they dry a bit stiff, give them a shake and they're fine.

:)

Rosie

[Chocolate Lover]

I used Kushies! They dried on the rack. In washing, I used a natural detergent in the washing machine, twice, rinsed three times, the third time with a cup of white vinegar. The vinegar made the fabric softer and helped to whiten the fabric. I had heard that some folks prefer to sun dry to whiten the fabric. The Kushies come in a water-proof outside or only flannel. I only used the water-proof in the winter, the heat kept the flannel only type dry enough in the summer. I only had a rash problem for the month following DS's only intake of pineapple juice. Still not back on pineapple.

I hope this helps.:)

[Mama2Three]

For me it would be trickier to CD without my dryer, but if you have LOTS of diapers and LOTS of space to dry them, then you could make do. But I also think that it would require even more commitment to make it work.

 

Best wishes to you! It's great that you are considering it, we love cd-ing! :)