Drying Cloth Diapers

I did a post awhile ago on washing cloth diapers, but what about drying them? I am so fickle when it comes to line drying. I love to do it when the sun is shining, but if it gets cold my dryer is my best friend!

Here is some info I have gathered about drying cloth dipes! Please feel free to read and then comment if I left something out or if you have a question!

There are only two ways to dry your diapers - hooray for simplicity! Now that you are turning greener with your eco-conscious diapers you are probably toying with the idea of line drying - right?

It really is a good idea to line dry - you get exercise, the sun is a natural stain remover, you can’t beat the smell of wind blown diapers, and it will save electricity. But if you line dry your diapers be prepared for your diapers to feel like 2x4’s when you take them off the line. They also have a tendency to take all day to dry if the weather is just right - so have enough back up diapers to use.

The stiff diaper problem is easily remedied with a few minutes in the dryer on the fluff cycle. Oh, and for really soft diapers, throw in a wool dryer ball (you can buy these online from a work at home mom) or even a tennis ball or 2! Sure it is loud but your diapers sure come out fluffy! On the days that line drying isn’t feasible, use an indoor drying rack. This won’t get them totally dry very fast but you can throw them in the dryer for a few minutes to finish the job - this will still save energy.

These dryer balls above are from Krazy8Cat on Etsy! Aren't they adorable? They also save you 30% drying time! Plus, you can use them for pin cushions, as decorations, kids toys, BONUS!

Other tips and tricks to line drying: Diapers can be very heavy when they are wet, so be prepared for some serious drooping in the middle. You can remedy this by making your clothes line doubled and purchasing a line tightener - or you can purchase some nice clotheslines that are better than my rope-between-two-trees technique. But I love my rope and I am not about to change! If you know the day is not the best for line drying you can pre-dry your diapers on low in the dryer and then hang them outside for the rest of the day-this will also cut down on how crunchy they feel afterwards!

If line drying just isn’t for you, then use your dryer. Actually, it is recommended for you to dry your PUL on high heat once in awhile to keep it sealed. If you are worried about elastic and PUL being worn out faster from repeated high heat dryers, you can put those on an indoor drying rack and dry your fitteds/inserts/whatever else in the dryer. When it comes to drying, do what is right for you. I personally love seeing my diapers on my clothesline and smelling the fresh country air, and seeing the lack of stains on my diapers cause the sun bleaches so well! But I don’t live near the equator and it does get cold/rainy here, so my dryer is very well used and I haven’t had any troubles!

Disclaimer: I didn't receive anything from Krazy8Cat but her dryer balls are so cute I had to put them in here!