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A Case for Sunning Your Cloth Diapers

2014/05 By Lauren B. Stevens 12 Comments

To sun or not to sun, that is the question.  In almost two years of cloth diapering, I’ve rarely sunned my diapers because a.) we used prefolds almost exclusively for the first 8 months (no muss, no fuss diapering), b.) we were without a clothesline, and c.) I just didn’t have much of a need to because of using diaper liners.  We’ve installed a clothesline, here at our new home, and I’ve quickly taken to it.  My current record?  Three loads of laundry dried on the line in one day, not too shabby, eh?  The best part is that my cloth diapers are looking and smelling fabulous.

SunClothDiapers.jpg

Sunlight as a natural disinfectant

Well, technically, the UV rays the sun emits serve as to disinfect, and many third world countries use solar treatment to disinfect their drinking water.  The disinfectant properties of sunning diapers are the most likely reason why my son’s diapers are smelling fresh as a daisy (not that we had a stink problem, but they do tend to carry a bit of a…smell after a while).

Sunlight as a natural bleaching agent

I love that WikiHow has this informative graphic with detailed instructions for solar bleaching cloth diapers.  I’m here to show you that you need not use lemon juice or vinegar to get results from sun bleaching your diapers; simply wash your cloth diapers, hang or lay out in the sun, and let UV rays do the rest.  I am, however, interested in using lemon juice and vinegar to tackle some stubborn stains.

My little guy’s recent bout with norovirus rendered our cloth diaper liners useless and stained our organic cotton diapers.  While I knew that the diapers were clean, I hated the fact that they didn’t look clean, despite my diaper lining diligence.  I hung the diapers on the line and eagerly waited for the sun to do it’s job.  Here are the impressive results after 6 hours:

 

SunningClothDiapers.jpg

Stained bumGenius Elemental Cloth Diaper

I’ve been delighted with the impressive results from sunning my cloth diapers, and can’t wait to see some of my organic cotton diapers looking pristine.  I love purchasing used cloth diapers as an economic way to try a lot of different styles and brands, and often the diapers have stains.  Used cloth diaper stains don’t bother me, but I’m happy to report that even the most stubborn of stains have disappeared from my used diapers and inserts (my organic cotton diapers and inserts stain the easiest).

Do you sun your cloth diapers?  Have you been able to eliminate pesky stains from your cloth diapers with sunning?

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Filed Under: Accessories, Cloth Diapering, DIY | Recipes, Editorial, General Topics, ideas

Comments

  1. Michelle T says

    2014/05 at 12:51 am

    I don’t, but like you, I line my white interior diapers. I’ll keep this in mind for when they inevitably get stained!

    Reply
    • Lauren Stevens says

      2014/05 at 8:37 pm

      It works like a charm!

      Reply
  2. Ashley says

    2014/05 at 9:43 am

    I haven’t sunned but I want to. We aren’t allowed to hang clothes outside at our apartment complex. 🙁 which makes it tougher

    Reply
    • Lauren Stevens says

      2014/05 at 6:31 pm

      Are you able to hang in a window or set on a window sill? You can still grab those UV rays indoors!

      Reply
  3. Heather Johnson says

    2014/07 at 12:39 pm

    I tried sunning once, but dragging my laundry upstairs and outside was too much work. I do notn’t care about the stains, and I do not have a problem with odors, so I just dry my fluff in the basement laundry room. But, yes, sunning can do wonders if needed!
    Heather Johnson recently posted…The Duck and the Gorilla: The Rubber Ducky Project Week 27My Profile

    Reply
    • Lauren Stevens says

      2014/07 at 7:31 pm

      Can you tell that I was new to sunning diapers? The awe and amazement I experienced when I first began hanging them outside on the line is unparalleled! 😉

      Reply
  4. Sarah says

    2014/08 at 10:44 pm

    The first time I tried it I couldn’t believe the results! We now have a clothes line but it keeps raining! Mine are in need of a serious sunning!

    Reply
  5. Chantel says

    2015/02 at 6:59 pm

    Is that (what’s pictured) the best way to hang smart bottoms to dry? I’m amazed every time I’ve sunned diapers, it’s amazing what the sun can do!

    Reply
    • Lauren Stevens says

      2015/02 at 7:02 pm

      Hi Chantel,

      That’s how I hang them to sun them. Over the winter, when I hang dry inside, I use the octopus from IKEA and clip them where the ‘tongue’ is sewn to the liner.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 10 Natural Product Substitutions for a Greener Home says:
    2014/08 at 12:02 am

    […] only does line-drying cut down on your energy use, but hanging soiled laundry in the sun can be an effective stain remover.  On rainy days, you can simply pop in wool dryer balls, or free and clear dryer sheets to soften […]

    Reply
  2. Natural Fibers for the Cloth Diapering WIN! says:
    2014/12 at 9:59 am

    […] organic cotton stains very easily, so if you want a pristine diaper, I suggest using liners (see above) and getting into the practice of sunning your diapers. […]

    Reply
  3. Cloth Diapering: Accessories You DON'T Need says:
    2015/02 at 10:50 am

    […] be a simple routine. I have diapers that have been in rotation for over two years and they still look and smell as fresh as the day I purchased them. I’ve never sprayed, bleached, or soaked these diapers and they are stain and smell free. Apart […]

    Reply

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Lauren B. Stevens is a former publishing rep-turned-writer, whose work can be found on ChildVantage, The Huffington Post, Scary Mommy and Care.com, among many other websites. When she's not chasing her precocious preschooler, Lauren pens hilarious and heartwarming stories about her life as a mother, ghostwrites blogs for businesses, and sometimes even finds the time to write a bit of creative non-fiction.
Look for Lauren's published essays in the books listed below:

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