The hot, Arizona sun is great for drying cloth diapers. Even when it’s not so hot, the sun here is still great for sunning your dipes. Drying your diapers outside will save you money by not running your dryer, and the UV rays are a great way to kill any germs and remove any odors that may be lingering on your diapers. But wait there’s more! {I watch too many infomercials.} The sun will naturally bleach out stains!! To good to be true?! In this case, it isn’t. It doesn’t even have to be hot outside for the sun to work its magic.
For the record, I do use the dryer to dry my diapers. Anything that is cotton {mostly my GroBaby/GroVia’s} goes in the dryer for about 20 minutes on medium heat. I found that this helps keep the diaper from getting stiff and rough when drying in the sun. I have tried air drying and then putting in the dryer for a bit to soften, but that didn’t work for me. My BabyKicks 3g pockets also go in the dryer to help soften them before air drying. I also add my cloth wipes {WHAT?! Cloth Wipes? That’s crazy talk you say? We’ll discuss this later} to the load. By the time 20 minutes are up, the wipes are pretty much dry. Why don’t I dry them outside? Not enough room on the drying rack. Plus, they dry quickly with what needs to go in the dryer. What doesn’t go in the dryer? Shells/covers, empty pockets, microfiber inserts, and hemp inserts. Yes, I threw in a huge amount of cloth diaper verbage. We’ll cover it all in a future post.
Blueberries are often on the menu for breakfast in this house, and the end result is well…uh…nasty. Even after a good soak and wash, there is some staining on this GroVia booster. The picture below is proof of that. No worries though. I’m putting the good ol’ Arizona sun to work. Unfortunately, I ran out of daylight and it’s going to have to go back outside in the morning. Oh well. No rest for the wicked or is it weary? Who knows.
Perhaps you aren’t lucky enough to have Arizona sunshine. Some of you are still in the throes of winter, like those in North Dakota. Don’t fret. Laying your diapers in the sun even inside can have some benefits. It will take longer for stains to be removed, but it is better than nothing. If this isn’t working for you, a little elbow grease and lemon juice may help. After applying the lemon juice allow it to dry in the sun. Wash the diaper again to remove the juice. This should help to remove the stain. If you do live in a place where there is little sun, and you are a victim of chronic staining, I have three options for you. One is to get over it! Harsh, I know. But seriously, stains happen. Know that your diaper is clean, and don’t worry about what they look like. The second option is to use fleece. I have yet to have a diaper with fleece hold a stain. FuzziBunz, Thirsties, and BabyKicks are all pocket style diapers that use fleece. Third is to use a diaper sprayer. A diaper sprayer attaches to your toilet to spray off the poo into the pot. Prompt rinsing of the diaper will help keep the stain from being held in by the material.
So, if you’re ever driving by and you see a drying rack full of cloth diapers, stop by and say “Hi!” Just kidding. I don’t open the door to strangers. I have to set a good example for my boys. J
P.S. After I sun the booster a little bit longer tomorrow, I'll post a pic of it. Maybe you live in a HOA and are not allowed to have a clothesline to hang out clothes. Use a drying rack instead. I live in a HOA and move my drying rack all over my backyard to follow the sun. I even put the diapers out in the front yard by the door to get the last remnant of sun in the late afternoon. I do have a courtyard, which makes it a little more difficult to see my stand of diapers out by my front door.
~~Tonya~~
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