Storing Wet Cloth Diapers

[KechoDrips]

For those who wear cloth diapers, how do you store them prior to washing?

My bathroom doesn't have enough space for a diaper pail and I am not sure I would be able to carry a wet one all the way to the laundry room without it leaking or smelling.

I would like to use something like a wet/dry cloth diaper bag but most of the ones I can find are made for baby cloth diapers and I am worried that it won't hold enough.

A little bit of background. I have only been wetting the bed for a few months now and am currently using Northshore Megamax which is perfect for overnight. Looking at ongoing costs, however, cloth diapering would be such a money saver if I can make the system work and if my issues continue. I am just trying make sure I account for everything before diving in and making the first purchase to try cloth diapers out.

To make this work, I would buy 4 sets of diapers/plastic pants and would want to be able to store up to 3 cloth diapers/stuffers/plastic pants in a single container. I would then wash the diapers every 3 days which would allow me to wear my fourth set if they aren't dry by the time I go to bed. I am not sure how much space 3 sets would take up in a diapering bag and was wondering if anyone might have feedback for me. The wet/dry bag I found on Amazon said that it would hold 20-25 cloth diapers (baby) and is 16 inches x 27 inches.

If I went the diaper pail route, I may be able to get something small enough to go under the sink but I am worried that it will either not be big enough or that it will smell up the bathroom over time.

Would love to hear what your method is and any pointers that you might have.

 

[justmeP]

I am thinking perhaps try a regular kitchen size garbage can with the lid?

 

[KechoDrips]

I am thinking perhaps try a regular kitchen size garbage can with the lid?

It is too big for my bathroom. That is potentially something that I could use in my laundry room but then I have to carry a wet diaper from my bathroom, through my bedroom/livingroom/kitchen to be able to put it there. Trying to make sure I don't drip anything on the floor or leave smells traveling behind me. It would be nice to have a solution for my bathroom but the space is already pretty tight.

 

[littlemoosey]

We have a tub in our bathroom that we rarely use. We keep a large plastic container in that tub, it has a lid. We used to have it filled with a solution of water and white vinegar and used wet diapers would be put in there until washing, usually about 2 days. The hassle of that was wringing out all of the water from an adult cloth diaper before carrying them to the laundry... very heavy.

Since, we have gone to not soaking at all. Like a diaper pail we just put in an odor absorbing disc. It never sits for more than 2 to 3 days but it is much easier to carry to the laundry an no wringing out the diapers. Now, even with the odor absorbing disc when you take out the diapers to put them into the wash it will be a little... pungent, but not too bad.

We then wash them with 2 pods of ARM and HAMMER with Odor Blasters Detergent. That knocks any residual odor out very quickly, then we dry in the dryer.

The system works pretty well. Even when you walk into the bathroom after 2 days, you can not smell the container as it is covered. If you do not have room in your bath tub, just put the bin in a corner somewhere.

You can try either of the above ways, but the dry pail works better for us.

LM

 

[Belarin]

I personally keep mine in a wet bag, This one here to be precise, this bag will easily hold 3 large sized fitted diapers with 2 large booster pads each too, though that would be pretty full and it can get quite heavy with that many in it but might still have room for a 4th set in there.

I also used something similar to the Threaded armour briefs with their pad system, this bag will fit 3 days worth of pad sets (one large outer one smaller and a large extra booster per set) totalling at least 15-18 pads.

It keep smells in really well but the only downside I've found is if the diapers/pads inside are really really wet (especially bottom ones) and it is left standing on the floor it can start to leak and get wet underneath, the answer to this would be to hang it up by the handles so that the weight isn't pushing down onto a hard surface.

If you are only using it to store night diapers for bedwetting and washing every 3 days this would be plenty big enough and the weight/leaking issue shouldn't be a problem as you will not have as much in there as I do. They are nice and easy to empty into the machine as well, just unzip it and turn it inside out into the machine so you don't have to handle the old diapers unlike a pail.

I also use These smaller versions when I go out in cloth and expect to need a change, the largest of which should hold a single large adult diaper and maybe a booster too. These can also be easily hung up or stored somewhere for a day or two if needed and don't let any wet smell out.

TBF depending on the freedom you have to wash them you only need something large enough to store 2 diapers if it is just for overnight and not something you are going to wear and use lots of in the daytime too. Since 3 days is kind of a maximum that you want to be storing them for you only need to store the first 2 and on the 3rd day that last diaper along with the other 2 can go straight into the machine even if you don't start the wash cycle until later.

Carrying it loose to the machine is not going drip anywhere, if a cloth diaper is dripping when you take it off then you don't have nearly enough layers of padding in there and need a booster or 2, even giving it a gentle squeeze shouldn't cause enough wee to be released to make it pour off, the only time anything should come out is if they are left piled up for a couple days and weight/gravity have time to pull all the moisture downwards or if you are thoroughly ringing it out.
.

 

[Deleted member 73722]

Due to the fact we choose cloth to disposables to save on the expenses and having to constantly dispose of them.
Unfortunately I really have no choice because I have to wear them 24/7 365.
cloth was a better choice for us and as it sounds like as with us our laundry is in the basement. Believe me when I say it's not for everyone
Yes there is the inconvenience of going up and down stairs to place the changes in the pail. And yes the idea of using a garbage pail filled with a mix of white vinegar and water is the best solution.
My wife and I went through a origination to have a power lift put in for me to manage the stairs.
I go through 3 to 5 didies a day it varies from day to day. And depends on if I get sick or not. What you need will be based on the number needed for a week's usage so your not constantly doing laundry every other day.
We started with I think 24 changes a week and 7 pr of plastic panties that we bought from Walmart. The ones we choose were the side snap very similar to the Gerber panties.
Now that's a small amount to what I have today. Plus as far as the didies my wife preferred to sew her own. She said their a better quality and fit as far as Contour.
There is a down side to cloth and one is the wear n tear on the washer n dryer. There's a major expense at first but this is a investment. With disposables your just throwing your money away.
There are disposable incerts that my wife used to catch the BM saving the flushing out of the didies. This is easer to dispose of than a wet and messy disposable.
Good luck don't let what I explained scare you from using cloth. Personally I beside my wife preferred cloth.

 

[KechoDrips]

I personally keep mine in a wet bag, This one here to be precise, this bag will easily hold 3 large sized fitted diapers with 2 large booster pads each too, though that would be pretty full and it can get quite heavy with that many in it but might still have room for a 4th set in there.

I also used something similar to the Threaded armour briefs with their pad system, this bag will fit 3 days worth of pad sets (one large outer one smaller and a large extra booster per set) totalling at least 15-18 pads.

It keep smells in really well but the only downside I've found is if the diapers/pads inside are really really wet (especially bottom ones) and it is left standing on the floor it can start to leak and get wet underneath, the answer to this would be to hang it up by the handles so that the weight isn't pushing down onto a hard surface.

If you are only using it to store night diapers for bedwetting and washing every 3 days this would be plenty big enough and the weight/leaking issue shouldn't be a problem as you will not have as much in there as I do. They are nice and easy to empty into the machine as well, just unzip it and turn it inside out into the machine so you don't have to handle the old diapers unlike a pail.

I also use These smaller versions when I go out in cloth and expect to need a change, the largest of which should hold a single large adult diaper and maybe a booster too. These can also be easily hung up or stored somewhere for a day or two if needed and don't let any wet smell out.

TBF depending on the freedom you have to wash them you only need something large enough to store 2 diapers if it is just for overnight and not something you are going to wear and use lots of in the daytime too. Since 3 days is kind of a maximum that you want to be storing them for you only need to store the first 2 and on the 3rd day that last diaper along with the other 2 can go straight into the machine even if you don't start the wash cycle until later.

Carrying it loose to the machine is not going drip anywhere, if a cloth diaper is dripping when you take it off then you don't have nearly enough layers of padding in there and need a booster or 2, even giving it a gentle squeeze shouldn't cause enough wee to be released to make it pour off, the only time anything should come out is if they are left piled up for a couple days and weight/gravity have time to pull all the moisture downwards or if you are thoroughly ringing it out.
.

Thanks for the information on the wet/dry bag. The one I was looking at was the same size so it should work if I want to go that direction.

If carrying them isn’t going to cause drips (never used cloth diapers before, then that may be the best solution with me carrying them into the laundry room every morning. Makes sure that the smell doesn’t linger in the bathroom which is connected to my bedroom.

 

[KechoDrips]

Due to the fact we choose cloth to disposables to save on the expenses and having to constantly dispose of them.
Unfortunately I really have no choice because I have to wear them 24/7 365.
cloth was a better choice for us and as it sounds like as with us our laundry is in the basement. Believe me when I say it's not for everyone
Yes there is the inconvenience of going up and down stairs to place the changes in the pail. And yes the idea of using a garbage pail filled with a mix of white vinegar and water is the best solution.
My wife and I went through a origination to have a power lift put in for me to manage the stairs.
I go through 3 to 5 didies a day it varies from day to day. And depends on if I get sick or not. What you need will be based on the number needed for a week's usage so your not constantly doing laundry every other day.
We started with I think 24 changes a week and 7 pr of plastic panties that we bought from Walmart. The ones we choose were the side snap very similar to the Gerber panties.
Now that's a small amount to what I have today. Plus as far as the didies my wife preferred to sew her own. She said their a better quality and fit as far as Contour.
There is a down side to cloth and one is the wear n tear on the washer n dryer. There's a major expense at first but this is a investment. With disposables your just throwing your money away.
There are disposable incerts that my wife used to catch the BM saving the flushing out of the didies. This is easer to dispose of than a wet and messy disposable.
Good luck don't let what I explained scare you from using cloth. Personally I beside my wife preferred cloth.

Do you replace the white vinegar/water solution every time you do a wash? How much do you put in the bottom and in what ratio? Do you need to clean pail every once in awhile?

 

[Cottontail]

@KechoDrips, do you have hard water? If not, storage might be as easy as just putting the diapers in any closed container (just to contain the smell) and washing every 2-3 days. If you have hard water, you might find presoaking useful or even essential. Some experimentation may be required, so be ready.

I'm on a private well and have very hard water. Here's what I do: My "diaper pail" is a common five-gallon bucket with a lid. I put in one cup of borax, a natural water softener and detergent booster, then I place the bucket under the bathtub faucet and fill it approximately halfway with warm water. (Cold won't dissolve the borax.) My wet diapers soak in this until laundry day. I do a wash every 2-3 days. While transferring diapers from the bucket to the washer, I squeeze out as much water as I can, mostly because I have a "high efficiency" washer that tries to judge how big the load is from how much it weighs. If I toss the diapers straight in, the wash will take an extra hour! I also add some borax to the wash per the instructions on the box.

After starting the wash, I then dump whatever's left in the bucket into the toilet and the process begins again. It's really pretty brainless once you're into it. But anyway, if I don't presoak like this, my diapers will come out of the wash smelling worse than when they went in! If there's any urine smell coming from the washer or dryer when the cycle is complete, that's a good indication that your diapers are not getting clean, and buildup due to hard water is one of the usual suspects.

Borax + water is the "classic" presoak recipe that used to be prescribed on boxes of cloth baby diapers, but there are modern substitutes that work well also. Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda is one example. I've used it a few times when borax wasn't available. You use less of it, which is kind of nice.

Finally, presoaking will shorten the lives of many fabrics, so if your diapers seem to be getting clean without it, don't do it. Again: Experimentation. Elastics in particular will die a lot sooner if subjected to regular presoaking. I mainly wear prefolds, but of course my plastic pants have elastic waistbands and leg cuffs. I generally hand-wash these in the sink and hang them up immediately after use. They last a lot longer that way.

---

Don't forget to check out Fluff Love University's detergent index to make sure you're using something that won't harm the absorbency of your diapers.

 

[Deleted member 73722]

Thank you for responding on this they created a serious post.
I have to apologize for the lack of time here with my response in a timely manner.
I had to deal with a visiting home nurse that my childern put in place since loosing my wife.
Now on to the subject. It is really advisable that yes use a plastic garbage pail. We have ours setup with a valve and a hose so that it is easer to drain. As we are on a septic tank you do not want vinegar going into as it will disturb the chemical balance that it needs. We drain it on the grass out the back door .greenest grass we've ever had. Lack of bugs also.
The reason for using white vinegar is it helps to break down the enzymes as well as control the odor that will be generated by your didees.
Vinegar especially white is not that expensive and does not have to be that strong of mix.
My wife and I use about 3 to 4 cups to a half a garbage can of cold water.
Just store your used didies in that you will or may have to add water depending on how many didies you place in it. That will regulated how often you need to do laundry. When your ready to do laundry just put them in the wash after you wring them out. Now we use a couple of things one is a liquid fabric softener in the wash along with a tide pod. Then every so often we use a fabric whitener to keep them looking clean and white. We use Murphys bluing mix. It doesn't take much pr load. But they come out looking new again. But defently use the fabric softener with your wash. Due to the fact your in cloth didies you'll want the fabric to last. Not to mention they will be better on your skin.
Also make sure that you use a rash cream because most contain zink and this will protect you from rashes. I think my wife liked doing it to torture my and have fun doing it.
I had one rash in the beginning 20yrs ago and I don't want another .

 

[KechoDrips]

Thank you for responding on this they created a serious post.
I have to apologize for the lack of time here with my response in a timely manner.
I had to deal with a visiting home nurse that my childern put in place since loosing my wife.
Now on to the subject. It is really advisable that yes use a plastic garbage pail. We have ours setup with a valve and a hose so that it is easer to drain. As we are on a septic tank you do not want vinegar going into as it will disturb the chemical balance that it needs. We drain it on the grass out the back door .greenest grass we've ever had. Lack of bugs also.
The reason for using white vinegar is it helps to break down the enzymes as well as control the odor that will be generated by your didees.
Vinegar especially white is not that expensive and does not have to be that strong of mix.
My wife and I use about 3 to 4 cups to a half a garbage can of cold water.
Just store your used didies in that you will or may have to add water depending on how many didies you place in it. That will regulated how often you need to do laundry. When your ready to do laundry just put them in the wash after you wring them out. Now we use a couple of things one is a liquid fabric softener in the wash along with a tide pod. Then every so often we use a fabric whitener to keep them looking clean and white. We use Murphys bluing mix. It doesn't take much pr load. But they come out looking new again. But defently use the fabric softener with your wash. Due to the fact your in cloth didies you'll want the fabric to last. Not to mention they will be better on your skin.
Also make sure that you use a rash cream because most contain zink and this will protect you from rashes. I think my wife liked doing it to torture my and have fun doing it.
I had one rash in the beginning 20yrs ago and I don't want another .

Do I need to use rash cream, even when I am just wearing at night?

 

[Tigercub59]

I am thinking perhaps try a regular kitchen size garbage can with the lid?

That is what I do. The lid keeps the smell in and the depth can hold more than six diapers with cloth boosters and rubber pants. Now I don't mess in my diapers so don't have to worry about that problem. I then take them to my laundry room and just dump the whole thing into the washer. I then spray Lysol into the container and on the lid and return it to the bathroom to start things all over. I usually do a load every other day when at home which is usually about four diapers with boosters.

 

[Belarin]

Do I need to use rash cream, even when I am just wearing at night?

There are two types of cream you can get, rash healing creams and barrier creams.

I'd personally only use a healing cream if you have a rash but the barrier cream can be used every change.

Some healing creams claim to be usable as a barrier cream too but I'd still stick with single purpose ones.

 

[Napincolove]

I have one of those waterproof bags you sometimes see climbers putting their ropes in, mine is a bright blue 25 litre bag with carrying strap, you put your items in then fold the top over a few times and that seals the bag well enough for it not to leak much in the way of smells or liquids.
E bay purchase 4 years ago and still working perfectly holding my microfibre Nappy cloth Nappies until my weekly laundrybday is due.
The bag is like canvas that has been plastic impregnated and has a carrying strap for transport.

 

[Diprs2]

For those who wear cloth diapers, how do you store them prior to washing?

My bathroom doesn't have enough space for a diaper pail and I am not sure I would be able to carry a wet one all the way to the laundry room without it leaking or smelling.

I would like to use something like a wet/dry cloth diaper bag but most of the ones I can find are made for baby cloth diapers and I am worried that it won't hold enough.

A little bit of background. I have only been wetting the bed for a few months now and am currently using Northshore Megamax which is perfect for overnight. Looking at ongoing costs, however, cloth diapering would be such a money saver if I can make the system work and if my issues continue. I am just trying make sure I account for everything before diving in and making the first purchase to try cloth diapers out.

To make this work, I would buy 4 sets of diapers/plastic pants and would want to be able to store up to 3 cloth diapers/stuffers/plastic pants in a single container. I would then wash the diapers every 3 days which would allow me to wear my fourth set if they aren't dry by the time I go to bed. I am not sure how much space 3 sets would take up in a diapering bag and was wondering if anyone might have feedback for me. The wet/dry bag I found on Amazon said that it would hold 20-25 cloth diapers (baby) and is 16 inches x 27 inches.

If I went the diaper pail route, I may be able to get something small enough to go under the sink but I am worried that it will either not be big enough or that it will smell up the bathroom over time.

Would love to hear what your method is and any pointers that you might have.

I use 2 of the Janibel330s by Akord. 1 is for my wet disposables which will prob hold at least 5 or 6 but after 4 good soaked adult diapers, the bag starts to get pretty heavy. The other Janibel is for my cloth diapers and related towels/cloths I use for my clean up in the morning. I use the prefolds over my nightly disposable and roll them up and place them evenly in the pail. I can fit 5 in the pail and on the 6th one, that's when I do laundry. These pails have inner flaps with a seal and keeps the smell in very well.
Granted, my cloth diapers aren't soaked, but they don't smell like roses and there isn't any bad odor until you are actually changing the bag. These have a roll of bag inserts you just pull down from the inside, tie off the end and your good to go. They have a convenient cutting blade built in on the inside of the door. It all works very well.

 

[Belarin]

I quite like the idea of those continuous liner diaper pails like the Akord, Diaper genie, Dekor etc. especially the ones that twist off each diaper as they go through to seal everything in.

My biggest concerns with them would be whether they are big enough for adult diapers (both the how many the pail itself holds and the opening you put them through) and the fact that most of their liners are pretty much see through so if for instance you use lots of printed AB style diapers it's completely visible and obvious when you put them out in the trash meaning you'd have to use another black bin bag to keep them hidden from say... nosy neighbours.

I wouldn't use them for cloth though as that just seems like a waste of plastic for me having to empty it out into the wash and then throw the plastic liner away, If I ever bought something like that I would look for one which I could put a wet bag (PUL) into instead and just make use of the odour sealing nature of the pail itself.

Does make me curious about looking into the contaminated laundry bags though.
Where I work we have these large red "plastic" bags similar to these that we use when someone is sick on themselves, their soiled clothing is removed and put into one of these bags and sealed up, they are designed to just be thrown into the washing machine where they dissolve in the wash cycle, so you never have to open them and handle clothing with vomit on.

I think the ones we have at work fully dissolve where the ones in the above link only have a strip that does so the bag opens in the wash to be removed after. I might have to "borrow" one to see whether or how long they hold up with wet cloth diapers in them, if they can last a couple days holding wet cloth diapers and then dissolve in the wash it would eliminate the smell when loading the machine. Still a little wasteful but worth considering for those who love cloth but really hate the smell.

 

[CLPP]

I have one of those waterproof bags you sometimes see climbers putting their ropes in, mine is a bright blue 25 litre bag with carrying strap, you put your items in then fold the top over a few times and that seals the bag well enough for it not to leak much in the way of smells or liquids.
E bay purchase 4 years ago and still working perfectly holding my microfibre Nappy cloth Nappies until my weekly laundrybday is due.
The bag is like canvas that has been plastic impregnated and has a carrying strap for transport.

That’s called “a dry bag” and frequently used by paddlers to keep their stuff dry when out in their canoe or kayak.