Every cloth diaper can fail at some point, whether it’s because of age and heavy use or a defect. When that happens, your first thought might be to throw it in the trash if there’s no warranty coverage, especially when it’s the waterproof cover or pocket diaper shell. But that’s a shame when you consider that one of the reasons you may be using cloth is to cut down on household waste.
Here are some truly useful things you can do with old or damaged covers.
#1 Use as a swim diaper.
If you have a shell that’s leaky or delaminated, re-purpose it as a swim diaper. The primary job of a washable swim diaper is to hold in number two, so as long as you can get a good fit around the legs, an old cover or pocket shell can serve this purpose.
#2 Use as a backup cover.
Many mothers who use disposables keep waterproof diaper covers on hand to provide extra protection against blowouts. The gussets on a disposable diaper aren’t the greatest, so adding an old cloth diaper cover on top gives you a little bit of extra insurance should the Pampers fail.
#3 Use as a photo prop.
This is a great way to give a really cute (but not usable) cover new life. Let your baby wear it for a photo shoot; hold onto it if the color/print is one you love, and you can get a picture of your next baby in it, too.
#4 Use it for play time.
Your children will enjoy putting real cloth diapers on their stuffed animals and baby dolls!
#5 Be crafty.
You can make adorable cloth diaper keychains or tree ornaments from old PUL covers, like these from Weensy Baby. Keep or give as gifts or party favors. Old cloth diaper covers can also be used for baby shower decorations or party games.
#6 Donate them.
There are a few cloth diaper charities/lending closets (like Cloth for a Cause and Cloth for Everybum) that accept damaged diapers and are equipped to repair them. Always check first, and if you have a few extra dollars, send those in with your box of damaged diapers to help offset the cost of repairs.
You can also post an ad on Craigslist or a Facebook diaper swap (general or brand specific) and see if there are any takers. Some mothers might be willing to take them off your hands and attempt to repair.
#7 Or repair them yourself.
If you’re up for a small challenge, try fixing the diapers that are salvageable. I’m only a novice, so let me point you to a great post from my friend, Celeste, about repairing elastics, snaps and even PUL.
You can also pay to have minor repairs and snap replacement (or snap conversions from hook and loop) done at Convertmydiapers.com.
#8 Use as teaching aids.
Old diapers make great visuals! Use them in your local cloth diaper support group to illustrate different styles and features for mothers who are curious or just starting out.
Do you have any uses to share for old or damaged diaper covers? Let me know in a comment below so others can benefit from your ideas, too!
Hello Anne!
I have cut out snaps before to cover pesky hip snaps that would otherwise dig into baby’s skin. Have not tried this one yet, but I plan to use the fleece on an old cover as a barrier between baby and zinc oxide diaper rash cream
Maggie, that’s the first I’ve heard of these ideas. Great way to recycle the fleece lining of a pocket diaper! ~Anne
I love all of these ideas and had never thought of them! I have a couple of old shells that don’t hold in any wetness but they stilk look so nice. I am going to add them to the baby doll clothes for now for my kiddos! Thank you so much for this post. Exactly what I needed!