Diaper Dilemmas: Pooped out PUL

Do you ever wonder what to do with your diapers that have PUL(Polyurethane Laminate) that is no longer waterproof and is out of warranty? When the PUL has started to delaminate and has a hole in it, the diaper cover or pocket is no longer going to work as a diaper! I hate throwing things away, so I love coming up with useful ways to reuse items in my house that would serve a purpose.

You can see the PUL is beginning to separate from the fabric. The diaper is still waterproof at this point.

Doll Diapers
Recently, Baby J has been wanting to put diapers on her stuffed animals-mainly a Tickle Me Elmo that she loves carrying around and snuggling. He's about the size of a newborn, so some of the diapers I have put on him are a bit bulky. However, they are usually a pocket already stuffed with an insert, fresh from Baby J's stash. Using just the outside of a pocket or a cover works great for dolls or stuffed animals. Kids love picking out diapers to put on their toys!

Swim Diapers
When swimming, babies need to wear diapers to hold in solids. Swim diapers, whether disposable or cloth, do not hold in liquids. If you have a diaper with delaminating PUL, it can still work as a swim diaper because it will hold in the poop! I have used many of Baby J's cloth diapers as swim diapers in the past because they fit better than the reusable ones I bought last summer!

This diaper was actually stuffed w/ an insert, but it still served it's purpose. We weren't planning on getting wet, but Baby J couldn't resist the water area!

Calling All Crafters!

Repurpose it!
You could make yourself some mama cloth from the PUL that is still in tact. If you aren't familiar with mama cloth, they are reusable menstrual pads for when your dreaded Aunt Flo comes to town. They are becoming more and more popular as are cloth diapers. Try it out and make yourself something new!

Create a Pattern
Have you always wanted to try making your own cloth diapers? Take a diaper that no longer works and remove the elastic. Use the cover to make a pattern so you can take a stab at making your own diapers!

Donate it

There are many programs out there that take cloth diapers and give them to families in need. If you can find an organization near you, ask someone there if they take diapers that need work. Some places do or they might be crafty themselves and can create a new product from it.

Try to fix it

As a last resort, I have heard people who have tried to fix PUL. I haven't tried this and am not sure I would recommend it, but want to give you the options available.

Some people have said that they have taken an iron to their diaper to fuse the PUL back together. Seems risky, but if your diaper is already ruined, what harm can it do? (If you know, please share in the comments!) 

Lastly, there is a spray that some people use to try to make the PUL in their diapers waterproof again. I don't think there is a specific product made just for diapers, so I worry that what people spray could be harmful to their baby's bum. When researching (really just Googling) I couldn't find any specific product, but I know it has been recommended many times on various CD forums. 

What do you do when your PUL delaminates?

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Splish, Splash Swim!

In Phoenix, it's been warm enough to swim and play in water for a couple of months now. Since I use cloth diapers, I really didn't want to buy disposable swim diapers, and because there are almost as many options for swim diapers as for cloth diapers, I thought I should share my experience.

First, swim diapers are only for holding in solids. They are not waterproof and you can get peed on.

Just like cloth diapers, swim diapers can save you a ton of money. We bought one at Walmart about a month ago for $5. As we continued shopping, we passed a pack of Huggies Little Swimmers that cost close to $10. Hmmmm...something is not right there.

The Op brand diapers from Walmart come in both girl and boy colors, however they only come in two sizes and large only goes up to 25lbs. Many children are not potty trained by that weight, so they have to look for other options. Walmart has other options online that are a little more expensive, but most are under $10.

I had a gift card to Zoolikins, so I thought I'd try another brand diaper to try. After all, it's nice to have more than one. I've heard great things about the Bummis brand, so I snatched one up. It was $12.95-still an awesome price because you can use it all summer. The Swimmi comes in multiple sizes-I chose medium for my daughter who is about 19 1/2 lbs, but they range from small to xlarge, 9-30lbs.

I worry about the velcro because Baby J loves to pull it open. She hasn't worn this yet, it actually just arrived in the mail yesterday, so we will see how it works. 

What I really want is a snap Monkey Doodlez Swim Diaper. The snaps are a new addition this year and I think if Baby J does have any solids floating around in there, it would be easier to snap it off than slide it down which is what I have to do with the Op diaper from Walmart.

This is Petunia Penguin, but there are many other cute bottomed diapers to choose from. This is my personal favorite. The Monkey Doodlez snap swim diapers are $21.95. They have pull up swim diapers for $20. 


Lastly, many people use their regular pocket diapers as a swim diaper. Instead of putting an insert in, you just put the empty diaper on the baby so that it holds in the solids, but doesn't soak up the liquids. If you decide to go this route, make sure that you dedicate the diaper to use as a swim diaper if you are swimming in a chlorinated pool. Chlorine can ruin the PUL and affect the absorbency of the diaper for regular use.


Many companies that offer swimming lessons require you to put your child in a reusable swim diaper instead of the disposable ones. Swim diapers are easy to wash and don't require you to use a machine. 


Have fun and be safe near water!

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