Cloth Diapers 101: Drying Diapers

We get a lot of questions about how to dry diapers. Many of you want to know more specifics about how to safely dry your diapers, especially during the cold, damp winter months. Our basic instructions are "Line-dry covers and diaper shells. Tumble dry inserts, fitteds and prefolds."

Making sure to dry your diapers completely is the key to avoiding mold and other issues. However, too much time in a dryer or too high of a temperature setting can degrade the elastic, PUL and hook and loop on your cloth diapers. It's a fine line that can sometimes seem tricky. To make it easier for you, we're breaking down the tips according to type of diaper.

Pocket style cloth diapers like bumGenius 4.0:

Since pocket style diapers have a PUL outer and a thin layer of stay dry material, like suede cloth, we recommend line drying the covers, especially if they have hook and loop closures.

Inserts can be tumbled dry on a medium setting.

AIO style diapers with a pocket and hook and loop closure, like bumGenius 3.0 AIOs:

It's very difficult to get AIO diapers dry without a tumble cycle. At the same time, you don't want to over dry the diapers and risk losing elasticity, delaminatating PUL or ruining hook and loop. For best results, we recommend turning the diaper inside out before placing it in the dryer, to help the absorbent inner layers to dry. Because of the hook and loop closure, you do not want to use a high temperature to dry these diapers. We recommend drying them on a low setting for as long as necessary to avoid issues with the hook and loop. You can also add wool dryer balls to help wick away the moisture and lessen the dry time for this style of diaper.

AIO diapers without a pocket, like bumGenius Elemental or bumGenius Newborns:

Very similar to the bumGenius 3.0 AIOs, except you cannot flip these diapers inside out to shorten drying time. If you have a diaper with snaps, you can tumble these on medium. If you have hook and loop closure, you need to tumble them on low. Again, adding wool dryer balls may help to lessen your dry time.

It is important to remember to make sure your diapers are completely dry before storing them or putting them back into your diapers.