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“Aren’t Cloth Diapers Gross? What Do I Do With Poop?”

Cloth diapers are not inherently more gross than any other type of diaper. Parents who use cloth diapers, however, might be left scratching their heads about to do with poop (after they wash their hands, of course).

The use of cloth diapers doesn’t have to require extra unpleasant work. Equipped with a comfortable fit, cloth diapers minimize the likelihood of squishy poop scenarios.

Diaper liners facilitate a quick “goodbye” to poop. Flushable liners are widely available, and there are other options of diaper liners on the market, with plenty of variety.

An excellent choice of diaper pail for storage of used cloth diapers can cut down on pre-wash prep time. There are two main categories of diaper pails: dry pails and wet pails. Wet pails pre-soak diapers before parents load them into the washing machine. This is a great tool when it comes to lessening the “strain” of cleaning poop.

If you’d like to learn more about my favorite diaper pail, start with our Dékor Diaper Pail Review article.

The use of cloth diapers is far from gross, and it doesn’t have to require strenuous, unpleasant work. Cleanliness can be stress-free. Employing some handy products and taking some helpful steps in the washing and caring for diapers can keep parents from feeling down in the dumps.
 

 
Squishy poop seeping through diapers’ leg holes and up their babies’ back is a nightmare scenario for a lot of parents. Cloth diapers help eliminate this problem with their comfortable, fitted nature that is light on compression. With their flexible fit and strongly-secured elastic, cloth diapers thankfully lessen the “Uh-Oh” factor.

In the absence of splatter scenes, transferring poop directly from diapers to the toilet can be a breezy process. It’s not always accomplished with great ease; however, thankfully, some products mitigate poop-cleaning difficulties.
 

 

 
Diaper liners serve as the lynchpin of the cloth diaper world. The most straightforward choice in diaper liners for some parents might be a flushable liner option. Flushable liners go right in the toilet for easy disposal.

Diaper Junction is a great and affordable resource for flushable liners made from naturally-derived fibers. These are made from 100% unbleached bamboo viscose rayon, and a web of other natural fibers. Soft and non-irritating to the skin, these diaper liners are a welcome aid to poop-weary parents.

There is a wealth of unique diaper liner options on the market.
 

 

 
There are two main options when it comes to storing dirty cloth diapers until washing time. Dry diaper pails and wet diaper pails have their own distinct advantages and disadvantages.

Dry diaper pails, even with the use of disposable liners, sometimes require a little scraping. Not all baby bowel movements are created equal. Sometimes, a slight shake right into the toilet is all it takes. Other times, it’s not that easy.

Getting as much poop into the toilet as possible leads to fewer odor problems and easier washing. For parents seeking even less dirty work, wet diaper pails are the answer. A wet diaper pail is essentially a hard pail filled with water. They allow cloth diapers to soak until parents are ready to toss them in the washing machine, and stain and odor eliminators can be added. The drawbacks to a wet diaper pail include the necessity of a top-loading washing machine and the added water weight to the dirty diaper laundry load.

The choice of either a dry diaper pail or a wet diaper pail comes with distinct advantages and drawbacks, but a wet diaper pail, by design, takes out some of the manual work.

The Natural Baby company boasts a simple and effective dry diaper pail in their inventory. It is designed to hang from a clothes hanger for convenience easily and is 100% water-resistant and machine washable. If you want to look into more information about this pail, you can find it on The Natural Baby company website here.

Amazon has a great wet diaper pail, the Munchkin Step Diaper Pail Powered by Arm & Hammer. It features a patented self-sealing system designed to eliminate odors whether the pail is closed or open. The Good Housekeeping Institute awarded it the 2020 Best Overall Diaper Pail. You can find the Munchkin Step Diaper Pail on Amazons’s website here.
 

If you’d like to learn more about my favorite diaper pail, start with our Dékor Diaper Pail Review article.

 
For parents going with the dry diaper pail option, a good pre-soak is essential for a clean, fresh diaper. Cloth diapers aren’t gross or dirty, but they require a little maintenance to give them a long lifespan and keep them stain-free.

Some good news: breast milk poop is 100% water-soluble. Dirty diapers from breast milk can be placed in the wash, right from the diaper pail without any kind of pre-soaking or scrubbing. As little ones start on more solid foods, things can get a bit messier, but nothing a little pre-soak can’t fix.

Diaper liners and a quality wet diaper pail for dirty diaper storage abbreviate the amount of pre-wash work. Even with both of these in play, pre-soaking can be a good idea. Utilizing a long pre-soak in cold water, then draining before the wash cycle, pays dividends. Even the most unruly diaper loads, like after a meal of sweet potato purée, can be dealt with without too much fuss.
 

If you’d like to learn about cloth diaper cleaning, start with our Cleaning Cloth Diapers Properly – Super Easy, Super Helpful Guide article.

 
For cloth diapers, parents will want a reliable cleaning agent that is still gentle on precious skin — Amazon stocks Charlie’s Soap. This excellent product manages to be eco-friendly yet incredibly effective. Even better, it’s hypoallergenic and doesn’t cover scents with unnatural perfumes. Using a high-quality detergent, combined with drying cloth diapers in the sun after a light spritz of lemon juice, will significantly reduce unsightly stains.

Diaper sprayers are an option for parents who aren’t too keen on rolling up their sleeves to prepare cloth diapers for the washing machine. Admittedly, the idea of scraping or hand- scrubbing cloth diapers to get them ready to wash isn’t very appealing.

Luckily, there are plenty of affordable options available through vendors like Amazon for parents’ convenience. A diaper sprayer will take a lot of manual work out of an already less-than-pleasing process. If you’d like to check out the diaper sprayer I use, be sure to read My Cloth Diapers Toilet Sprayer And Shield article.

The regular use of chlorine bleach is not recommended. Aside from possible skin irritation, cloth diapers’ fabric will break down a lot quicker. The monthly addition of 1/4 cup of bleach to the wash cycle is plenty to keep diapers fresh and sparkling without degrading the integrity of the diapers. Fabric softeners are not optimal either, as they can harm diapers’ absorbency.

Instead of machine-drying, hanging cloth diapers out to dry overnight is preferred. Part of the attractiveness of cloth diapers to disposable diapers is cost-effectiveness. An initial investment in cloth diapers can save parents a lot of money versus years of purchasing disposables. Proper cleaning and care maximize this investment.

Cloth diapers are not “gross” by any means. When it comes to any kind of diapers, whether cloth or store-bought disposables, poop comes with the territory. In comparison, the 20 million or so disposable diapers that get dumped into U.S. landfills yearly sure sounds like a big, avoidable pile of poop.