Let your cloth diapers soak up the sun. Top Five Reasons you should!
There’s nothing I enjoy more than to soak up the rays of the sun, feel the cool breeze on my face and enjoy running around with my kids. I love the outdoors and the feeling of renewal that it gives me each and every day. I feel like a battery being recharged ready to tackle the day ahead of me. Since I enjoy the outdoors so much it seemed natural to do as much as I could outdoors such as dry my cloth diapers and other clothing items outside. Now, I don’t have your typical clothes line and clip, instead I have utilized other “things” that would make a great flat surface such as a large square bale of hay that we purchased for a party we had. I laid down a plastic mat and placed a towel over it. I then placed a few of my diapers on it and perfecto: clean, sun bleached naturally fragranced cloth diapers! I love drying my cloth diapers outside opposed to the dryer for many reasons. Here are my five reasons why sun bathing your diapers is the way to go!
- The first reason is that I’m saving energy. Living a busy life doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to be more green. The little things count and for me that means drying my cloth outside. Before I know it my diapers are completely dry and I have saved myself the extra use of the dryer, which means less energy and less money spent.
- The second reason is that any stain you have on your diaper will literally disappear!! My son tends to stain every diaper he puts on his little bum but when I lay his cloth outside and allow the sun’s rays to get to work, well, magic happens folks!
- The third reason is that the cloth smells great. After my diapers have dried in the sun I always smell a fresh scent coming off of them. This scent is not something I have smelled after drying in the dryer. This is only unique to naturally drying the diapers out under the sun and the sun soaking into the fibers of the cloth.
- The fourth reason is that it saves our cloth diapers. With each dryer session my cloth misses is another day it remains sturdy and practically new. I dried my cloth in the dryer a few times and noticed the wear and tear of it. My fairly new diapers looked old and weathered. Once I started “sun bathing” my diapers I noticed a huge, positive, difference.
- Last but certainly not least is that it calms a chaotic mind. I get an excuse to get me and the kiddos outside, breathing in fresh air and enjoying nature while also clearing my head of all the work and worry that is confined by the walls of my home. Placing the cloth outside allows me to take a break, relax and enjoy the laughter of my children as they chase a butterfly or marvel at the lizard scurrying past their feet.
Sun bathing your cloth is easy, money saving and fun. For only 30 minutes (give or take) your cloth is completely dry and ready for use. I highly recommend sun bathing your cloth and I am sure your experience will be just as great as mine!! Happy sun bathing=)
About Cheri, Our Guest Blogger:
I am a wife to an amazing man, SAHM to three amazing children and student obtaining a bachelors degree in Psychology. I’m a breastfeeding, co-sleeping, baby carrying and cloth diapering mama! I enjoy the arts, outdoors, cooking, blogging and reading. You can follow Cheri on her Blog at Surviving Motherhood Early Years.
Bryana is the owner of 
Becca is a part-time Spanish Teacher and part-time Stay-At-Home-Mom. She's a cloth diaper expert who enjoys spending time with her family, crafting and selling her wares in her very own
Julie is a mom to three kids including a set of identical twins. Through cloth diapering her twins she developed a passion for the industry and is an avid cloth diaper advocate. You can also find her on her blog
Does sun drying your cloth diapers work as well when they’re stuck behind a window? I live in a high rise apartment tower and don’t exactly have a way to get my diapers outside but I am able to set them next to a wall of windows on my enclosed balcony.
A few years ago we lived in China where there was no such thing as an electric dryer, and we lived on the 20th floor (half way to heaven!) If you have a small balcony (it can be tiny) You can hang a shower curtain rod by screwing two hooks into the roof and them making two rope hoops and suspending the bar across. Or if you just have a window you can clip them to hangers and hang them on the curtain rod. Outside is best, but inside works nicely too. I am in Thailand now and have lived 8 years without a dryer (and some times a washer). I can’t imagine ever using one again, It’s such a waste of money! It may take a bit longer, but you will love “line drying” you diapers!
Dear Emilie,
I have a window in my home that soaks in A LOT of sunshine. As a matter of fact, if I sit next to this window, even for a short amount of time, I tend to get sweaty and a bit sun kissed. I have placed my cloth next to this window on days when it’s too chilly to go outside, yet the sun is still out. The diapers take a little bit longer to dry than it does when placed outside but it’s not a big deal at all. Also, if it’s stormy, no sun and freezing I hang my diapers around the house to dry…..anything other than the dryer. So I would say definitely place them by your window and that should work just fine!!