Buying Used Cloth Diapers

Many people opt for used diapers when they first start cloth diapering; however, there are some things to take into consideration when dealing in the realm of "used".

Always ask for a photo of the diaper. (Preferably multiples from different angles and some close ups) Look for any piling, staining, or signs of excessive wear. Many people will list an item as "excellent" or "good" when you can tell just by looking at the photo the item has been very worn out.  Also ask lots of questions. For example, where they the first owner? Or did they buy it used? Is the elastic still holding well? Any defects I should know about?


Check the sellers reviews. If they have bad feedback I would look elsewhere. If a deal sounds too good to be true- It most likely is!

Is it sanitary? I would always treat a used diaper as if it has yeast growth when you first purchase it. Last thing you want is to put a used diaper on the baby to have them develop a yeast infection. Here are some steps to treat the diapers when they arrive before putting them on your baby.

Treat all cloth for yeast growth by doing the following:

• cold wash with Tea Tree Oil (4 drops in a front loader or 6 drops in a top loader.) 

• hot wash with an oxygen cleaner (only recommended when washing cloth to kill yeast) 

• lay out in FULL sun or dry on High heat.

There are lots of great deals to be had on used diapers. In fact I have sold many of my used diapers and know that I treated them with great care. However, when purchasing used you do not know how the item was cared for in the possession of the other person. Did they wash them correctly? Have they been bleached? Is the elastic still intact enough to hold in liquid? Are the diapers stretched? This is where asking questions can come in handy.

There are lots of great used diaper deals out there......just be cautious. Sometimes it is better to spend $20 on a new diaper that you know has never been abused than waste $10 on one that you thought you were getting a steal on!


--Tara West
tara@diaperparties.com


Check out Flip and Econobum for inexpensive new diapering options!