Drying cloth diapers...

Sareclark

I know a lot of you line dry your diapers, and many of the sites I've seen have recommended this as well.

The problem I'm having is this. We live in a townhouse, and while we do have a yard, I'm not sure if we can line dry for a few reasons. First, we rent and the condo association doesn't allow us to attach anything to the outside of the building. We also don't have any trees to hook the line to. I know we could rig up something with wood, but there's another problem.

There are a lot of birds in my yard. A LOT. I have a bird feeder out, as does my neighbor. They're not messy or annoying or  anything, but I know if I put out a line they'll perch on it (and on whatever I hang the line) and well, where birds perch, they poop.

I'm also not sure what I'd do during the winter. We don't have a big house, and there's not a good spot for a collapsible drying rack. 

Should I just stop feeding the birds now, so that they'll disperse a bit before LO arrives? I really do enjoy watching them, but if I am going to damage my diapers by drying them in the dryer, I can give up the birds.

CABunny

You won't damage your diapers by using a dryer exclusively.  Line drying is just more eco-friendly and the sun is a great stain remover. 

Sam78

I think that the dryer isn't supposed to be great on aplix which is why I rarely stick that in the dryer; I use a collapsible drying rack - sometimes outside, sometimes inside.  Yeah, sometimes its in the way, but its not up for long.

emsrdh03

Would you be able to put up a non-permanent type clothesline?  I ordered this off Amazon because we have a lot of trees in our backyard and depending on the time of day, the sunny area of the yard changes, so I needed something I could move if I'm drying in the morning vs late afternoon.

https://www.amazon.com/Household-Essentials-P1900-Portable-Umbrella/dp/B001H1GUXW/ref=pd_ybh_15?pf_rd_p=280800601&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1501&pf_rd_i=ybh&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=151M7C3PZWTK6FT9R29F

esipp000

Not sure if this would work for you (I haven't tried it yet) but we don't have much space for a clothes line either and I was hoping to dry our diapers outside as well. I noticed our neighbor was using a clothes/garment rack to dry her laundry so I thought maybe it would work for us and it can be moved around easily. Maybe you could pick up something like that, I got one at Target and I'm hoping it works out...HTH!

Waiting_4_Little_O

I use the rack as opposed to my clothesline. The weather here has been so unpredictable. Sunny one minute, rainy the next. It just saves me from taking the time to put them on the line only to have to pull them off 20min later. My rack has wheels so it is super easy to move around. Even if you just dry them inside overnight most pocket diapers will be dry. My fitteds take longer but drying them overnight cuts the time in the dryer in half at least.

Sareclark

I'd love to do the eco-friendly thing, but I'm also being a bit of a baby about having to stop feeding the birds. I really do enjoy watching them- I get about a dozen species each day and it's fun to watch them!

I'm making the majority of my stash and am putting flaps that will cover the applix for drying.

And I keep trying to come up with a spot to put a drying rack indoors- but it's really not working right now. We really don't have a large home, and it is well laid out, but it is narrow and almost anywhere we put the rack it'd be right where we have to walk.

I'll keep trying to think of a spot- but I don't want to put it on a carpeted spot, since I worry that the dripping would damage the carpet and we'd lose our deposit (perhaps I'm being paranoid). 

emsrdh03

Sareclark:

 

I'll keep trying to think of a spot- but I don't want to put it on a carpeted spot, since I worry that the dripping would damage the carpet and we'd lose our deposit (perhaps I'm being paranoid). 

I've been using a drying rack for years, granted not with diapers...but even with the ones I've prepped so far there has been no drips.  The spin cycle of the washer takes care of that....could you do an extra spin just to be sure?  They really should not come out sopping wet.

Sareclark

Waiting_4_Little_O:

I use the rack as opposed to my clothesline. The weather here has been so unpredictable. Sunny one minute, rainy the next. It just saves me from taking the time to put them on the line only to have to pull them off 20min later. My rack has wheels so it is super easy to move around. Even if you just dry them inside overnight most pocket diapers will be dry. My fitteds take longer but drying them overnight cuts the time in the dryer in half at least.

That's a good idea. I didn't think about setting them out to dry overnight- when they wouldn't get birdy poop on them. Of course, there are also skunks that wander around, but that would just be bad luck, lol!

Cutting drying time even in half would be a good thing! 

Dobie_Mama

Sareclark:

And I keep trying to come up with a spot to put a drying rack indoors- but it's really not working right now. We really don't have a large home, and it is well laid out, but it is narrow and almost anywhere we put the rack it'd be right where we have to walk.

I used the crib.  Seriously:

 

I bet you can find a way to dry at least PT indoors.  Just use the dryer for the rest.

 

Sareclark

emsrdh03:

Sareclark:

 

I'll keep trying to think of a spot- but I don't want to put it on a carpeted spot, since I worry that the dripping would damage the carpet and we'd lose our deposit (perhaps I'm being paranoid). 

I've been using a drying rack for years, granted not with diapers...but even with the ones I've prepped so far there has been no drips.  The spin cycle of the washer takes care of that....could you do an extra spin just to be sure?  They really should not come out sopping wet.

We recently moved back to the US and the washer I was using before left them dripping wet. My washer is much better now, but I still feel paranoid. I know I'm being silly. 

mh2t

We had a townhome in the States.  The only place that got direct sunlight was the front yard.  I put the diapers on a drying rack and put them in the front yard.  I fully expected the homeowner's association to come after me, but they never did.  In the winter, I set up the drying rack in the living room.  It was unsightly and there wasn't really enough room for it, but I didn't want to ruin the elastic by drying too much.

welshgirl

What about putting some plastic (like a plastic table cloth) under your clothes airer, to protect your carpet?

wrldtravler2525@yahoo.com

Your washer shouldn't leave your clothes dripping wet, the spin cycle should take most of that extra moisture out. If you are worried you could always put the drying rack over a beach towel to absorb any drops before it gets to your carpet.

Also, my parents always had a bird feeder and a clothes line. If there was laundry on the line the birds never perched on the line they just enjoyed the bird food. On occasion there would be the odd piece of clothing that would get pooped on but that could be considered one of the "hazards" of line drying.

I would agree with most of the pp that you could just do a collapsable drying rack and putting it outside for drying, that way you can move it around to keep it in the sun. I do the same as Dobie and use my crib, rocking chair, etc... to drape diapers to air dry.

Sareclark

Thanks everyone! I'll set up a drying rack outside for my diaper. I was just scouting my house out to find a good spot, and I think if I put it right outside the window I won't have to worry about birds perching on it (although who knows, they might be like PP's parent's birds and not perch on the line if there are clothes there.

I think there will be space in our bedroom too for a rack- as well as using the rocker, chairs, crib, etc. Thanks for the advice everyone!

ElloPoppet

Sometimes I use drying racks inside. I've discovered that teenagers and rain happen to my diapers every time I put them outdoors. Seriously, EVERY TIME. Maybe it will get better over the summer.

Also, I'm not sure how your wash room is set up, but I installed a tension rod above my dryer and hang shirts & sometimes diapers/covers on hangers from that rod. It's space that would have otherwise been wasted.

If you leave stuff to dry while you sleep, you can put your drying rack almost anywhere indoors and it's not going to be in the way until you wake up in the morning. I have a tiny tiny house and I fit 2 racks next to my kitchen table or in front of the couch and we still get around just fine.

Dr.Loretta

I can't always line dry outside. Sometimes I lay the diapers out on racks in the laundry room. Sometimes in a bathroom or the living room. Sometimes (gasp!) I dry them in the dryer. They're fine.

lesalia217

We have association restrictions as well.  (no lines)  So I hide mine.  I have two 4 ft poles and when I need to dry I slip on the pole a retractable line.  I bring the unit in with me every time.

smurfetteinred

I have a feeling that even if you rig something up that your condo association is going to give you a big hellz no. We have a very shaded lot that's extremely buggy, bird poopy, squirrel poopy and we have decided that in this house it's just not worth it to line dry for us. We have been using a dryer on our diapers for over two years now and they are all fine. PUL actually benefits from being "resealed" by the hot dryer once and again. I've never had any problems with my aplix either (with the exception of our one bg but that's bad aplix for ya). Just tack it down to the dryer tabs that most aplix diapers have and you'll be just fine.

Sareclark

Thanks again everyone! I think I could get away with a drying rack outside my window when I'm home, since I live in the far back corner of the development. The townhouses are all on 'corners', not in a row, so I am a bit hidden.

When I'm not home, the rack can go in my bedroom or the center of the living room, since I won't be walking through.

My laundry room is my kitchen- my washer/dryer are stacked. Both bathrooms are narrow, but I may see if I can rig something up in the bathtub.

You ladies gave me lots of great ideas to make things easier- I will definitely line dry as much as possible. Our dryer isn't great, so if I can even cut drying time in half, it would make a big difference in the power we use.