Why are my inserts shedding?Updated 5 months ago

The most common cause of shedding in cloth diapering textiles is exposure to urine. While this is, of course, unavoidable with cloth diapers, certain practices can help mitigate the effect:

1. Rinsing and air-drying: Wet diapers that aren't rinsed and allowed to air dry between washes are more prone to textile breakdown. This is because the ammonia in urine can be quite harsh on fabrics when left to sit for extended periods.

2. Washing habits: Frequent use of bleach or vinegar, while great for sanitizing, can shorten the lifespan of textiles if used too often or in high concentrations.

3. Stripping and soaking: While sometimes necessary, frequent stripping and extended soaking of diapers are known to cause shedding of textiles over time.

To help extend the life of your cloth diaper inserts, consider the following tips:

1. Rinse soiled diapers promptly and allow them to air dry if possible before adding them to your diaper pail.

2. Use cloth-diaper-friendly detergents and avoid overuse of additives like bleach and vinegar.

3. Strip diapers only when necessary.