PUL fabric in the dryer

[Marie000]

I always thought that putting pocket diapers, diaper covers and anything else made with PUL fabric in the dryer was a bad idea.

Someone told me today that they put pocket diapers in the dryer in an attempt to fix PUL fabric that was possibly damaged. That seems odd to me. Could it work? Or would it just damage the fabric even more?

 

[Stellae]

I've never heard of that and I can't imagine how a dryer would fix the PUL. I think if anything there's the risk it'll weaken it and possibly even melt it!

 

[surprisedmama]

I've dried my PUL stuff in the dryer on medium heat with no problems. Still works great!

 

[Rachel_C]

I think it's a popular myth. The Wild Child website used to have a good explanation of why it was rubbish but I can't find it any more .

Sometime WAHMs who sew through PUL recommend drying the nappy on hot first to reseal the PUL around the stitch holes. I guess that sort of makes sense, but only when there is a hole that has been forced through... if a cover is so damaged that it is leaking (presumably through tiny holes that have appeared through use/washing incautiously), I think the heat of the dryer would only make it worse as the fabric isn't going to be at full strength to withstand the heat and movement. IIRC, the Wild Child website said something about PUL needing to be heated to fairly high temperatures to actually do anything to it at all, and if you did get it hot enough you would also be damaging it. The rolling, twisting, tugging action of the dryer on PUL which is heated enough to make it melt enough to reseal holes - sounds like a recipe for disaster to me!

I have accidentally tumbled a few covers in my time and most withstood it... although that was not the case at all for my old Pop-ins which my mum accidentally dried. The plasticky bit of the PUL separated from the fabric and wrinkled up, kind of like a microwaved crisp packet. They still worked but I couldn't stretch the covers out properly without ripping it.

Elastic doesn't like the heat either so I just wouldn't unless it's an emergency.

 

[Marie000]

thanks. That's what I thought.
Those are diapers that did not fit my lo so I sold them on eBay. Looks now like I will have to refund them anyways (this is eBay... the buyer wins by default) and I will get back potentially damaged diapers from the buyer trying to "fix" them.

 

[Rachel_C]

Eek, I would fight that with ebay. If somebody thought a hoover might be faulty so they gave it a wash to fix it, they wouldn't get a refund as they've clearly damaged it more themselves when the original fault wasn't proven! Ebay might side with you if you can show them that you're not supposed to tumble dry them... links to manufacturer pages perhaps?

 

[lindseymw]

I tumble dry all mine! (Ebay cheapie, BG Flips and WN)...been doing it for 2 years with no ill effect!

 

[PoppyPainting]

Sort of a linked question - will strip washing damage the pul with a pocket nappy or am I better off only stripping the microfiber inserts? I use the dishwasher tablet method...

 

[Rachel_C]

Dishwasher tablets should be safe on PUL, elastic etc. I have only once seen one manufacturer advise against it and their only point was that you don't want something washed in a dishwasher tablet against your baby's skin (which is probably one of the daftest arguments I've ever heard, since I let my babies LICK plates washed in dishwasher tablets and anything from the tablets should be washed out anyway.)

 

[PoppyPainting]

Nice one thankyou