Pictured: Diaper Rite bamboo prefolds in various sizes
They don’t call the prefold a “workhorse of the diaper world” for nothing. Long after your baby is done with them, prefolds have lots of uses. In fact, I’ve got a list of over 50 things to share with you. Some of these ideas are my own, but most were suggested by you all in a Facebook post, so thank you for the inspiration! Keep in mind that prefolds come in different sizes; some of these uses will be better suited to one size vs. another. For instance, idea #18 (emergency nursing cover) works best with a large or toddler prefold.
- All purpose cleaning/dusting rag
- Shop towel (for carpenters, mechanics, etc.)
- Burp cloth/drool pad
- Pillow protector for a sick child
- Dish cloth
- Pot holder/hot pad
- Kitchen towel
- Gym towel/sweat rag
- Rolled up under a car seat to achieve the proper angle
- Drying mat for dishes or your Spray Pal
- Unpaper towels
- Blotting cloth for painters/crafters
- Lovey
- Changing pad
- Puddle pad
- Tepee for covering baby boys during changes
- Dirty diaper wrap (i.e. to carry a wet diaper to the pail after being dunked or sprayed)
- Emergency nursing cover
- Sell them
- Donate them
- Lend them
- Save them for your next child
- Pass them down to your children
- Stuff in pocket diapers
- Cut up and turn into doublers
- Cut up and turn into nursing pads
- Cut up and turn into cycle pads
- Use as incontinence pads
- Turn them into training pants
- Turn them into prefold fitteds (i.e. “pre-fitteds”), or have someone else convert them for you
- Turn them into stuffed animals or rag dolls
- Turn them into bibs
- Turn them into wash cloths
- Turn them into wipes/family cloth
- Turn them into a quilt (dye the squares first for splashes of color!)
- Turn them into a mattress topper
- Turn them into a taggie blanket
- Use them for batting/stuffing/backing in a sewing project
- Embroider with your child’s name and frame it
- Wrap around a brick and use as a doorstop or old-fashioned foot warmer/bed warmer
- Save as a keepsake
- Swiffer mop pads
- Baby doll blanket
- Baby doll diaper
- Pet bedding
- Diaper for a sick or injured pet
- Dog chew toy (i.e. roll it up and tie knots at either end)
- Packing material for dishes, glasses, flatware, etc.
- Use for demonstration purposes (i.e. in a cloth diaper class or a cloth diaper store)
- Use for experiments (i.e. comparing the effects of diaper creams, testing detergents and stain removers, etc.)
- Shred and compost
- First aid (ice pack, bandage for large wounds, etc.)
Have fun getting creative and PLEASE continue to share your ideas so I can update this post!
