52 Things to Do With Old Prefold Diapers

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.

1. All purpose cleaning/dusting rag
2. Shop towel (for carpenters, mechanics, etc.)
3. Burp cloth/drool pad
4. Pillow protector for a sick child
5. Dish cloth
6. Pot holder/hot pad
7. Kitchen towel
8. Gym towel/sweat rag
9. Rolled up under a car seat to achieve the proper angle
10. Drying mat for dishes or your Spray Pal
11. Unpaper towels
12. Blotting cloth for painters/crafters
13. Lovey
14. Changing pad
15. Puddle pad
16. Tepee for covering baby boys during changes
17. Dirty diaper wrap (i.e. to carry a wet diaper to the pail after being dunked or sprayed)
18. Emergency nursing cover
19. Sell them
20. Donate them
21. Lend them
22. Save them for your next child
23. Pass them down to your children
24. Stuff in pocket diapers
25. Cut up and turn into doublers
26. Cut up and turn into nursing pads
27. Cut up and turn into cycle pads
28. Use as incontinence pads
29. Turn them into training pants
30. Turn them into prefold fitteds (i.e. “pre-fitteds”), or have someone else convert them for you
31. Turn them into stuffed animals or rag dolls
32. Turn them into bibs
33. Turn them into wash cloths
34. Turn them into wipes/family cloth
35. Turn them into a quilt (dye the squares first for splashes of color!)
36. Turn them into a mattress topper
37. Turn them into a taggie blanket
38. Use them for batting/stuffing/backing in a sewing project
39. Embroider with your child’s name and frame it
40. Wrap around a brick and use as a doorstop or old-fashioned foot warmer/bed warmer
41. Save as a keepsake
42. Swiffer mop pads
43. Baby doll blanket
44. Baby doll diaper
45. Pet bedding
46. Diaper for a sick or injured pet
47. Dog chew toy (i.e. roll it up and tie knots at either end)
48. Packing material for dishes, glasses, flatware, etc.
49. Use for demonstration purposes (i.e. in a cloth diaper class or a cloth diaper store)
50. Use for experiments (i.e. comparing the effects of diaper creams, testing detergents and stain removers, etc.)
51. Shred and compost
52. 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!