Time for Leslie to answer another great question from a cloth diapering mama!
Question: I've been considering purchasing some used cloth diapers. Is this ok to do and is there anything I need to know before making a purchase?
Answer: Yes! There are a lot of things to consider before purchasing used diapers. I recommend only purchasing excellent used condition diapers and from actual cloth diaper retailers if you can. Let me explain why.
- Where did the diapers come from and how old are they? Diapers, if stored improperly can look great but have rotted or worn out elastic that will essentially fall apart when used. Find out when the selller purchased the diapers, and attempt to verify that they are not an older version. Finding out the brand, style and model and doing a little research will ensure that you're not buying a diaper that was made by a company that went out of business 5 years ago.
- Why are they being sold? Make sure you ask why the seller is getting rid of the diapers. If buying from a forum, check the sellers feedback rating and also look at their post history. While I don't think everyone is out to take advantage, there certainly are some who will try. If the seller says they bought XYZ diaper new and just didn't like the fit, but you notice that they themselves purcahsed it used from another seller recently, then you know the seller is dishonest. You will have no clue how old the diaper is or what it's history is.
- What were they washed with? As you all know, just because a diaper looks clean doesn't mean it doesn't have stink issues or that it could have been washed with the wrong types of detergent or cared for improperly. Make sure you ask questions and get as much information as you can before committing.
- Is the seller the original owner? It is really not a good idea to purchase diapers used unless you know you're purchasing them from the original owner. Only the original owner will know how old they are, where they were purchased, how they were cared for, etc.
Hope this answer helps you some and that next time you're buying used diapers you'll be making a much more informed decision.
I wish I'd read this a few years ago, i would have never thought to ask all those questions and I'm so glad you are helping others from amking some of my same mistakes. One mistake I made was not to ask if the PUL was intact or to see FB flipped inside out, I bought a few with delaminating PUL.
ReplyDelete