Fleece liners for cloth diapers: how and when to use them

Fleece liners for cloth diapers: how and when to use them

A fleece liner is a thin, washable layer that lies against your baby's skin on top of a cloth diaper, so the surface can feel drier while the layer underneath does the absorbing. It is often used with prefolds, flats and fitteds, where the fabric against skin would otherwise feel wet once it has taken up liquid. This guide covers placement, solids, washing and how many to keep.

What a fleece liner is

A fleece liner is a piece of soft fleece fabric cut to lie flat inside the diaper. It is a separate piece, so it comes out at every change and goes in the wash, unlike a disposable sheet that goes in the garbage. It is not meant to absorb anything. That is the job of the layer under it.

Fleece liners come in different sizes and cuts, so check the size and the care label on any liner you buy.

What stay-dry means

Stay-dry describes how the surface feels. Fleece does not hold on to liquid, so moisture passes through it to the layer underneath, and the liner feels drier to the touch than a wet cotton surface would. The diaper beneath is still wet, and the liner does not change how often you need to change it.

Some pocket diapers already have a soft synthetic inner layer that does a similar job, so check the description before you add a liner to one.

A liner is a comfort layer, not a skin-care product. For red or sore skin, ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist, and follow the label of any rash product you use.

How to place a fleece liner

The fleece goes in last, on top of the absorbent layer, so it is the surface that touches your baby:

  1. Have the diaper ready as usual: the prefold or flat folded, or the fitted opened out.
  2. Lay the liner flat on the inside surface and smooth out any wrinkles, so it covers the area where your baby will wet.
  3. Check that every edge of the liner is tucked inside the diaper and the cover. Fleece that pokes out at a leg can carry moisture to clothing.
  4. Fasten the diaper, put on the cover and check the fit at the legs and waist.

Using fleece liners over cotton, bamboo and hemp

A fleece liner sits on top of whichever natural fibre you choose, so it works the same way over cotton, bamboo or hemp: moisture passes through the fleece and is taken up by the fabric beneath. The fibres differ in how quickly they take up liquid and how much they hold, so check the maker's information.

The liner does not change that absorbency. If you start to see leaks, look first at the fit, the fold and how much absorbent fabric you are using, rather than at the liner.

Dealing with solids on a fleece liner

A fleece liner is not a barrier for solids. It gives you something to lift away, but solids can still stick to the fabric and soak into the layer below. At each change:

  • Lift the liner out and tip or scrape the solids into the toilet.
  • Put the liner in the diaper pail or wet bag to be washed.
  • Wash your hands before you do anything else.

If solids on a fleece liner are more than you want to handle, a disposable liner is one alternative. ALVABABY Disposable Cloth Diaper Liners, 4 Rolls (400 Sheets) is one listed option. Some families use fleece for wet changes and a disposable sheet when solids are likely.

Washing and drying fleece liners

Fleece works because moisture passes through it, so the goal when you wash is to leave nothing behind that coats the fibres. Follow the maker's care label first, and keep these general points in mind:

  • Fabric softener can coat fibres, and many care instructions say to leave it out. Some creams can also leave a film on fabric. If you use a cream, keep following its label, and check the liner's care label for how to wash it.
  • Rinse well. Detergent left in the fabric can also build up. If your area has hard water, the detergent label may have guidance on what to adjust.
  • Dry on the setting the label gives. High heat can damage synthetic fabrics, so many people choose low heat or hang the liners to dry.
  • Small liners can hide in the folds of larger pieces, so check the washer drum and the dryer before you close the door.

If a liner stops letting moisture through, product build-up on the fibres is one possible cause. Check the maker's instructions, or ask the maker, before trying anything stronger. The cloth diaper accessories collection lists laundry detergents and wet dry bags. Check each detergent label for what it says about cloth diapers.

How many to keep on hand

In many routines a fleece liner is washed with the diaper it was in. Check both care labels and follow whichever is stricter. The count depends on how you use liners:

  • On every change: keep one liner for each diaper in your rotation, so you do not run out of one before the other.
  • For naps and nights only: count those changes between two wash days. Three lined changes a day with a wash every third day is 9 liners.

Add two or three spares whichever way you count, since liners wear and the odd one goes missing.

You can see what is currently listed in Cloth Diaper Inserts & Liners and, if you are still choosing diapers, in the cloth and reusable diapers collection.

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Common questions

Does a fleece liner replace a cover?

No. A liner is not a waterproof layer. Prefolds, flats and fitteds still need a cover or another waterproof layer over them.

Does a fleece liner stop diaper rash?

A liner is not a rash product. It changes how the surface feels, and that is all. If the skin is red, sore, broken or not improving, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Can I send fleece liners to daycare?

Ask the daycare how it handles cloth diapers. If staff are willing, send each liner already laid in its diaper, so there is one less step at the change, along with a wet bag to bring the used ones home.

Not sure which liners suit your diapers? Send a message through our contact page and we will help you choose. We reply within one business day.