Before disposable diapers became a normal part of American parenting, most families relied on cloth diapers. Long before the name Pampers appeared on store shelves, babies were changed with folded pieces of cotton cloth, fastened with safety pins, covered with rubber or plastic pants, then washed and reused again and again.
Name: These were commonly called cloth diapers, and many families used flat diapers or later prefold diapers. A flat diaper was a simple square or rectangle of absorbent cloth. A prefold diaper was stitched with a thicker center section to make it easier to fold and more absorbent.
When Were They Used? Cloth diapers were widely used in American homes throughout the late 1800s and much of the 1900s, especially before disposable diapers became popular in the 1960s and 1970s. For parents and grandparents who raised babies before or during that time, cloth diapers were not a trend. They were simply the way things were done.
What Were They Used For? Their purpose was the same as today’s diapers: to absorb urine and contain messes, keeping babies cleaner and more comfortable. But unlike modern disposable diapers, cloth diapers had to be rinsed, soaked, washed, dried, folded, and used again.
For many American mothers, this meant a never-ending laundry routine. Diaper pails sat in bathrooms or laundry rooms. Diapers were boiled or washed carefully, then hung outside on clotheslines to dry in the sun. Some families used diaper services, where clean cloth diapers were delivered and dirty ones were picked up for washing.
There was also the famous routine of diaper pins and rubber pants. Parents had to fold the diaper just right, pin it carefully without pricking the baby, then pull waterproof pants over it to help prevent leaks. Anyone who remembers cloth diapers probably also remembers the smell of clean cotton, the snap of the clothesline, and the constant work that came with keeping a baby dry.
Then came a major change. In the mid-20th century, inventors and companies began looking for easier diapering solutions. One important step was the waterproof diaper cover known as the “Boater,” created by Marion Donovan in the 1940s. Her idea helped move baby care away from leaky cloth and uncomfortable rubber pants.
