I had the misfortune of the PUL (PolyUrethane Laminate) on my pocket diapers coming detached from the fabric. I did all the right things when washing my diapers though – kept the water temperature below 100* F, only dried the covers on one low heat cycle and occasionally I did one cycle on high heat b/c it helps seal the PUL. Still as I was stuffing the inserts one day I felt the PUL start to stick to my wedding ring. I turned the pocket inside and out and this is what I found.
Noticing the problem with the PUL on that one diaper prompted me to look at the other diapers in my stash. Sadly, six of my diapers were starting to detach. I did contact the retailer I purchased the diapers from and she’s replacing the defective diapers. Thank goodness for excellent customer service. I thought that I’d show you all what my diapers looked like so you can make sure your PUL doesn’t have the same problem. One thing that I noticed is that the inside of my diapers when I was stuffing them felt very soft, almost too soft. It was the PUL separating that was soft. See how the PUL is loose?
You want for the PUL on your diapers to be attached so well that you cannot tell it’s not part of the cover. It should be one entity, the same. Just like this picture below.
Contributed by Bert, The First Time Mom
Samantha Jenkins says
Oh wow! Thanks for adding pictures. :runs to go check PUL:
Karen says
I’ve had more issue with cracks in the PUL. When the fabric is stretched you can see little cracks in the laminate. I did have a few off brand diapers that did what your pictures show.
Melissa says
Did you ever find a way to fox them? Mine are cracked as well but i hate to throw them away of it can be fixed.
Andrea says
Actually, it is a myth that the high heat helps seal the PUL. Once the PUL is bonded (with a chemcial bonding process), a TPU is created. The bond created doesn’t need to be resealed. Your pictures are good, but you don’t need to/can’t reseal the PUL/TPU. Some companies use a biodegradable TPU (a heat bonding process). This bond is a little more “fragile” as it is designed to decompose when composted.
Cheerful Homemaker says
I had a WAHM wetbag that completely delaminated within two months of using it. I’m very careful with how I care for my diapers and accessories, so I was really upset to see it was ruined.