This is one of those cloth diaper topics that I’m oddly passionate about... when I started cloth diapering in 2015 Flour Sack Towels really became the rage in the years following as a cheap alternative to cloth diaper absorbency and inserts. Of course, I tried it, but I just couldn’t get behind them, and even to this day, I’m still a little salty about Flour Sack Towels.
We don’t talk about Flour Sack Towels as much in 2021 for cloth diapering, they are still around and they might be a great option for you and your family, but they might not. This post was originally written for the 2017 Flats & Handwashing Challenge that was hosted by the Cloth Diaper Revival. This post is in response to todays posed question: What’s working for me? What isn’t?
- Ready, Set, Go: Flats Challenge!
- My Why – 2018 Flats & Handwashing Challenge
- I (barely) Survived Flats and Hand washing
What is a Flour Sack Towel?
A flour sack towels is modelled after thin woven cotton bags flour was stored in. They are usually made of cotton or linen to clean or dry in the kitchen. They are very thin cotton clothes that are kinda like tea towels, but less embellished and fancy. Here’s a few examples form Amazon.
They are recommended mostly because it’s a low-cost cotton item that can be easily accessed at most local grocers, Walmart, or even Ikea. They are almost everywhere, and usually cost less than $2 per towel or insert. And while I don’t love Flour Sack Towels for cloth diapering, some families do. Check out this blog below
- 7 Reasons I’m Obsessed with Four Sack Towels – ModernBottomBabies
Say No to Flour Sack Towel for Cloth Diapers
Why do I say no to Flour Sack Towels? There’s many reasons, and I’m updating this list with some modern takes and lesson’s I’ve learnt over the years.
Flour Sack Towels Are Not Very Absorbent
This will vary from brand to brand, but generally flour sack towels hold about 6 ounces of liquid. It’s a very thin weave of cheap cotton and doesn’t have the density to really hold onto liquid. For that reason, they are so easy to wash, but they really don’t stand up for heavy wetters.
We would need to use two FST per diaper change to get enough absorbency for a diaper to last more than one hour. Many families will pair a FST with a microfibre insert or other insert. This can be a great way to extend the life of both products. For the flats challenge, we need to only use flat diapers.
A more absorbent low-cost item is to source used receiving blankets because they are made of a thicker weave of cotton flannel, and tend to be a much larger size giving you almost double to triple the potential volume and hold. Many areas people will sell these for $1 used, or you can find them in bulk bins at the thrift shop.
Another option is to reuse cotton t-shirts. Again, relatively easy to source second hand for low-cost, and can really offer a better weave and absorbency. You want at least 70% cotton in the shirt.
Questioning the Cost Benefit of a FST
When I originally purchased Flour Sack Towels at Walmart, it was about $1.40 per towel in Canada… I needed two towels per diaper change resulting in a cost of $2.76 per diaper. Meanwhile, I was able to purchase OsoCozy Cotton Flats from my local cloth diaper retailer for $2.69 per flat. This made flats more cost efficient option.
Sometimes diapering products can be cheaper, and I really preferred how the OSocozy Flat folded, washed, and absorbed over the Flour Sack Towels. It also meant less to wash which was advantageous for the Flats Challenge. The cost comparison in 2021, is a little tighter…
If you only need one FST per diaper change, it is a better way to go. But, if you need two, then a Flat system might work out better. One flat is about 8-10 ounces, whereas two FST is about 12-14 ounces. So there is an absorbency difference. I consider this a bit of a nuisance conversation where you’ll have to consider your options. If you need to bulk up an existing stash of inserts, then a FST is definitely more affordable.
Inserts are expensive, even the cheapest inserts on the market cost $2.50 or more. We could probably have an entire conversation about cheap cloth diaper inserts. I know they look tantalizing good on the internet, but there are so many better quality products for a smidgen better that will last you longer and work better.
Flour Sack Towels Fit Small
If your cloth diapering a newborn, flour sack towels are the cats meow. They are a fantastic size, but as you get into bigger children and full sized toddlers, it can really be less than awesome and you might want to consider that in your stage of life.
If you’re looking for a diaper system that will last year from birth to toddlerhood, the Flour Sack Towel might not be the cloth diaper of your choice.
Flour Sack Towels are Great Cloth Diapers
Is it a terrible product? No. Flour sack towels were just a big disappointment to me. I was reading stories on the internet of parents finding success with them, and then I tried them for the Flats Challenge and it just didn’t work out. Not all products work for all people. And just because it doesn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it wont work for you.
If you’re looking for a cloth diaper that is…
- accessible at your local big box store
- perfect for light wetters
- dry incredibly quick
- super easy to wash and rinse
- great with a Snap or Boingo…
Then a flour sack towel might be the right choice for your family .
Other Affordable Flat Cloth Diaper Options
1. Receiving Blankets: Receiving blankets as diapers any day over Flour Sack Towels as diapers. Receiving blankets are easily double the absorbency and can meet a growing child’s needs.
Dislike: They hold onto the soap/detergent better, and take longer to dry.
Like: If bought off parents used, receiving blankets are an affordable price point. Plus, they often come in fun prints and colours that give your stash a little boost of creativity.
2. T-Shirt Diapers: Do I need to explain how awesome t-shirt diapers are? Go check out my blog post and report back.
Dislike: I find my t-shirt diapers do not wash up in my hand wash routine as nicely as the other flat diapers. This is especially true for uncut t-shirts. They also take forever to dry. Furthermore, the T-shirt diaper requires creative folding to shrink down for Little Miss. (But you can do it, and perhaps you have 100% cotton kids t-shirts ready for recycling, those would be great for a newborn.
Like: T-shirt diapers are dirt cheap, and T-shirt diapers are a great overnight cloth diaper for my toddler.
3. Flat Diapers: There are commercially available brands of flat diapers on the market. I love that when you purchase these products you are supporting a small or locally owned business. I love that there is a standard size and expectation that comes from flat diapers.
- 3 Reasons Imagine Stretchy Bamboo Flats Are Awesome
- Flat Cloth Diapers: HumBird Stretchy Hemp Flats
- 5 Reasons To Use Flat Diapers
- Types of Flat Diapers
My experience with Flour Sack Towels for Cloth Diapering
I don’t consider my daughter to be a heavy wetter, but a moderate wetter based on her liquid diet of breast milk. An average one-size AIO is sufficient for a 2-hour period. The flour sack towels I’m using in her diapers were like mere tissues. She quickly soaked them in an hour, and two were drenched before we hit hour two.
Over the past week of using FST for cloth diapering I felt I was in a constant state of changing diapers. And like any small child, she doesn’t like sitting in a wet diaper. So, when one or two gets quickly drenched, I have a small angry child on my hands. And that is far from a pleasant experience. The more diapers I change, the more diapers I have to wash. The more diapers I have to wash, the more tired my body gets.
Final Thoughts on Flour Sack Towels
Saying no to flour sack towels for diapers, is saying yes I want a better cloth diaper experience.
- Opt to reuse receiving blankets or t-shirts for diapers as a strategy for repurposing and rising products.
- Opt to purchase new flats, and you are saying yes to small business.
Just say no to flour sack towels for diapers, and say yes to something better.
Have you tried the IKEA HIMMELSK burp cloths? I have not personally tried them but have heard from a few people that they work way better than FST!
I’ve been using Room Essentials brand flour sack towels from Target with my 4 month old for the last 2 months. I pad fold them and lay them in a cover. So far we’ve found them to be quite absorbent, lasting at least 2 hours and we’ve only had 1 leak from over-saturation when I first started.
Pros of these particular FSTs:
-They come in patterns and colours, so they’re cuter than plain white. Also the dark grey ones hide stains and show wetness very obviously when you check the diaper which was super helpful when I made the switch from disposables!
-They were cheaper than at Walmart or Superstore, I bought them on sale when in the USA for a family trip. Total cost per FST with exchange worked out to $1.07 CAD
-I bought a few Imagine flats on sale to compare Birdseye cotton and don’t find them to be significantly more absorbent than the FSTs
Cons:
– Definitely would be worried to try them overnight
-Bulky
I tried this first because of low upfront cost and the fact I could just use them as dishtowels if I chose not to cloth diaper. I loved the simplicity to start out, so I think these are a great “gateway” to cloth diapering. Granted I started with a newborn, if I tried this first with a toddler it could very easily have been discouraging and leaky compared to more absorbent cloth diapering options.
I only use wm fst for newborn stage. After that I use American Dawn brand from Sams club. They’re HUGE and one works for hours with my heavy wetter 18 month old 🙂
I don’t have any “real” flats, but I’ve been using fst (along with receiving blankets and IKEA burp cloths) for 7 years now – the RE fst from target are wearing down now- they use to be great but they’ve got holes now and much thinner fabric – they are on their 3rd kid and aren’t really enough for my 18 mo old , but they make a great doubler or do ok pad folded
My other fst are the large ones from sams and I Love them for my toddler(s)! They are also thinner than they use to be but still very functional
I’ve been using Walmart FSTs and although they work great for my 8-week-old, I don’t expect them to be usable for much longer. I like them a lot right now because they don’t add nearly as much bulk as the flannel receiving blankets I’m also using. With a blanket, Poni’s diaper goes down as far (and with some blankets, farther) than her knees and she looks ridiculous. Not to mention she just can’t wear one of those in her carseat because she doesn’t fit . .
I have not tried FST or flats because I don’t think I want to spend time doing all that folding. The wrinkling of a FST alone would drive me nuts. I do pad fold smart fit prefolds however, and love the softness of my bamboo cotton ones, the absorbency of my hemp cotton ones, & even the plain cotton ones work well. I bought them preloved so the expense was not great. I just don’t understand the appeal of FSTs when there are other affordable options.
My wm fst worked so well for me until about 8 months old and no I just use a bamboo insert from a too small kawaii pocket wrapped up in the fst stuffed in a pocket diaper and it holds so much more than my double stuffed microfiber inserts. I love them a lot actually. I wanna buy more. Maybe try different ones as well. It’s funny how different things are for people.
I have a metric ton of Walmart fst. We don’t use them regularly as just diapers. But they make amazing inserts when they are pad folded.
Maybe I’m spoiled with all the modern diapering options we have these days, but 2 hours of absorbency just isn’t very satisfying in my book, and my feeling is why double up on FST to get 2 hours when I can use just 1 bamboo flat, which also has the bonus of being softer and trimmer?
I also like how you mention small businesses and giving them needed support.
I’m confused by your 2 hr time frame and why you wouldn’t change your baby every time she/he soiled themselves. I would never want to sit in urine or poop for one minute why do that to a sensitive baby? I have three little ones and have changed up to 30 diapers in a day when they were newborns. My youngest is 3 months and we still use around 15-20 a day.
Because an unrealistic expectation of myself, and I’d like to give grace in the chaos of my life. I change as soon as I get a poop, but to constantly be checked for pee would consume everything of me, and that’s not something I have to give.
2 hrs is a standard time frame for changing a cloth diaper anyway. I think the alliance with both vs disposals is more to do with disposable having a bunch of criminals in them but I’m sure you can check Google or even at Fluff Love CD for the correct reasoning.
FSTs actually sound useful for elimination communication, since you want something light that will detect wetness, but I am intrigued by the receiving blanket and t-shirt you present.
I disagree!! I have been using fst since my daughter was a newborn. Absolutely loved them!! My daughter recently potty trained at 2 yrs 4 mos and never used anything different. Sure as newborns need to be changed more often, but the same with any newborn. Cloth diapering do wet more often, but so worth it. As my daughter got older I could even go longer in between changes.
Everyone totally has a different experience. My first is such a heavy wetter it was a joke to him.
Do you not use any insert or booster with your fst? 😳👀
I typically don’t use boosters at all. I would need them if I wanted to use FST full time as my kids are very heavy wetting.
I love the idea of fst but I just don’t think I can commit the time requirement of extra steps to fold, extra diaper changes, more laundry especially when I have to double up. Thanks for the perspective! I clothe diapered my 3rd baby for about 6 months until I had health problems that prevented me from doing the extra work involved with clothe diapering. I’m hoping to clothe diaper baby #4 until he/she is potty trained!