Do Baby Diapers Expire? Signs of Deterioration To Watch For

Your child’s growth happens quickly, and soon enough, they will either need a larger diaper or transition to wearing big kid underwear. It’s amazing how fast they reach the toddler stage.

At this point it’s likely that you’re left with a few unused diapers in your stash, but are these still good to use or pass on?

Do baby diapers expire? Diapers technically don’t expire. Manufacturers do, however, suggest using them within 2-3 years of purchasing as the material’s absorbency and elasticity are more likely to deteriorate after this time. Store diapers away from moisture, heat, and light to help extend this suggested shelf life.

If you’re unsure as to how long your spare diapers have been in storage and whether they’re any good – don’t fret.

We’ve looked into the tell-tale signs that diapers are past their best and when to toss them out plus where you can donate your unused diaper supply and more.

Baby Diapers’ Shelf Life

As long as you store them properly, your baby’s unused diapers should be good for use for longer than you might think. Let’s look at diaper shelf life, signs of deterioration, and when they must be thrown away.

Do Diapers Have an Expiration Date?

Not really. According to Healthline, the general message from major diaper manufacturers Pampers and Huggies is that open and unopened diapers don’t have a shelf life or expiration date in the sense that they reach a point where they’re no longer safe for use.

Older diapers may lose their effectiveness, so you could say the material’s absorbency will suffer after too long on the shelf.

How Many Years Are Diapers Good For?

The packaging on some diaper products often mentions an expiration date of around 2-3 years and diapers typically last longer than this time frame, so it should be treated as a “best before” time stamp.

The reasoning behind 2-3 years is that after this period, you may start to notice leakage issues, discoloration, a change in odor, and a general lack of effectiveness. Let’s look at these effects below…

Effects of Expired Diapers

While diapers don’t technically expire, the passage of time can take its toll in a number of ways.

Discoloration – An early sign of diapers that may be past their best is the bright white color turning slightly yellow. These should be fine for use, but they may not be acceptable for donations.

Poor absorption – The absorbent core of diapers degrades over time, resulting in more leaks and a greater risk of diaper rash for baby.

Decreased elasticity and adhesive qualities The once snug fit of a diaper around baby’s legs and tummy will become looser due to the degraded elastic. In addition to this, the adhesive tabs used to secure everything in place will have lost their strong bond, causing the contents to leak and your little one to walk around in baggy, uncomfortable pull-ups. Nope!

Do Diapers Go Bad in Heat?

High heat and humidity can cause the diaper material’s elasticity to wane, so check the stretch panels around the tummy and leg holes to see if they feel looser.

It’s recommended that diapers are stored in an area of 85°F or less for the material to retain its elasticity and adhesive quality.

You should also keep spares stored in the plastic packaging they came in if possible and in a box so they’re not exposed to air or light.

When To Throw Away Old Diapers

Toss unused diapers out immediately if they have:

  • An unpleasant smell – Compare the odor with that of a brand-new diaper. If something about it smells a little funky or off, then this could hint at mold or mildew.
  • A slightly squishy absorbent core – If the absorbent layer of the diaper feels squishy in any way, this can indicate that enough moisture has got into it already, which won’t only make it less effective, but it may irritate baby’s delicate skin.
  • Loosened leg holes – Once the leg cuffs on diapers are loosened, stuff will leak, rendering it pretty useless!
  • Adhesive tabs that are no longer sticky – Once the sticky tabs lose their stickiness, the diaper won’t stay on baby and should probably head for the trash. (TIP: If the diaper still smells fine and has great absorbency, some parents advocate using packing tape to fix unsticky diaper tabs!)
Two small stacks of diapers in a baby's nursery.

What Can You Do With Unused Diapers?

Allison Banfield of Proud Happy Mama advises exchanging them for a new diaper size at the same store (unopened), giving them to a friend, or asking your local daycare if they accept them.

Mom of two Caitlin Boyle of Healthy Tipping Point also shares some inventive uses for unused diapers that include:

  • Protecting fruit from bruising on the go
  • Holding ice packs in place
  • As a mop
  • Doggy diapers
  • Beer cozy
  • Pot holder
  • Eye mask

Can You Donate Diapers To Goodwill?

Yes. A former donation attendant at Goodwill Industries confirms that unopened, unused diapers are accepted. Always check with your local Goodwill store or donation center first to make sure.

Where To Donate Unused Diapers

The following organizations currently accept unused diaper donations:

If your local community has a diaper drive for low-income families, then they will likely welcome old, unused diapers.

Church nurseries and local homeless and women’s shelters can also be good places to donate, so it’s worth checking if they have a Facebook page or website listing their acceptable donation items.

Related Questions:

Do Diapers Have Chemicals?

Disposable diapers contain chlorine, which is used as a bleach to whiten the material.

To enhance absorbency, chemical crystals called Super Absorbent Polymer (or sodium polyacrylate) also make up the absorbent core of the material, but this is considered nontoxic and nonirritating to the skin.

How Long Do Diapers Last in Landfill?

According to Green Living Tips, disposable diapers can last approximately 550 years before they begin to decompose in landfills, with over 18 billion disposable diapers finding their way to landfill sites each year in the US alone.

This highlights the need for organic and reusable diaper alternatives.

Conclusion

To sum up, baby diapers don’t expire as such, but diaper manufacturers often print a “best before” date of approximately 2 to 3 years as a guideline for when diapers may start degrading in terms of elasticity, absorbency, fit, and coloring (you can help slow down this decline with proper storage).

It’s still perfectly safe to use old unused diapers within this time frame and even beyond so long as they don’t have a squishy absorbent core or an unpleasant odor.

The good news is there are tons of places to donate you’re leftover unused diapers (and even some ingenious uses for spare ones too!).