do covers lose ability to hold leaks?

[MamitaM]

I have an older cover from Bummis,like maybe an older style,it 's blue and has stars on it and a mesh like inside. it leaks a lot!he's wearing a nice thick fitted diaper and he's soaked through all ready to the cover,it's only been an hour. so do covers lose ability to prevent leaks or be water proof?

[cristeen]

Yes, they can, if the PUL cracks or develops holes. Have you used this cover before? Or is it new to you? Mesh inside sounds more like a swim dipe than a cover.

[MusicTMama]

I used bummies covers when I first started cloth diapering nearly 2 years ago. They never held up past a few months. They soaked through as though they were just cotton! My thirsties covers are still going strong...

[Perdita_in_Ontario]

If it has mesh inside, it might be a Bummis Original or Bummis cotton. They're not really meant to go over a fitted; they're meant to be for prefolds or flats.

Or is it like this one here?

http://www.thebabymarketplace.com/securestore/c26043p9533856.2.html

(which I understand is more or less the same thing as the Bummis original/cotton cover)

[atpeace]

YES, it's possible!  And yes, it's highly annoying.  

And I had the same issues with the same covers (Bummis, mesh on the inside, pretty pattern on the outside).  It lasted through one baby, just barely, and now I've got Mother-Ease covers and have yet to have a leak (even though I bought them used).

The problem might be the covers themselves, OR if might be a detergent residue issue.  Do your diapers also have these "symptoms"?: smelly diapers or covers, repelling of liquids, skin irritation, yellowing of white fabrics, leaky covers (I'm just quoting from a pamphlet I got at a local cloth diapering store)

You might want to try this treatment method to see if you can salvage the covers.  I tried it on a few Bummis covers, and it seemed to have improved their water-proofness (is that a word?).

"Repeat the following process twice: 1. Run your covers and diapers twice through a wash with only hot water (if allowed by manufacturer's washing instructions). 2. Run a second wash using 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup vinegar.  3. Use another 1/2 cup vinegar in the first rinse cycle of the second wash. 4. Run a second rinse cycle with plain hot water. 5. Dry covers in dryer."

They have a website that might have more info for troubleshooting.  Look under "resources" at www.extraordinarybabyshoppe.com 

Good luck!