Plastic pants (also known as waterproof pants, plastic panties, diaper covers, nappy covers, dry joggers, nappy wraps, wraps, or pilchers) are garments worn over a

diaper A diaper (, North American English) or a nappy (British English, Australian English, Hiberno-English) is a type of underwear that allows the wearer to urinate or defecate without using a toilet, by absorbing or containing waste products to p ...

to prevent liquid or solid waste from leaking through the fabric. They are

waterproof Waterproofing is the process of making an object, person or structure waterproof or water-resistant so that it remains relatively unaffected by water or resists the ingress of water under specified conditions. Such items may be used in wet env ...

with a plastic texture, rather than a soft napkin texture. Plastic pants are usually made out of

polyvinyl chloride Polyvinyl chloride (alternatively: poly(vinyl chloride), colloquial: vinyl or polyvinyl; abbreviated: PVC) is the world's third-most widely produced synthetic polymer of plastic (after polyethylene and polypropylene). About 40 million tons of ...

(PVC) or

polyurethane Polyurethane (; often abbreviated PUR and PU) is a class of polymers composed of organic chemistry, organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. In contrast to other common polymers such as polyethylene and polystyrene, polyurethane term ...

(PU). Since the 1950s, it can be used by those with continence problems. Some plastic pants have elasticated legs and waists, while others have poppers or snaps on the side.

History

Originally, diaper covers were crafted from oiled wool. During the early 20th century, oiled

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

was utilized as a waterproofing agent in adult

clothing Clothing (also known as clothes, garments, dress, apparel, or attire) is any item worn on a human human body, body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin s ...

. The popularity of wearing protective garments increased with the widespread availability of latex rubber in the 1920s. For managing heavy menstruation cycles, the panties were equipped with a waterproof latex crotch insert or a waterproof panel at the back of an underskirt. In the 1950s, plastics, particularly PVC, replaced

latex Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latices are found in nature, but synthetic latices are common as well. In nature, latex is found as a wikt:milky, milky fluid, which is present in 10% of all floweri ...

due to their lower cost, maintenance, and noise during handling. Though modern terminology, like " rubber pants" and "rubbers", is commonly used to refer to various types of waterproof pants. The introduction of lighter, less bulky, and often incorporated integral

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or Semisynthesis, semisynthetic materials composed primarily of Polymer, polymers. Their defining characteristic, Plasticity (physics), plasticity, allows them to be Injection moulding ...

backing superabsorbent polymers, along with blood-gelling

polymers A polymer () is a substance or material that consists of very large molecules, or macromolecules, that are constituted by many repeating subunits derived from one or more species of monomers. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, b ...

for sanitary pads, significantly displaced traditional pads.

Effectiveness

Until the late 1950s, infants of both sexes usually wore short dresses until they were ready for toilet training, thus avoiding the risks to clothing and hygiene of having top clothes in prolonged close contact with the diaper.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Plastic pants Undergarments

History

Effectiveness

See also

References