There are a couple of cloth diapering accessories I have found to be indispensible to my cloth diapering routine. I think they are items any cloth diapering mommy or daddy absolutely must have.
The Diaper Sprayer
As an expectant mother I set up a cloth diaper gift registry. When I was researching cloth diapers I came across the diaper sprayer at Diaper Junction. I thought it was so cool you mean I don’t have to dunk the diapers like my mom did??? That’s right – diaper dunking is so out of style! I was a little disappointed to not receive a diaper sprayer as a gift. Then, my husband’s siblings brought one when they came to visit. It was hands down the best baby gift I received!
Pressurized water allows you to spray all of the “ick” off the diaper and straight into the toilet bowl.
The diaper sprayer is a small water sprayer that attaches to the water line which feeds your toilet. To use it you just flip a lever, and squeeze the handle. Voila! Pressurized water allows you to spray all of the “ick” off the diaper and straight into the toilet bowl. No dunking required! Just spray, flush, and go. This means that your cloth diapers don’t have to sit around full of “ick” until washing day, which equals less staining, less smell, and easier-to-clean diapers.
I consider my diaper sprayer to be a necessity, especially since my baby is exclusively breastfed. Nothing that she produces “shakes off” into the toilet – it all has to be sprayed. May I insert a piece of I-learned-it-the-hard-way advice? Don’t be in such a hurry to spray the icky diaper that you forget to check which way the sprayer is pointed. You might get a face full of very cold water, and it is very shocking if you are not expecting it!
I have recently traveled long distance with cloth diapers. At Christmas we flew to my parent’s house. Since they didn’t have a diaper sprayer, I had to resort to dunking my diapers. This helped a little bit, but not only was it gross – it also meant stains in my diapers. When I arrived home I had the extra work of removing these stains.
When I am on-the-go and have a dirty diaper, I just throw it in my wet bag and bring it home. My diaper sprayer is strong enough to remove the “ick” even if it has been sitting for a little while. No more stains at our house!
When I told my grandfather about my diaper sprayer he was intrigued and thoroughly impressed. He recalls the days of dunking diapers in cold buckets of water on the farm! I’m especially grateful for my diaper sprayer, and I consider it a must have accessory.
The Wet Bag
I looked all over for a cloth diaper pail when I was preparing my nursery. The only thing I could find was a Diaper Genie, and it is definitely made for disposable diapers! My investigation brought me to discover the wet bag. Someone really had a clever idea with this must have accessory!
I use the Planet Wise Wet Bags available at Diaper Junction. I have a small wet bag that I carry in my diaper bag. This makes it super simple to cloth diaper on-the-go. If I have a wet/dirty diaper while I’m out, I just throw it in my wet bag.
It is a zippered bag with a waterproof inner fabric to keep all of the wet, mess, and smell contained until I get home. Then I either transfer it to my big wet bag, or I throw it in the wash with my diapers.
I also use the large Planet Wise Hanging Wet/Dry Bag. Again, it has a waterproof inner fabric, as well as a separate zippered outside pocket where you can store clean diapers or needed items. (I don’t really use the outside pocket.)
This bag hangs on the back of the nursery door next to the changing station. When I have a dirty diaper I rinse it with the diaper sprayer, and then toss it in the wet bag. On wash day I just empty the contents of my wet bag into the washer, and then toss in the bag as well. I don’t have to touch dirty diapers, I don’t have to rinse out a diaper pail, and there is nothing to throw away. Just wash and reload!
The wet bags can go in the dryer so they are back in rotation quickly. I have never had one leak, and I don’t have a problem with odors. (And I don’t normally take the time to zip the top of my large wet bag). It is definitely one of the cloth diapering accessories must haves.
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Andrea Hamilton‘s full time job is being Ben’s wife and Elaine’s mommy in Virginia Beach, VA. She started cloth diapering in November 2009 – initially to save money, and now because she loves it. In her “spare time” she enjoys studying God’s Word, playing the piano, scrapbooking, blogging, and bargain-hunting. Andrea has a Bible & Missions degree, and her family is preparing to move to NYC where her husband will be an assistant pastor.
You can read more from Andrea at her blog, Random Issues.
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Becca is a part-time Spanish Teacher and part-time Stay-At-Home-Mom. She's a cloth diaper expert who enjoys spending time with her family, crafting and selling her wares in her very own
Julie is a mom to three kids including a set of identical twins. Through cloth diapering her twins she developed a passion for the industry and is an avid cloth diaper advocate. You can also find her on her blog
I noticed that you said your baby was exclusively breastfed and I wanted to add for the benefit of expectant mom’s who might be scared away from cloth diapering because of the poop situation that the poop of exclusively breastfed babies is completely water soluble and does not need to be rinsed, sprayed, or dunked prior to being tossed into the wet bag. Any resulting stains are easily removed when diapers are dried in the sun.
That said, as soon as solid foods are introduced, the poop changes. It is usually more solid and can be plopped into the toilet. For the occasional stickier poop, a diaper sprayer is nice, but not necessary.
I will admit that at least one, if not two or three, poops make it into my wet bag and through the laundry. It all washes out with an extra rinse cycle and any smell or stains is remedied when the diapers are dried in the sun. I have never had any problems doing it this way.
very cool! Glad to know we never have to worry about diaper dunking anymore. If you are looking for diaper pail refills though I highly recommend dekor diaper refills
@Aja – Thanks for clarifying with some additional information. While it is fine to just toss the breast-fed poo into the washer, I prefer to rinse it out first. The diaper sprayer makes it so easy, and it is such a small investment. When I referred to these items as “must-haves” it is from my perspective. I would not consider cloth diapering to be quite as easy without these items, and they have simplified the process for me.