Writing recently about my Year of Cloth Diapering, I mentioned a diaper sprayer I've come to see as an essential cloth diapering aid that has come in handy in a number of other situations.

Happy Heiny’s diaper sprayer is plastic with solid brass connectors to attach is to your toilet’s plumbing. The installation requires no tools and was easy for me to figure out with no plumbing experience. (The main problem we have had is a slight leak once in awhile so we’ve resorted to leaving a small towel on the floor underneath it.) There are a couple of similar sprayers on the market - bumGenius sells one that claims to come with "anti-drip technology" - as well as ones marketed as bidets that may function similarly.

When using the sprayer, you take the sprayer head out of the holder, turn the valve, and press the button on the handle. The valve can be adjusted to change the pressure of the water coming out of the sprayer. I was surprised at how high the pressure of the water was coming out of the sprayer. This high pressure does wonders in spraying out dirty diapers. It can also create a mess, but with a little practice, the right angle and getting used to the high pressure, you shouldn’t have any problems. Although it is called a diaper sprayer, I’ve discovered a multitude of uses for this handy piece of plumbing:

• It works great for rinsing out soiled clothing from a blow-out diaper.


• When I recently stepped on a little present left by a neighborhood dog, I was able to use the sprayer to rinse of the sole of my shoe.


• The lower pressure setting of the sprayer is great for personal hygiene after childbirth or as a bidet.


• During the potty-training years, the sprayer will be perfect for rinsing out the potty.


• The hose is a substantial six feet long. Depending on where your bathtub is located, you could use the sprayer when cleaning your bath tub or shower stall.

You can purchase the Mini-Shower Diaper Sprayer at Amazon.com for about $45. For me, it was well worth the investment.

Does anyone else out there use one of these? If so, tell us about it! I'd be especially curious to hear if anyone had experience with bumGenius' "anti-drip" model.

To go along with my cloth diapers, I use reusable cloth wipes that are used with a homemade wipes spray. Even if you don’t use cloth diapers, you can still make use of cloth wipes and cut down on your use of disposable wipes and save some money in the long run.

For the wipes, I purchased some thin flannel fabric from the fabric store. I had a friend who sews serge the fabric into 8” x 8” squares. These dimensions are perfect for being able to fold in half and put into a wipes container. A serge stitch, for those of you unfamiliar with sewing terms, is a way to finish the end of the fabric so it doesn’t unravel. You could also stitch two pieces of fabric together with a simple zigzag stitch. My Happy Crazy Life has a great website tutorial on different ways to make your wipes. You could also purchase reusable wipes at most cloth diaper websites like Kelly's Closet or SoftClothBunz. Baby wash cloths or even a cut up receiving blanket can also work.

When my baby was little, I just used water that I had stored in a spray bottle. When changing my baby, I would grab a cloth wipe and spray it wet just before using it. Now that my baby is older (and dirtier) I make my own wipes solution. I also keep this in a spray bottle and spray the wipe right before using. I’ve found this simple recipe to be effective and easy to make because I always have these ingredients on hand.

• 2 tablespoons of baby wash (I use Dr. Bonner’s Peppermint Castile Soap, which I also use for cleaning around the house)


• 2 tablespoon of olive oil


• 2 drops of tea tree oil (never use at full strength because it will burn your skin)


• 2 cups of water

Put all ingredients into a spray bottle. Shake the bottle before using as the ingredients will separate. I’ve found that long-term storage of wet wipes tends to start smelling so I’ve preferred to stick with my spray bottle method.

There are many recipes online for making your own wipes solution. If this solution doesn’t work for you and your baby, or you would rather use different ingredients, you can find more with a quick internet search.

When going out, you can still use your cloth wipes. If you use cloth diapers, I find it easier to use cloth wipes, because you can throw them right into your wet bag with the dirty diaper instead of having to carry it over to the trash. I place my folded cloth wipes in an empty plastic wipes travel case and spray them with my wipes solution so they are damp and ready to use.

About a year ago, my husband and I took the plunge into the world of cloth diapers. I did tons of research, mostly browsing various cloth diaper websites and reading reviews before I made my decision. We decided to go with the BumGenius 2.0 One-Size Pocket Diaper (ranked as a ZRecs Top Pick in their cloth diaper showdown). I don't regret my decision and we honestly have not had a day where we wished we were using disposables (which we do use when traveling). But now that we've spent a year "CDing," I've discovered that there's a bit more to it than what cloth diapering websites typically tell you.

Many cloth diaper websites will claim that CDing isn't more work than disposables. In my opinion it would be better to say that it isn't as much work as most people think it is. We do a load of diapers every other day. That may sound like a lot of work, but it really isn't. Instead of tossing out the bag of dirty diapers, you toss the diapers into the washer. CDing has become such a routine that it doesn't feel like extra work - although it is, a little.

A diaper sprayer is a must. I don't know how people do cloth diapers without one. Some people use liners, but the poop isn't always going to be contained by the liner. Whenever we have a poopy diaper, we take it to the toilet and spray off any solids with the diaper sprayer before tossing it into the dirty diaper bin. The sprayer has also come in handy when having a blowout diaper, by being able to spray off the baby's clothes before tossing them in the washer.

You should also definitely invest in two washable diaper pail liners and two small wet bags. The large waterproof bags will hold your dirty diapers and can be tossed into the washer with your diapers. The two small wet bags are needed for your diaper bag to hold dirty diapers while you are out. Having two is handy in case one is in the wash. I really like the Mommy's Touch bags for my diaper bag because they zip closed, which I found much more reliable and convenient than the drawstring bags.

The smell is a major concern of people thinking about using cloth diapers. Most websites will say that disposables or not, you'll have to deal with smelly diapers. While that is true, you do have to deal with a little extra smell with the cloth diapers. Because you can't seal the diapers like you can disposables in something like a Diaper Genie, you have to deal with a bit of smell when you drop your dirty diaper in the bin as well as when you are spraying off the poop and carrying the dirty diapers to the washer. We had the most problem during the summer when the heat made our dirty diaper been smell more. But with some experimenting with our laundry routine, our baby doesn't smell any more than if he were wearing disposables (sometimes I think he smells less). I have an extremely sensitive nose, so it's not an issue I take lightly but it has actually become a minor issue I've been able to deal with and that is not something I thought I would say a year ago.

I was a bit overwhelmed with all the information on the internet regarding cloth diapers, including how I should go about washing them. In the end our washing routine is fairly simple. We do a rinse and spin cycle in cold followed by a "heavy" wash in hot and then throw them into the dryer on low. One advice I did read which I think was helpful is to start simple and if you have a problem, then try something different. There is no need to start out with three washes, vinegar and tea tree oil in the wash and then baking soda in the rinse when your diapers would have been fine with just a rinse and wash. I highly recommend using Charlie's Soap. We use it on all our laundry, not just the diapers.

And lastly, becoming a CDing mom has made me passionate about cloth diapers! I love reading about them, seeing new products, talking about them and seeing them on other babies. It has made the mundane task of diapering into something of an adventure and increased my desire for making my footprint on the earth, as well as my child's, as small as possible.