Are you wondering what you need besides diapers to get started with cloth diapers? Here are my 5 favorite and essential Cloth Diaper Accessories!
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To start into the world of cloth diapering, you don’t have to spend a million dollars. In fact…
If you haven’t checked out the post on starting a cloth diaper supply for $100, check that out first! I decided when I first bought my cloth diapering supplies, that I would buy the bare minimum. I kept my initial purchases right around $100, and used the diapers until the time when I would have spent $100 on disposables. We are way past that point now, and I am still using cloth diapers!
After using my minimal supplies, I decided to upgrade just a tad, to include a few accessories to make the experience even easier and more enjoyable for us! Even with these five additional purchases, cloth diapering has been incredibly affordable. So, if you want to know what my favorite cloth diaper accessories are: read on!
Washable Baby Wipes
If you are going to be washing out your diapers anyway, you might as well get washable baby wipes too. A job that would normally take 3 disposable baby wipes, is easily done with one washable baby wipe. You can get the fancy wipes, or I love to use the Gerber washcloths. With the wipes, you have the option of a smooth side or a side that you can use to scrub a bit if needed. They are perfectly gentle on your baby’s skin and thin enough to easily manage in a messy situation!
Diaper Sprayer
I LOVE my diaper sprayer. I use it for every messy diaper. It is so much easier than the dip and swirl method. You don’t HAVE to have a diaper sprayer, but it makes things that much easier. I just hold the diaper insert in the toilet and spray down into the toilet. I’ve seen those clip things with a shield to keep stuff from spraying all over the bathroom, but I’ve never had a problem with that. I would try just getting the diaper sprayer itself before investing in all the other things that you will just have to wash along with the diaper.
When we cloth diapered Baby #3, there weren’t many inexpensive options out there, so we sort of pieced our own together at Home Depot using a kitchen sprayer and a command hook to keep it on the side of the toilet. Nothing fancy, but it does the job. In seven years, prices have dropped, and diaper sprayers are much more affordable. Get one. You’ll thank me later!
Travel Wet Bag
When I had my minimal essentials only, I didn’t have a travel wet bag. I would just keep an extra plastic sack in my diaper bag to store the used diaper in. It never really bothered me much, unless I forgot to take the diaper out of the bag once I got home. If the diaper was particularly messy, it wasn’t fun to pull out of a plastic bag either. I did buy a travel wet bag and love the convenience of it! The best wet bags hands down are the Alva Baby bags. I have tried other wet bags, and they are just NOT the same. I will never buy any other brand than the Alva Baby ones.
The Alva Baby wet bags come in a bunch of different designs, and are quality fabric. They don’t leak, and I love the strap. They also have an extra pocket in the front to keep the baby wipes separate, or even stash an extra onesie if you need. We use these when potty training too, and just keep an extra pair of underwear in the front pocket!
Large Wet Bag
A large wet bag is useful to store your diapers in between washes. I have tried keeping them in just a plastic bucket we had left over from laundry soap. That worked fine, but after awhile, the plastic absorbed the smell and perpetually stunk. Plus, it was a hassle to take the lid off, but worse if you didn’t put the lid on correctly.
I now have a Large Wet Bag that I store inside a bucket, just to keep the bag upright. Again, I would only buy an Alva Baby Brand Wet Bag. I have tried other brands, and they are just not as good. The Alva Baby wet bags hold a large amount of diapers, zip shut, and have handles. You could even use this bag to bring home wet swim suits from the pool when you are done with the cloth diaper route!
Extra Diaper Covers
When I bought my essential stash, I bought most of my diaper covers in the brand recommended to me, but I bought two others in another highly rated brand. When I went back to do my upgrade, I replaced those two diaper covers so my whole stash is the same. When you find a brand you love, whatever it may be, stick with it! No sense in having a whole bunch of diapers that you only kinda sorta love! I didn’t invest in buying any more inserts than I already had. A stash that gets you through 2 days is perfect. Letting them sit any longer than that just makes them stink!
So there you have it! If you have tried out cloth diapers and are wanting to “upgrade” at all, here are the things I would start with: Baby Wipes, Diaper Sprayer, Wet Bags, and streamlining your Diaper Covers. Stick with the basics and you will save oodles of money over just a few months!
