**Warning- there will obviously be a lot of poop talking in this post.
Along with being completely confused and overwhelmed with all the information out there on cloth diapers, I was also TERRIFIED of my son pooping while wearing cloth diapers. The thought of having to clean poop off of it grossed me out! This was another reason why it took me so long to start cloth diapering my son. Sure he poops in his disposable, but all I had to do was use a wipe and only clean his butt. I never had to actually clean the poop off his diaper. How in the world was I supposed to clean it off? Scrape it off? Wipe it off? Dunk it in the toilet?
But to be honest, the thought of it seems a lot worse than it really is and when this time comes for you, your parenting instincts kick in and it’s really not as scary as it seems.
There is also great news for moms who EBF (Exclusively Breast Feed). EBF baby poop is completely water soluble. Meaning you can just take the diaper, stick it in your diaper pail and when ready it can go straight into the wash. No having to worry about removing the poop first. Yet another great reason to breastfeed!
Now that my child is older and we have introduced solid food to his diet, he is no longer EBF. So I can no longer just stick his diaper into my wash if he has a poopy diaper. So how have I managed dealing with this all?
Surprisingly most of his poops just roll right off the diaper and into the toilet. Easy Peasy! But sometimes he does have tougher poops to remove and I am so thankful to own a diaper sprayer from The Diaper Sprayer company! I am not a fan of dunking the diaper in a bucket or toilet to wash the poop off. If I had to do it I would, but of course I prefer not to.
I can not tell you how ridiculously easy the Diaper Sprayer was to install on our toilet. We have a standard toilet so it connected no problem. My husband had it installed and working in less than 3 minutes. I am not kidding! It is also completely easy to use. Just hold your diaper near the bowl of your toilet or let it hang on the bowl and spray. The poop comes right off! I really could not be happier that we have one. It also makes my husband more comfortable knowing if he were ever stuck having to change a poopy cloth diaper, that the sprayer would be there to help him.
The Diaper Sprayer runs for less than $40 which to me is worth it since i will never have to dunk my diaper in the toilet! You can check out all the different sprayer options and check out a little image drawing of how easy the sprayer is to install in as little as 5 steps by visiting their website at: www.diapersprayer.com
Not into the whole diaper sprayer but still don’t want to have to dunk your diaper in any water? You can always buy a flushable diaper liner. I have personally never tried them but they look pretty cool and I will probably be purchasing some sometime soon for when we are out and about. Charlie Banana has a pack of 100 for $11.99. They are not only flushable but 100% biodegradable, free of plastics, chemicals, chlorine, and they are thin.
If you are a more get down and dirty type of mom. You can buy some dishwashing gloves (you know, the yellow ones) and then dunk. That way your bare hands never touch the poop. I have also heard of parents buying a poop only spatula and doing it that way and then disinfecting when it is done and storing it under the bathroom sink.
Whichever way you choose to do, it really isn’t that scary. Once you experience your first poopy diaper, cloth diapering is a breeze!
Stay tuned for Step 4- Washing.
Missed the previous steps? That’s ok:
Step 1: Preparing
Step 2: Prepping
***Disclaimer- I received a Diaper Sprayer for review the words above are strictly my own because quite frankly, I’d like to be able to clean off poop without touching it. ***
10 COMMENTS
Tamie
14 years agoSometimes the fear of something is worse than the actual act of doing it.
I have cloth diapered my son since he got out of the hospital. He was not breast fed and I treated his poopy diapers exactly the same as if he were breast fed. I have never had a problem with cleaning them and I have an old old old washer.
I have a diaper sprayer but I never use it. The poop either rolls off or is thick enough that I can pick it up with the used wipe. I have cloth wipes but I don’t use them as much. I have found that I like the wipes that don’t have alcohol in them and in particular I love the Huggies ones. They are thick and do a good job. The other good thing about them is that you can leave them with the diaper and put them in the pail. I toss the whole thing in the washer. I am still trying to decide if you can re-use them or maybe use them as a barrier in case you have to use an antibiotic or non-cloth diaper rash cream. If anyone has tried it, I would love to hear your thoughts.
I got a few liners with my diaper trial and I never used them all. Seemed like more of a hassle than anything else.
Great job and continued success:):)
Deanna
14 years agoThanks for another exciting update. :) I am on day 2 of my cloth diaper trial. I purchased six different kinds (2 of each, so I can do it full time.) I found a website that offers a risk-free 30-day trial. So far, things aren’t that bad. I didn’t by any type of sprayer yet. I’m only going to do that if my husband and I decide to completely make the switch to cloth diapers.
Also, what type of storage system are you using for your wet/soiled diapers. I’ve heard good reviews on the Planet Wise wet bags. http://www.planetwiseinc.com/ Any suggestions?
Tamie
14 years agoI have the planet wise pail liner and a medium planet wise wet bag. They are both just fine. I love the liner. The wet bag works well but annoys me when it is washed because the inside comes out and it is a pain to get it back in the pouch. I use a regular small trash can with a lid as my pail and it works great. I haven’t found a wetbag that I LOVE. My ideal wetbag would be a planetwise wetbag (that does turn inside out) with a strap that allows you to attach it to the diaper bag instead of putting it in the diaper bag. I have a zippered planetwise, a zippered smartipants (not so great for smell but has the strap), a bummis drawstring and a Dr Suess one but I don’t remember the brand. I like them all but don’t love any of them:):)
Kaydee
14 years agoCleaning the poop was also my biggest hindrance from cloth diapering. But we’re ready to take the next step in potty training with my 2 year-old so I’ll have to get used to cleaning the poops. We’ll be using the thick underwear instead of cloth diapers though.
Amanda Klenner
14 years agoI use the bummis diaper liners (too cheap for the sprayer and it seems like more work than is required) and I love them! Quick and easy, no stained diapers (unless she ate A LOT of blueberries). They are biodegradable and flush-able which is always a plus. :)
via Facebook
14 years agoThanks for the great post Jasmine! Very informative… :) – Jessica
Caitlin
14 years agoI remember being terrified for that very first poop. And about 2 minutes in to her very first cloth diaper…she pooped. She was a little, er, “firm” that week, and as I carried the diaper to the toilet, wondering if her poop would be “rolly” enough to plop into the toilet…it rolled into my hand. It’s really not bad at all, though! I think it’s one of those things that people who cloth diaper will tell you again and again “It’s not bad at all” but until you’ve done it, you really don’t realize how easy it truly is. It’s just poop, I already wipe it up anyways. Might as well as carry it to the toilet, as well.
We don’t have a diaper sprayer or use liners, but I’m a pro at dunking! And if it’s stuck too much to her wipes I just dunk along with the diaper. I have a deal with my husband, he scoops the litter boxes, and I dunk all diapers. My end of the deal is so much easier.
PeppermintPam
14 years agoI honestly don’t know how I would have survived cloth diapering w/o a diaper sprayer once my daughter started on solids. I also have this brand sprayer and the control valve is key: no poop splatter all over the bathroom because you can control the water sprayer pressure!! My daughter ALWAYS had pancake poop and it was challenging to get off– especially if it had been sitting in the tote all day at daycare (hey, at least they welcome CDs!). I have an HE washer so I also literally pre-rinsed my inserts over the toilet to avoid ammonia issues. Once my daughter started potty training it came in handy for cleaning her training underwear. I also have two boys so it is helpful for rinsing tee-tee off the potty!!
Brittany B.
14 years agoyea– the stinkies..def scary me when it comes to cloth diapering!! i think that’s the biggest reason that’s holding me back.
Jasmine
14 years agoBrittany- I totally understand obviously. You can always wean into it by getting a diaper liner or using cloth while at home and a disposable while out to get the hang of things. How old is your little one?