When you decided to try cloth diapers for your little one, you were probably thinking about reducing your costs or reducing your waste. You probably weren’t thinking about all the messy (and stinky!) situations you’d encounter during your cloth diapering journey. Luckily, that’s where a cloth diaper sprayer comes in.
Cloth diapering is a great solution for many families who want to save money on diapers or want to do their part to live more sustainably. But without the right tools and information, using cloth diapers can quickly become overwhelming.
One of the best tools you can have at your disposal is a cloth diaper toilet attachment. We’ll be diving deep into what makes a diaper sprayer such a critical tool, but first let’s take a look at how you can clean cloth diapers more efficiently at home.
How to Clean Cloth Diapers At Home
While there are lots of services today that will pick up your cloth diapers and wash them for you, these aren’t always convenient and can certainly be pricey. If you’re committed to cleaning cloth diapers at home, then it’s important to understand best practices - especially when it comes to learning how to clean cloth diapers with poop!
Cloth diapers can be cleaned and washed in a standard washing machine, but you’ll want to ensure you have the right tools to get those diapers truly clean (without destroying your washing machine!).
To start, it’s important to know whether you have hard water, because some detergents don’t clean as well when used with hard water. Additionally, you’ll want to choose a laundry detergent that works well with cloth diapers. Some traditional detergents have additives that can irritate sensitive baby skin and result in build-up on the diapers (especially if the diapers have not been rinsed well before washing).
And that brings us to one of the most important steps of all when it comes to cleaning cloth diapers at home: rinsing them! Wet diapers can go right in your diaper pail to await cleaning, but handling a #2 diaper takes a little extra preparation.
The most important step is rinsing the diaper before putting it in the diaper pail. While there are plenty of techniques out there to rinse any solids left behind in a cloth diaper, our favorite way is by using a cloth diaper sprayer.
What Is a Diaper Sprayer?
If you’re new to cloth diapering or have always sent cloth diapers out for cleaning, then you may not be aware of the magic that is a cloth diaper sprayer.
A cloth diaper sprayer is typically a toilet attachment that uses a high pressure spray of water to painlessly wash solid messes out of diapers and straight into the toilet.
With a cloth diaper sprayer toilet attachment, you can say good-bye to diapers that never truly get clean. And you can also say goodbye to soaking, wiping with toilet paper or (god forbid) swishing a dirty diaper around in the toilet to try to remove poopy messes.
Is a Diaper Sprayer Necessary?
A cloth diaper sprayer certainly isn’t a requirement to be successful with cloth diapers. But when you’re juggling an infant or toddler and a busy home life, you probably want to make cleaning your cloth diapers as easy as possible.
And if the goal of cloth diapering is to save money with a more sustainable solution compared to disposable diapers, then it’s important to keep your cloth diapers in tip-top shape. The last thing you want is diapers that start to smell and irritate your little one’s sensitive skin.
For that reason, we recommend a cloth diaper toilet sprayer as a must-have item for any cloth diapering family.
Diaper Sprayer vs Bidet
If a diaper sprayer toilet attachment is sounding a lot like a bidet...well, you’re right! While there are many products out there marketed specifically for washing diapers, they are all essentially modeled after a handheld bidet sprayer.
In many European homes, toilet bidet sprayers are as common as toilet paper. There, they are commonly used to clean cloth diapers at home (and clean other things, of course!). After all, there are many benefits of bidet sprayers. In the United States, however, having a toilet bidet sprayer is far less common.
But, if you’re planning on cloth diapering, it’s time to embrace the bidet lifestyle! Your diapers will get clean more easily and you just may discover the reason so many people outside of the U.S. love bidets for their own bathroom needs.
How to Choose the Best Cloth Diaper Sprayer
So, with all of the different models for cloth diaper sprayers and handheld bidet attachments out there, how do you choose the best one for your needs? There are a few key features of diaper sprayer toilet attachments to consider when finding the best solution for your diaper cleaning needs.
Water Pressure
The reason cloth diaper sprayers provide such a powerful clean is because of their water pressure. This isn’t just a faucet attached to your toilet - it’s more like a toilet-sized power washer ready to take on big (and messy) jobs.
Be sure to pay attention to water pressure when choosing your cloth diaper toilet sprayer. While you may not be able to try before you buy, you can read through customer reviews of bidet toilet sprayers to see what current users have to say.
Pressure Control
While powerful water pressure is key to properly cleaning cloth diapers, there are times when you may want a little less power. Be sure to research how much control a cloth diaper sprayer will give you over the spray of water. Can you control the water pressure with a button or trigger? Or are you locked into just one flow rate?
Quality of Materials
Not all cloth diaper toilet sprayers are made equal. Many are made with plastic and other cheap materials. While this may reduce costs, it can also reduce long term durability and performance. Think about how often you’ll likely be using this handheld bidet sprayer. You’ll want to make sure you buy a quality product that will last for years to come.
To that end, we recommend looking for an all-metal bidet sprayer. An all-metal sprayer will ensure the highest quality materials and best durability for long-lasting performance.
Price
Cloth diaper sprayers can vary pretty significantly in price, from as low as around $25 to as much as nearly $100. While it may be tempting to go with the cheapest model when researching toilet diaper sprayers, be sure to consider a balance between cost and construction. Don’t be afraid to pay a little bit more for a high quality product - after all, you’ll probably be using this every day!
Ease of Installation
When you have a little one (or multiple little ones) running around, the last thing you want is a major home project. Luckily, many cloth diaper sprayers are easy enough to install on your own in less than an hour. Look for one that attaches directly to your toilet tank and toilet fill line for the simplest installation you can do on your own.
Installing a Diaper Sprayer Toilet Attachment
Speaking of installing your cloth diaper sprayer, let’s take a moment to review how these toilet attachments connect to your porcelain throne.
A handheld cloth diaper toilet attachment typically comes in a chrome finish so it blends in well with most bathroom fixtures. Bidet sprayers connect to your toilet fill valve and toilet supply line. You can add one to any toilet that has a ⅞” fill valve nipple sticking out of the bottom of the toilet tank.
Because you’ll be using the existing fill valve and supply line for your toilet, you don’t need to hire a plumber or change the plumbing in your bathroom to accommodate a diaper sprayer attachment. And when you’re not using your cloth diaper sprayer, your toilet continues to function normally.
If you want to see step-by-step instructions before buying and installing a cloth diaper toilet attachment, then watch our tutorial video below for our handheld bidet sprayer.
Our Top Diaper Sprayer Recommendation
Now that you understand the many benefits of a cloth diaper sprayer, it’s time to get one of your own. These days there are so many available to choose from, the options can get a little overwhelming.
That’s why it’s important to find a diaper sprayer that meets all of the criteria outlined in this guide: pressure, control, quality of materials, ease of installation and price.
When you review all of these features, one handheld bidet sprayer stands out from the pack: the HammerHead Showers Handheld Bidet Sprayer. This all-metal bidet sprayer is easy to install (without the help of a plumber!) and is built to last from stainless steel and brass.
A 59-inch long hose made from PET explosion proof tubing and stainless steel coil gives you superior control and durability and means you can use this diaper sprayer for even more uses around your bathroom (such as cleaning the toilet and even spraying down a mess in the sink or shower).
The HammerHead Showers bidet attachment also features a toilet tank or wall mount holder, so you can dock your bidet sprayer over the toilet tank or attached to your wall.
Ready to get started with a cloth diaper sprayer of your own? Click to learn more about the HammerHead Showers all-metal bidet sprayer and upgrade your cloth diaper cleaning game.
Have questions about this product or other all-metal bathroom upgrades from The Shower Head Store? Contact us at any time to get personalized support from our expert team.