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Many cloth diaper skeptics have crazy ideas in their head about how you are supposed to clean diapers and deal with the dreaded poop. They imagine poop getting all over the walls, their hands, the floor…maybe they even think it will be so bad they will need a shower or change of clothes afterwards. Well, fortunately it is nothing like that! There are many efficient and clean poop removal methods, and using a cloth diaper sprayer is one of those!

What Is a Sprayer?

A sprayer is something you will attach to the water supply valve on the wall for your toilet. It is pretty much exactly as it sounds. If you have a sink that has a spray nozzle, imagine that–it is very similar!

Sprayers are used to rinse the stuck on poop off of cloth diapers before they go into the diaper pail/laundry. A sprayer keeps you from having to get your hands dirty when cleaning poop off diapers, and many people are sold on one of these for that reason alone. You can simply hold the diaper open over the toilet (or clip it onto a shield) and use the sprayer to rinse all the solids off. Pretty slick! No dipping, swishing, or scraping the diaper.

Is a Sprayer Necessary?

cloth-diaper-sprayerA sprayer is not a necessary cloth diaper purchase because there are other methods of poop removal that are free. If you are on a strict budget, you can certainly skip getting one. Remember that when babies are on formula or breast milk with no solids, you do not need to rinse or scrape poop at all. Breastfed baby poop is water soluble. Formula baby poop is water-soluble enough as well, and will rinse away in the washer no problem. You will not need or use a sprayer at this time.

Once your baby starts solid foods, then you need to look at removing the poop. Babies often get what is called “peanut butter poop” at this stage, and it can be annoying to remove since you can’t just plop it in the toilet.

This is one reason sprayers are very popular. Many families feel they would not have been able to stick with cloth diapering without getting a sprayer. If you are really interested in cloth, but the thought of removing poop is holding you back…get the sprayer. You will love it!

What Should You Look for in a Sprayer?

You will not want to just get any old sprayer. Some sprayers are not very high quality, and you don’t want to have to be dealing with leaks, cracks, or minimal water pressure. Here are some things to look for in a sprayer:

  • Durability–Especially if you want to use cloth diapers for multiple kids, you will want it to last for years.
  • Adjustable–The ability to adjust the water spray/pressure is important. You will want to be able to have high pressure at times, but you won’t always want high pressure (or say hello to getting dirty poop water back spray on your clothes!)
  • Easy to Use and Store–You really don’t want to have to try to keep poop from getting everywhere while you mess around with a sprayer that is cumbersome to use. You also want it easily accessible, so make the sure the sprayer nozzle has an easy way to hang or store itself between uses.

Sprayer Options

There are a wide range of options in the world of diaper sprayers. The most commonly used sprayers for diapers are:

1. Spray Pal Diaper Sprayer and Splatter Shield

This sprayer is probably the most popular in the cloth diaper world.

It is a good quality, adjustable, and easy-to-use sprayer. You can buy the sprayer alone, or you can buy it with the splatter shield.

The splatter shield is an awesome feature, which is why this sprayer is so popular.

2. SmarterFresh Cloth Diaper Sprayer

This sprayer is highly-rated and quite popular. It is also durable, adjustable, and easy-to-use. It is also a smidge cheaper than the Spray Pal sprayer alone if you are looking to save a few bucks (but if you buy the Spray Pal sprayer and shield combo, that is a slightly better deal than buying this sprayer with the shield separately). The kit comes with everything you need to hook it up and start using it.

3. Bumkins Cloth Diaper Sprayer

The Bumkins cloth diaper sprayer is another popular option. It is the cheapest out of the three, is very easy to install, is adjustable, and is durable. There are no tools needed for this install! Anyone could do it!

There are many other available sprayers on the market, but many of them are more complicated to install or use, or they do not hold up quite as well, they leak, etc.

My Top Recommendation

My top recommendation for the diaper sprayer is the Spray Pal Cloth Diaper Sprayer and Splatter Shield Bundle. This is my top recommendation because I strongly feel if you are going to invest in a sprayer, you need to “go big or go home.” There is nothing worse than spending money on a sprayer and having quality issues with it, finding out it doesn’t spray hard enough, sprays too hard…etc. I say this because I’ve experienced it!

The splatter shield that comes with this sprayer is the most important piece (and you can purchase it separately here if you want to use a different sprayer). The biggest issue people run into with a sprayer is the mess it makes. Buying a shield can save you from having to clean your bathroom every time you rinse a poopy diaper.

There are DIY versions of this shield you can look into making, but take my advice as someone who has made and used a DIY shield: there are many perks to the Spray Pal shield–it folds flat, it’s easy to clean, and it lasts. Plus, it is inexpensive. The DIY version I made saved me a few bucks up front, but my DIY version did not fold flat and did not last very long. It was also not as easy to clean, and it took time to make it. It is worth it to spend a few more bucks for their awesome, patented design.

Personally, I would not spray diapers if you’re not willing to get a shield. It would be pretty messy without one, and I think other poop removal methods would be a better choice without a shield.

A Sprayer Can Make Life Easier

A cloth diaper sprayer can certainly make your life easier, at least when it comes to cloth diapering! It can help you quickly and easily remove poop from soiled diapers for washing, and it may help protect you from getting poop or toilet water on your hands as you clean the diapers. This is more of a cloth diaper “luxury” than a necessity, so do not feel bad if your budget doesn’t allow you to purchase one or if you want to see how cloth diapering goes for you before investing.

However, if you are really nervous about the poop and don’t mind making another purchase, do yourself a favor and pick yourself up a Spray Pal Sprayer/Shield Bundle, or any other quality diaper sprayer. You will love it!