When you are a new mom and most especially when you are a first-time mom, there will be tons of childcare accessories being thrown at you from every angle.
The way baby stuff is advertised sometimes makes you feel like your child will not survive if you do not buy all of that stuff, but in reality, they rarely need most of it.
One of the toughest choices that new moms have to make is between reusable and new diapers.
Disposable diapers are popular because you do not need to keep washing them, they are easily accessible at the supermarket and their absorbency rate is commendable.
On the other hand, cloth diapers offer that smooth and natural feel that soothes the baby’s bottom, do not contain chemicals which could cause a rash and are very cheap.
The choice to go natural is regaining the popularity it had lost a decade or two ago and it is for a number of reasons.
Here is an experience I have had about the best wet bags for cloth diapers.
Content:
- How I learned about wet bags
- What is a wet bag
- Choosing the right wet bag for your needs + Recommendations
- Wet bag’s characteristics
- Do you need a wet bag for cloth diapers?
How I learned about wet bags
When I was pregnant with my little one, I thought I had learned everything that I needed to know about childcare.
However, when I read about the problems that come with using disposable diapers, including rashes, the risk of infections, ruining the environment and how ridiculously expensive the disposable diapers were, I decided to deal with cloth nappies.
All was well until I made my debut appearance with my baby, at an outdoor function and she made a mess.
After I removed the wet diaper, I realized that I did not have a way to separate it from the rest of the stuff in the diaper bag. Needless to say, everything got wet and messy and the smell was just embarrassing.
However, this was the experience that made me want to know about the storage options available for wet cloth diapers and thus I discovered wet bags.
Here is what you need to know about these bags.
What is a wet bag
If you are going to opt for the cloth diapers, one of the accessories that is not optional for you is wet bags.
These are reusable, waterproof and leak resistant bags which you use to store used cloth diapers when you are out of the house until you get back or till you can get a chance to run the washing machine.
The bags are designed in such a way that you can simply put in the used diaper, zip them up and put them in your regular diaper bag.
There are many benefits that come from the use of these bags. These include:
- Protecting the rest of your baby’s clothes from getting the wetness and the smell of the used diaper.
- Keeping you clean and free of any messy liquid or odor which could leak if the wet cloth diaper was to be simply put inside the diaper bag.
- Organizing and differentiating between the clean and the dirty cloth diapers when you are out there.
These are some of the reasons why all mamas who have chosen the natural diapers way need to think about wet bags.
The bags come in a variety of sizes, shapes and other specifications, and they can be bought at any of the stores that sell baby supplies.
Choosing the best wet bag for cloth diapers
There are different considerations and characteristics which determine best wet bags for cloth diapers.
These include the size of the bags. Ideally, wet bags should be large enough to fit a cloth diaper or two.
At the same time, they should also be small enough so that they can be fitted into another diaper bag with ease.
The materials used in making the bag matter a lot, needless to say, wet bags should be made with either Nylon or vinyl.
These two materials are popular because they are waterproof. However, Nylon bags will cost you a little more because the material is more effective in preventing leakage.
You also have to worry about the closure type of the bag. The ideal bag will have a closure which is close to impossible to loosen. Closure mechanisms include drawstrings, Velcro, roll down and zippers.
In the table below you can find some dry and wet bags recommendation, it may be helpful before doing your own researches.
Product Sizes Satisfaction Rate
Characteristics to look for in wet bags
Not all wet bags are the same.
You have to look into the features that differentiate one model from others in the market because this will help you pick the best.
Here are the characteristics to look for in a wet bag.
- The bag must protect the contents from leaking all over the other things contained in the diaper bag. If you pick a wet bag whose quality is low, you will end up with lost of messes when you go out with the baby.
- The bag should be made from thick and durable materials. The construction of the bag should include well-stitched seams and enough sturdiness to withstand weight and wetness. Materials that get ruined by moisture would not be ideal for wet bags.
- When choosing colors, it would be best to pick bags that are brightly colored. The theory behind this is that when you are out there with the child, you do not have all the time to start rearranging things inside your bag and trying to locate one thing. You need to get a color that is easy to spot for your convenience.
- The hardware which is part of the wet bag should be well put together. For instance, if the bag has zippers, drawstrings and any other accessories, they should be of the highest quality because otherwise, they will rip right off, which will cost you money in trying to replace or buy a new model.
- Good wet bags should be able to seal in the smell of urine and any other solid waste that will be in the cloth diapers when you are putting them in.
Note that the bags will contain nappies which are soiled, so the best way to figure out if the bag is strong enough to carry a certain amount of weight is using a wet cloth as opposed to a dry one.
Do I need a wet bag for cloth diapers?
When you hear the term wet bags, the first thing that comes to mind is somewhere to put your wet cloth diapers.
If you do not use cloth diapers, you may be tempted to think that this is an unnecessary item.
However, there are many other reasons to get a diaper bag and here are a few of them.
The pool when you go to the first swimming lessons with your kid, you will need a safe and waterproof way to carry their swimming costumes, caps, and towels that get wet throughout the day.
There is no better way to make sure that when you put the wet clothes back into your tote, your makeup, phone, and other contents will not get water from the bathing suits.
Pump parts-if you are a nursing mom and you regularly use a pump to express milk, there is no better way to store it than getting a wet bag.
All you will need to do is rinse the parts, put them in the bag and then reuse them as needed.
Potty training-most people think that when you have reached the age of potty training, you have made it in life.
The truth is that before the child learns how to take care of their needs, they will have made a number of messes.
A wet bag is the best thing to store any clothes that may get wet in an incident till you get home.
Snowy and wet clothes-if you are going to work during the rainy season, you understand that even a simple walk from the car into the building could leave your raincoat drenched in water.
When this happens, you need storage which will keep the wet clothes away from everything else inside the bag.
Instead of having the wet stuff in your car’s trunk or ruining other things, think about getting it well-organized in a wet bag.
Trash bag when going out for picnics and other outdoor activities, and especially when there are kids involved, you end up getting items such as juice boxes that are half empty, half-eaten fruit and other wet trash and looking all over for a way to dispose these may put a damper on your day.
A wet bag will come in handy in these circumstances because all you have to do is empty it when you get home and put it in the washer.
There are even people who use wet bags to carry their laptops because it is the best way to ensure that the gadget stays dry inside their tote bag.
You can even use the wet bags in the kitchen. If you are fond of using dish clothes that are made of cloth as opposed to paper towels, the wet bag will carry them for you when taking them up for laundry.
In short, there is no end to the creative ways in which these bags make your work simpler.
I would recommend that you think about getting more than one wet bag so that you can use them interchangeably.
Also, when shopping for them, make sure that they are washing machine safe.
Nothing feels better than coming home and just tossing everything in the washer and getting fresh diapers plus their bag in the end.
Shop and compare the different brands which are available in the market and get the one whose specifications meet your needs.
Whether you use them for wet cloth diapers or the other creative ways, you can never go wrong with these.
Product Sizes Satisfaction Rate
Additional information:
- Best Cloth Diapers for Newborns and By Type (From Flats to All-In-Two)
- Best Mattress Protectors For Bedwetting (Get the Top 3 Results Now)
- Sleep Well with these Safe Alternatives To Crib Bumpers
- What To Do If Your Newborn Sleeping on Side?
- How Many Diapers Does a Baby Use a Day?
- What Is Inside Those Disposable Diapers?
- Why cloth diapers might not be the greener choice, after all
Photos credits: Amazon.