Cloth 101: What is a wetbag?
August 13, 2012 4:33 pm
If you are new to our website, Mondays are our Cloth 101 and 201 blog posts. In Cloth 101 blog posts, our goal is to help answer all of those questions that run through the minds of new parents researching how to cloth diaper but they might be too afraid to ask.
What is a wet bag?
One of my first questions was “What the heck is a wetbag?” Simply put, a wetbag (or wet bag) is a waterproof bag designed to carry soiled cloth diapers and baby clothes until you can wash them. I know what you are thinking… ‘why can’t I just put the dirty diaper into a plastic grocery store bag?’ The truth is, you could, in a pinch. However, I don’t recommend it. I can’t tell you how many sad stories I’ve heard from moms who had a “helpful” friend or family member accidentally throw out their beloved and favorite cloth diaper accidentally because they didn’t realize it wasn’t trash. Or worse, the soiled diaper was left in the trunk of the cars for days (or weeks) until it was no longer salvageable. Let’s be honest, when you have an infant and are sleep-deprived, things happen, so having a wet bag can really protect your cloth diaper investment.
The beauty of a wet bag is that they come in a variety of options, just like modern cloth diapers, to suit each family’s individual needs. They are available in white, solid colors and a variety of beautiful prints. Some are a single layer of waterproof fabric, others with multiple layers and additional pockets for dry items. Small sizes are great for the diaper bag, medium for a day’s worth of diapers or a large hanging style for at home. Closure options can include zippers, drawstrings or both so you can choose what is easier to open one-handed or what keeps odors in better. I think every family should have a wet bag, whether they cloth diaper or not. They are an essential part of any diaper bag and invaluable with children around.
Benefits
- Easy to wash. Just toss the wet bag in each time you wash your cloth diapers to keep it clean and prevent mold
- Bright, colorful bags won’t get mistaken for trash
- Wet bags allow air flow, which prevents mold in your cloth diapers
- Bright prints can help you identify your cloth diaper stash easily at daycare or in the church nursery
- Wet bags have many uses beyond cloth diapers. Great for wet swimsuits, muddy shoes and dirty clothes while away from home.
If you use wet bags regularly, don’t forget to have at least two so you can always have one ready to use when the other one is in the wash! Do you use wet bags? How many do you use? What features do you find helpful in a wet bag?
About the Author
Heather is mom to four, born within 40 months (single, twins, single). She writes transparently about her chaotic household to encourage others through the twists and turns of parenting.
Comments
5 Comments
thanks for sharing.
I have 7 or 8…. one is a small that I only use to hold my pumping parts, and then I try to keep two in each diaper bag (dad has one and I have one). The other 4-5…. well, they are handy when we leave town (one gets used on the way there, one on the way back, and we still have 2 more we can put in when we get home). That, and I fall behind on diaper laundry working four 10hour days in a row, so they are helpful throughout the week! (they also rock as make-shift ice packs!)
I have 3 in total one small one for my oldest sons outing bag, which we use for any accidents he has, one medium sized for my youngest sons diaper bag and a large one for overnight outings…I need to buy 1 more med and another large as I don’t store/wash my youngest sons dipes with his brand new baby sisters…
I have 2 of the large hanging wet/dry bags from Planet Wise that I use to store my dirty but rinsed diapers until wash day. I also have 2 smaller wet/dry bags for the diaper bags. I love the the wet/dry option so that I can store clean diaper essentials in the dry pocket and the dirty diapers in the waterproof pocket. I love the fun prints that they come in as well. 🙂
I read your article regarding wet bags. i can tell you one thing that after reading this article i also have decided to buy a new one for my grand child. As this one is easy to wash so can carry wherever we go.