Deciding to spend money on a cloth diaper sprayer is often a struggle for those beginning to cloth diaper. When you’re just starting out, the upfront cost can be scary even when you read about the incredible long-term savings from switching to cloth diapers.
Do you really need to spend even more money on a diaper sprayer? Will it make that big of a difference? What is the best cloth diaper sprayer out there? These are good questions, and important ones if you’re on a budget.
I’m going to answer all those questions for you here. I will also tell you what to look for if you decide to purchase one, and tell you what I think is the best diaper sprayer for your needs to help you can make a clear and informed choice with as much information as you need.
If you want to skip all of that, and just want my recommendations, here they are:
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Is a Cloth Diaper Sprayer Worth the Money?
Yes. For most people, a cloth diaper sprayer (also called a handheld bidet sprayer) is a luxury purchase they can’t believe they lived without before they had one. You can get the waste off your cloth diapers by using any of the six methods I discuss in this post about how to get the poop off of cloth diapers, but without a doubt, the easiest, fastest, and cleanest method is cloth diaper spraying.
Getting as much waste off your diapers as possible is important not only because it’s vital for getting your diapers really clean (which is pretty darn important), but also because it reduces staining, protecting your investment so you’ll get the highest resale value when you’re done with them.
Here’s what some of the cloth diaper users who have made the investment in a cloth diaper sprayer have said about it on the Cloth Diapers for Beginners Facebook Group:
“I love it and use it about 3 times a day or more! We have a sprayer and a spray shield.
We tried to dunk and swish and it didn’t really work…” – June 29th post.“We have one… we use with Spray Pal. Life is easy!!” – September 20th post.
Concerns About Cloth Diaper Sprayers
While many who buy a cloth diaper sprayer are happy with their purchase, others have concerns about buying a sprayer. Let’s take a closer look at some common concerns I hear:
1) They Don’t Look Easy to Install
I can totally understand the hesitation to not fiddle with your pipes, but even for diaper sprayers that hook up to the toilet waterline, installation only takes about 5 to 10 minutes to install and requires no tools and you don’t need to hire a plumber.
Here’s a quick YouTube video by Ka showing the complete install so you can see how quick and easy it is: https://youtu.be/YjeDZtjoCfM
If you still don’t feel confident about installing a bidet cloth diaper sprayer to your toilet after watching the video, you may want to go with a sink cloth diaper sprayer (more on those below) or contract a handyman or plumber, or maybe a sprayer isn’t for you.
2) I Don’t Know if My Landlord With Allow Me to Install a Diaper Sprayer
Most cloth diaper sprayers hook up to your toilet tank water line (like the video above shows), which makes some folks worry their landlord won’t allow it.
While a diaper sprayer is an easily removable connection to your waterline, this is a valid concern as some landlords don’t like you to make any changes at all to their property. Thankfully, there’s another option, though it’s a little less convenient.
Specifically, you can get a handheld bidet sprayer kit that connects the sprayer hose to your sink faucet
3) I Hear that Sometimes when Spraying a Cloth Diaper Clean, There’s Splash Back
The truth is, when spraying your cloth diapers with a strong jet spray, some of the water can bounce off the fabric and onto your toilet and you, possibly taking some bits of poop with it — GROSS!
It happens most often if the water pressure is too high, or if you’re holding the diaper too far above the toilet.
You can stop this by holding the diaper as low into the toilet as possible and reducing how hard you press down on the sprayer head nozzle (thereby lowering the water pressure). This is why when I outline what to look for when buying a sprayer below, I recommend getting one with an easily adjustable water pressure lever. But reducing the water pressure of the spray also means it will take you longer to rinse the diapers clean.
If you have already bought a sprayer without an adjustable pressure nozzle, and you’re too busy to make an effort every time to angle the diaper right and hold it low enough (like we all are because… kids), there is a solution to make sure this splash-back doesn’t happen to you: a “sprayer shield.”
Cloth Diaper Sprayer Shields to Eliminate Splashing
1. Spray Pal Splatter Shield
The Spray Pal cloth diaper sprayer is by far the most well-known accessory out there to prevent splashing when spraying down your diapers. It works like a shield to catch all of the splatters, while also opening up your diaper and holding it steady for you to make spraying the entire inside easier.
2. SimplyImagine Spray Stand
The SprayMate is a lot like the Spray Pal bidet sprayer shield, but with a few more features, which are nice, but also require more bathroom space. The extras include a drip pan for when it is not in use (this is huge) and removable clips so you can adjust the hold for each diaper.
3. A DIY Splatter Shield
If you’re worried about budget, there’s a DIY for that!
All you need is a dollar store garbage pail, and two laundry pins! Cut the bottom out of the garbage and use the pins to hold the diaper to the inside while you spray. You may also want to get a drain tray at the dollar store to rest the wet bin on in between spraying.
3) Is There Really a Need? Does A Diaper Sprayer REALLY Make Things Easier?
The last concern I often hear is the worry over making an unnecessary purchase. If you’ve ever had to “dunk and swoosh” or had a liner bunch on you during a massive poop, you’ll know the answer to this one.
That said, no, a cloth diaper sprayer isn’t a need, because again you have six ways to get the poop off and one of those just requires a toilet and nothing else. It is however easier. The control and cleanliness that you gain with a sprayer is by far much easier than slapping a wet diaper around the toilet bowl trying to get waste loose, dealing with poopy spatulas (that smash the globby poops into the diaper), peeling off bunched-up liners that are covered top to bottom in poop, or refilling a peri bottle 20 times while holding a dirty and dripping diaper. It just is.
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Other Uses for Cloth Diaper Sprayers
So now that we’ve broken down all the reasons you might be hesitating to purchase that sprayer, it might also be helpful for you to know that your cloth diaper sprayer will also get used after the diapers have been retired.
Cloth diaper sprayers are great for rinsing out a dirty potty without having to touch anything. They can also be used to rinse muddy boots, sandy pant cuffs, and any other messes that require a little pre-rinsing but that would be best left out of the sink.
If you’re okay with cold water on your sensitive bits (the water line to your toilet, which you tap into to install the sprayer, is cold water only), cloth diaper sprayers are really just handheld bidets. Bidets are great for getting a better clean, and for cutting down on your need for toilet paper (handy in pandemic times as we all know).
Finally, cleaning a toilet is about a million times easier with a diaper sprayer.
What to Look for When Buying a Cloth Diaper Sprayer
If you’re convinced it’s worth the investment, and you’re ready to get a sprayer of your own, here’s a short buying guide to help you choose a cloth diaper sprayer wisely.
First, it’s important to know that all cloth diaper sprayers will get the water onto your diapers, but in reviewing all of the sprayers mentioned in this post, three things stood out as being the key differences between a great sprayer and a mediocre one. Those important features are:
1. Good Customer Support and Warranty
It’s important not to forget that no matter how easy the installation is for these sprayers, you’re still dealing with pipes, water, and hardware especially if you opt for a toilet sprayer. Things can go wrong and do go wrong. A strong warranty and good customer support can make all the difference between making cloth diapering easy, and making your life difficult with a broken sprayer and/or a bathroom leak and a shot budget.
When shopping for a cloth diaper sprayer look for a company that offers help to customers both during installation and when there’s a defect or problem. This was a major factor in the rating of the cloth diaper sprayers reviewed here.
2. Adjustable Pressure, at the Wand
A lot of sprayers will claim to be adjustable because you can turn the t-valve (the connection of the sprayer to your toilet water line), but your ability to actually adjust the pressure at this point is pretty weak at best.
Not only do you have to bend over and fiddle with the valve, but it’s difficult to get a feel for it, and most of the time you’ll either end up with too strong a spray, which as we discussed above can mean a lot of mess with spray-back, or you’ll get a spray that’s too weak to work properly.
If you want a sprayer that’s effective, clean, and also like the idea of using it on yourself as a bidet (think postpartum, moms), you want to find a sprayer that’s adjustable at the spray head. This will allow you to put the t-valve at high pressure, but still have control over your spray pressure as you’re actually using it in your hand.
3. Quality Materials
There are a lot of cloth diaper sprayers on the market at all price points and of varying quality. Sprayers that just don’t last or won’t cut it weren’t included here, but please note there are many available, and they are often well-priced. Cheap plastic tube hoses, flimsy spray heads with easily breakable buttons, and sprayers that are sold without all the parts you’ll need to install them (in order to lower the price) are out there.
Again, please remember that you’re going to be tapping into a water supply and using your cloth diaper sprayer daily (for many babies, many times a day), so you need to look for something made from durable materials like stainless steel, and is well constructed to avoid problems that come with heavy use.
Best Cloth Diaper Sprayers
Now that you know what to look for when buying a cloth diaper, here are my top three picks for the best cloth diaper sprayers available in 2024:
Best Overall Cloth Diaper Sprayer: Spray Pal Premium Stainless Steel Cloth Diaper Sprayer
Spray Pal is the longest-standing brand of cloth diaper sprayer around, in fact, though I couldn’t find written confirmation, it’s the common belief that they were the first ones to create and sell a handheld toilet sprayer for cloth diapers.
Spray Pal is a name brand in the cloth diaper community not only because of its longstanding presence but because of its good quality and good customer service. Spray Pal is really the go-to sprayer for cloth diapers.
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$35.95
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$59.95
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11/03/2024 02:18 am GMT
Best Budget Diaper Sprayer: Purrfectzone Handheld Sprayer Kit (Toilet Sprayer)
Best Sink Connection Diaper Sprayer:SmarterFresh Faucet Bidet Sprayer
Honorable Mentions: SmarterFresh And BumWorks
In earlier versions of this post (I first began reviewing cloth diaper sprayers back in 2018), I mentioned several brands that aren’t on my recommended list in 2024. Two of those sprayers are still around, and still worth mentioning in my opinion: BumWorks and SmarterFresh.
So why then aren’t these sprayers on my best list in 2024? The reason is different for each:
SmarterFresh (Toilet Connection Sprayer): SmarterFresh used to be my choice for a budget diaper sprayer and I used to sing their praises over customer service. While they still offer customer service, it is no longer the proactive kind that blew my mind a few years ago. The warranty is also now only a one-year limited warranty, which is good, but not as great as it once was.
That, coupled with a rise in price and I just feel like there are better options when it comes to toilet hook-up sprayers. That said, it’s still a great sprayer and company, and I can’t find a better option for their sink hook up sprayer, which is why I still recommend that.
You can read my full updated review of the SmarterFresh Cloth Diaper Sprayer here.
BumWorks: The BumWorks diaper sprayer is made by Kaydee Baby. I wish I knew more about their backstory but what I do know is that when I reviewed my first batch of popular cloth diaper sprayers they were a very active company in the cloth community and were starting to be a recognized brand. Cut to about two or three years ago and I guess they were sold to an Amazon-only retailer (their website is now offline) who sells a bunch of random baby stuff. They are also non-existent in the community any longer.
While I don’t have any reason to believe the sprayer itself is manufactured anywhere else, the service is definitely no longer there and so it’s not in my top three any longer, though I would still buy one on a Prime Day sale or something. You can read my full and detailed review of the BumwWorks Cloth Diaper Sprayer here.
Two Pro-tips for Your Cloth Diaper Sprayer
1. A Tip To Prolong the Life of Your Sprayer
I would not be doing my job if somewhere I didn’t include a quick note to tell you that with all of the above sprayers, turning them off at the t-valve after each use and then emptying the water left in the sprayer before putting it back on the holder will increase the life of your cloth diaper sprayer.
This is because leaving the valve on leaves pressure on the connections inside the sprayer, which over a long period of time can wear them out and lead to leaks. As a bonus, turning the valve off after every use also prevents your cloth diaper sprayer from becoming a toddler water gun.
2. A Tip to Make Your Life Easier
Many installing their cloth diaper sprayers complain that the on/off switch sits behind the toilet making it hard to reach. The pro tip to fix that problem is to run your cloth diaper hose along the back of the toilet and hang it on the other side of the toilet (the opposite side of the waterline).
This will force you to turn the valve so that the hose connection points behind the toilet, moving the on/off toggle to the side. This is of course easier to do with one of the cloth diaper sprayers with a longer hose, like the Purrfectzone, which has a 48-inch brushed nickel hose.
April Duffy
April is the founder of Cloth Diapers for Beginners and author of The Cloth Diaper Wash & Care Handbook. Since 2015, April has helped well over 75,000 parents and caregivers cloth diaper their children through this website, her book, her YouTube Channel, and the Cloth Diapers for Beginners Facebook Group.Save Your Sanity and Avoid Diaper Smells and Rashes with This Easy-To-Follow Digital Handbook. This Ultimate Wash and Care Guide Will Give You the Step-By-Step Coaching Your Mom Group Can't Provide!