The Free Freshener

There are many accessories that make cloth diapering easier and more fun, but the all-time best cloth diaper accessory is free, and easy to use. It's not hard to find, even though some places it's more readily available than others. It can be easy to miss at times, but here in Arizona, we have an abundance of it.

Sunshine.

Nothing quite transforms diapers like the power of the sun's rays. They will remove a stain, give a fresh scent, and bring diapers back to bright white. The power of the sun is not new to cloth diapering pros, but it still amazes me when a batch of diapers comes inside looking brand new just from being line dried. It might sound like I'm boasting or over-impressed with sunshine, but it is true. You'll see.

Another benefit of sunshine is that line-drying is also free. No increased energy costs here. It might take a little more effort and time, but the results are worth it. So if you've been throwing them in the dryer, stop and look outside. It might be time to freshen up with the sun. And if it's a hot summer day, like we are used to, then it's even faster outside than with the drier.

The second accessory that I could not live without is the diaper sprayer. The diaper sprayer is used on my house long after my daughter became potty trained. Obviously, it helps spray off waste and can rinse urine smells from diapers, but there are additional uses as well.

If baby gets messy, you put her in the bathtub and use the sprayer to clean up her. I mean, you can use it for diaper messes (we stopped using wipes to clean baby and opted for a spray down instead) but also mud, food, or anything else. The sprayer has also been used as a bidet for us adults.

The sprayer also helps me clean. When I scrub the tub and it needs a good rinse, I use the sprayer instead of the shower-head because the sprayer is faster and more direct. If I have a clothing stain that needs direct water pressure, I use the sprayer because it's better than the faucet.

A diaper sprayer is a worthy investment and an easy to use (and install) accessory.

There are other accessories that I love like diaper pail liners. With diaper changes upstairs and the washer downstairs, it's a good thing to have a quality pail liner to transfer the dirty diapers. No one wants a leaky mess or an accidental dirty diaper to fall out before washing. I don't have a favorite brand and I hear people make their own. Either way, if you have a two story house, it's worth it to have a dependable one.

Cloth wipes and wetbags are also nice things to have around, but they don't compare to the amazing power of the sun or the versatility of the diaper sprayer. I tell anyone who is interested that the sprayer truly is worth it if they plan on cloth diapering their little ones.

Bio: Alicia is an 8th grade English and Drama teacher and is a pretty crunchy momma. She shares her Arizona home with a wonderful husband, energetic 3 year old, sweet 1 month old, 1 crazy dog, and 7 happy chickens.