Small Space Must-Have: Planet Wise Wet Bag

We did not start our cloth diapering journey until our son was 13 months old. At the time this busy mom and full-time chemist wasn't sure we would be able to make the switch. As with all of my purchases, I madly read reviews before making my first purchase. (I have been addicted to reading product reviews since creating our baby registry over 18 months ago.) Based on rave reviews as well as my inability to commit space in to a diaper pail in our small home led me to purchase two Planet Wise Wet bags.

We purchased a medium wet bag in “Green Meadow” to use for when we're out of the house and a large wet bag in “Lime Cocoa Bean” for home. I must admit that I am a huge fan of any brand that provides lots of options for colors and patterns and Planet Wise definitely fit that bill. Our large wet bag hangs on a hook next to our laundry station using the loop handle for easy access when it comes time for laundering. Instead of a laundry room we have a cubby or hallway off of our kitchen, and this is the perfect fit for our limited space! My 16 month old son goes through an average of 14 diapers in two days, so the large wet bag has been perfect for washing every-other day and we could even go a little longer if we needed! The medium wet bag that gets tossed in my diaper bag has worked perfectly for days when we are out all day running errands or visiting family across town. I can easily get the 6 dirty diapers he goes through in a day in this bag.

Two of my favorite features are the waterproof inside layer and the zipper closure. The waterproof layer is clutch for my pocket diapers that I take the inserts out of after a diaper change. This would also be important if you're using prefolds, flats or fitted as they are separated from the cover after a diaper change. It is also important for all-in-ones but in my experience not as much since the diapers are self-containing. The zipper closure seems to help a lot in smell control! The fact that we have our dirty diaper wet bag hanging in a hall right off of our kitchen, smell control is a mandatory requirement for our use. It also makes one-handed opening of the bag to deposit a dirty diaper after changing much easier. I don't know that a drawstring closure would be as simple to open & close or effective at containing smell.

A few small critiques of or things I have learned about these wet bags are due to the washing process. The tag that comes on the bag when purchased does not give distinct washing instructions (hot v. cold temperature), the sewn in tag reads only “machine wash.” According to the Planet Wise website, it states to wash them with cloth diapers. This led me to the understanding that using warm water for washing the bags is acceptable. At first, I washed my wet bags with my cloth diapers and I quickly learned this would not work for us. The benefit of the waterproof layer also seemed to make laundering more challenging by retaining water, possibly soapy water. I'm not sure if everyone experiences this issue, maybe it is due to the fact that I use a front loading washer. I now wash the wet bags separately to ensure our diapers get clean. I tend to dry my bags on a drying rack overnight to save on electricity because it is a small load. This timing seems to be sufficient for our needs on most days, so long as it is not too humid in our house! After I have learned these things, I have been extremely happy with the easy care of these bags.

We've enjoyed these wet bags so much that we recently purchased two more, one in each of the sizes that we already owned. Having two in each size will help us on laundry day! (If you love patterns like me, I chose “Mocha Sunrise” and “Playful Paisley.”) If we're ever able to have more children in the future, I would probably only have to get the larger size wet bag. Here is my beautiful Planet Wise wet bag collection!

By Guest Blogger Natalie Chilicki