Veteran parents can tell you that you’ll spend a decent amount of time trying to identify what that wet spot is on you or your kid, but it isn’t until you’ve lived it that you’ll truly understand that kids really are that messy. When the summer months come through, it only gets amplified— think popsicle drippings, wet swimsuits and dirt cakes presented to you as gifts.
If you’re staying at one of the best resorts for families or carting around a nursing swimsuit covered in breastmilk and spit-up, you’re going to want to look into getting a dedicated container made for holding these things. While you can’t stop all the damp and dirty stuff kids do, you can contain it temporarily in a wet bag.
Here’s what you need to know about wet bags and why you should encourage your pregnant friends to add one to their newborn checklists asap.
A wet bag is a bag specifically designed to hold wet things, whether that’s a used breast pump, wet burp cloths or discarded bathing suits. They’re usually made from waterproof material and can be called waterproof wet bags as well. Reusable, washable and durable, wet bags protect your other belongings from getting wet.
Why are wet swimsuit bags so useful?
Wet bags can do so much more than just tote wet bathing suits around. Plus, these genius little zip-bags are great for every age and stage of life with kids. In infancy, they can be used to cart home wet breastfeeding or pumping materials, soaked burp cloths, blowout remnants and even used bottles (the items stored don’t have to be cloth).
For toddlers, a reusable wet bag is a useful place to keep soiled underwear while potty training. For kids of all ages, a wet bag is a great item to travel with, as you never know what kinds of incidents and situations you’ll get yourself into while camping with a baby or going on a road trip with your pre-teens.
Plus, wet bags are very compact when not in use. This makes them easy to throw into diaper bags, beach bags and purses and help just about anything you toss inside stay dry .
Originally, the wet bag was designed to keep soiled diapers from touching other belongings, keeping the cloth diapering community safe from… spills. This still holds true, as they make an excellent barrier between your clean items and a soiled diaper.
Regardless of how you use a wet bag, a key thing to remember is that you have something wet or soiled inside, so it’s best to empty it as soon as you get home to prevent mold, mildew and odors from forming.
Originally, I had it in my head that I needed a wet bag to bring to splash pads and other water features this summer to bring my toddler’s wet swimsuit home. However, I quickly realized that this can double as a potty training to-go kit, storing extra shoes, socks, clothes and Pull-Ups, as well as soiled underwear and clothes should she have an accident.
My daughter is obsessed with the cute mermaid-printed one and loves that there’s a loop that she can carry it herself. There’s a dry pocket on the exterior of the wet bag to hold items I want to keep dry while at the beach or pool, such as my phone. It’s super compact when not in use, and when fully extended, it’s about the same size as a piece of printer paper, perfect for shoving into our beach bag or diaper bag.
These bags can easily be thrown in your washing machine and are made of durable fabric which makes my life easier. I will definitely be recommending these to my pregnant friends as one of those things no one ever tells you to register for, but that you should absolutely put on your list since you can use them for years.
Where to buy wet bags for swimsuits, cloth diapers and breast pumps
You can buy a two-pack of wet bags on Amazon and choose from over a dozen different patterns and colors to use for wet swimsuits, soiled cloth diapers, wet breast pumps and even toiletries on the go.
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