Very often I find myself musing, “I use this thing ALL THE TIME…” about some object in our home. Things that make life easier, or more fun, or cheaper. This is part of a Monday series, spotlighting these household heroes and inviting them to take a bow – before they get back to work!
Household Heroes, Part 1: The Spapoola
WARNING: This post is not for the faint of heart (or nose). I absolutely am posting this first for pure shock value. You have been warned.
Seriously.
So what in the world is a spapoola?
I don’t know if anyone else calls them by this name, but in our house a spapoola is a poop spatula. Hey, I warned you!
Cloth diapering is frugal, environmentally friendly, and good for a baby’s bottom. It is NOT the most convenient or easy option. True, you can wrap up a baby’s nasty next-day beef explosion in a disposable diaper and toss it in the garbage can with as little effort as blinking. But if you’re committed to saving money and doing things as naturally as possible through cloth diapering, the reality is that you’ll be face to face with poo much longer than the average modern-day parent.
Enter the spapoola. (cue grand entrance music)
It gets real old real fast trying to smear doo-doo off a soiled diaper with flimsy toilet paper and having it land half in the toilet and half on the floor. A spatula dedicated solely to this action is a hero indeed. If it keeps the stuff off my hands and off the back of the commode, I’m happy.
If you do cloth diapering and you’ve never tried this, you may want to give it a shot. Choose a spatula that will ONLY be used for this purpose – a stiff one (you don’t want to accidentally fling refuse across the room). Mine is actually Pampered Chef. Sorry if that ruffles the feathers of any staunch P.Chef gurus, but I think this is an insane plug for the company: our product can be used for ANYTHING! Tadaaaaa!
If you don’t do cloth diapering and were on the fence, please don’t let this frank discussion discourage you. Instead, embrace the opportunity to make one of the sacrificial chores that comes with being a family easier, faster, and cleaner.
I honestly did screw up my nose the first few times I washed out a cloth diaper and make a little ugghhh noise. And I’m sure I will again (at least if I keep serving “Hearty Beef and Beans”). But I love doing something extra good for my family. And I’m grateful for the tools that make it a little tiny bit less…mooshy.
I promise… The other Household Heroes posts will not be so…graphic. 🙂
The Full Vine 