The Rinse Hopper is designed to replace the need for baby wipes. The idea is that you will use clean water to wash the baby's bottom during a diaper change as opposed to baby wipes. This can be a big help for a baby who is allergic to wipes or needs to avoid them for some reason. You will also save on baby wipes. You do this with a plastic bin that is similar to an over sized baby bath tub. There are holes in the bottom of it that allow water to drain through. (These don't have a stopper like a baby bathtub.)
The Product
To use the Rinse Hopper, you place the basin in another basin, like a sink or bath tub. You can
watch a video that shows the Rinse Hopper in use, they use a laundry room sink. We found that it was not a great fit for our sink. So we tried the regular bath tub. It wasn't a great fit there either. A laundry room sink is about the right idea for the width of the Rinse Hopper. It's dimensions are: 31” length x 16” wide x 8” tall. It only weighs about three pounds so it is fairly light.
You will need a source of water. They recommend a sprayer, like those in some kitchen sinks. You can use the regular faucet if you need to try that. I did not have a sprayer. I was able to create a stronger spray using my hands.
The actual Rinse Hopper is made with sturdy plastic. This is for easy cleaning. While the feces escaped through the little holes of a smaller, breastfed baby, I tried this with a slightly older baby who is eating solids and the results weren't so pretty. I also worry about germs you can't see. Though you can use soft cloths, non-toxic dish soap and a small brush if need be to clean it. The rest of the solid matter goes down the drain.
The idea is that when you're done you can leave it set up to dry or remove it from the sink or tub to dry. Storage will be a huge issue if you do not already have a lot of space. You can leave it set up, but then if you need to use the sink or tub, you will want to have a temporary location for it. They don't recommend the kitchen sink but recognize that as your call.
The Issues
Space: The company recognizes that not everyone has the space to leave a Rinse Hopper set up, or that others may not want to take up down and put it back up. They say that if you don't have the space, you might not want to buy it. So, if space is an issue, perhaps you should heed their warnings.
Ease: The actual product is easy to use, for a younger baby, it does what it claims to do. There are issues with older babies and how much cleaning of the Rinse Hopper you want to do, but it could be a personal choice dirty baby wipes or a dirty Rinse Hopper.
Changing Routine: While technically you're swapping one step (baby wipes) for another (Rinse Hopper), having to move from location to location was much more difficult that I want to make my changing routines. This, for you, may depend on how close you have the Rinse Hopper set up to go with the changing table.
The Bottom Line
The Rinse Hopper is a nice idea in theory, but it simply was extra work for me. I had to set it up and the baby, and move the baby from place to place. Again, this isn't as big of a problem with a small, non-mobile baby but the older the baby gets or the more wiggly, the harder it is to keep the baby in the Rinse Hopper. This is a big, bulky thing to have around if you're in a small apartment or house. It doesn't double as anything else, making its single use not very efficient.
This would make an ideal baby shower gift for someone who has everything, including a big, extra sink near their changing table.
Related:
Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our
Ethics Policy.
