I first came across the Eli & Ali Tush Swiper when researching weird but genius gadgets for babies that are supposed to make parents’ lives a little easier. I remember thinking how nice it would be to not have to scrub the Desitin out from under my nails every time my 16-month-old baby got a diaper rash. If you’ve ever used a classic, sticky diaper cream, you know how easily it gets on everything, but how difficult it is to get off. I debated buying the swiper, but he got rashes so rarely, I didn’t add to cart.
Alas, two things have changed since then: 1. My little guy, now almost 2, deals with diaper rashes much more frequently, and 2. Getting a diaper on him is like going five rounds in the octagon with Conor McGregor. That means that any Desitin on my hands has been ending up on my kid, his clothes, and anything else in our vicinity while I wrestle him into a dry Pamper. And if you’ve ever tried to get diaper cream out of your couch cushions, you’ll know why, in my house, we call it the devil’s glue.
Then, one night, as I used an old toothbrush to de-Desitin my cuticles once again, the memory of this little nozzle came flooding back. I purchased one immediately. After using it for the first time, I texted all the moms I know who have kids in diapers. I doubt anyone will ever love changing diapers, but this thing made me hate the process a whole lot less.
Stats
- Price: $9.99 for one, or $17.99 for two
- Sizes: One for most diaper creams (Desitin, A+D, Boudreaux’s, Babyganics, and more), and a second designed to fit Aquaphor
- Colors: Pink, orange, and blue
- Who it’s for: Parents who use sticky diaper creams on their babies and toddlers, and who would prefer to do so hands-free.
- Pro-tip: Lay down a wipe and uncap the diaper cream before you start to change your baby. After you swipe on the cream, lay the tube back on the wipe so the nozzle doesn’t touch any surfaces, and use the wipe to clean it once your little one is back on the move.
The materials
Of course, you don’t want to wipe anything questionable on your baby’s already irritated skin. The Tush Swiper is made of food-grade, nontoxic, BPA-free silicone. I’m no scientist, so I don’t know if BPAs can enter the body via a rash on the butt, but at least there’s no need to wonder this way.
The results
Our Tush Swiper arrived just before bedtime, so I carried it to my son’s room with us and screwed it onto the diaper cream tube (just remove the cream’s standard lid and replace with your new nozzle — so easy). As I mentioned, my toddler does not abide a diaper change, so after his many attempts to crocodile-death-roll away and getting him into position, I instantly knew I was in love with the Tush Swiper.
I hadn’t popped the clear lid off the nozzle, but it came off easily with one hand. And then, well, I squeezed out diaper cream and spread it on my little guy’s bum. No sticky mess on my hands, no unnecessary touching of butt cracks, and my son seemed less irritated by the smooth silicone than when I used my hands. The attachment also made a much smoother, more even layer of diaper cream, so it seems like it’ll protect his skin more effectively.
After we were done, the nozzle wiped completely clean with one baby wipe. I felt my quality of life improve, and promptly texted all my mom friends the Amazon link.
Pros & cons of a diaper cream spreader
Pros:
- The nozzle and cap have a leak-proof design.
- It’s flexible and smooth so it’s comfortable for my toddler.
- The surface area makes it much easier to spread the diaper cream than using my fingers.
- It’s dishwasher-safe if you want to sanitize it that way.
- The cap stays on securely in my son’s diaper bag, but also comes off easily with one hand.
Cons:
- The lid is clear, so it’s easier to lose than if it was brightly colored like the nozzle (we lose it occasionally when my son grabs for things around us to throw during a change).
The final verdict
Some days, it would be easier to put a diaper on a rattlesnake than my kid. Having the Tush Swiper makes it so much easier to keep him still while not getting Desitin on everything around us. It also keeps me from having to spread the cream with my hands, which always leads to scrubbing gluey white deposits from under my nails later. *Shiver.*
The product feels well-made and I don’t see how it could break or wear out over time. So as long as we can keep track of the cap, I don’t think we’ll ever have to replace it (which is good, because you won’t see me changing a diaper without it now).
The TL;DR
Moms of littles, if I knew you, I would’ve already texted you about this, but here it is: this is my new favorite baby product.
Had To Share highlights the products and finds that Romper editors and contributors love so much, we just had to share in the group chat.
