How to Clean Your Kid

Best Bathtub for Bathing Your Infant

• What: Prince Lionheart Wash Pod
• Why: Clean your baby without the screaming
• Where: Amazon

We called this baby bathtub a bath bucket, because it is nearly the same size and shape as a bucket.

I loved this thing for two main reasons. My baby didn’t slide around in it like in a normal baby bath, or even the sink or regular tub. The wash pod’s (I still have trouble calling it anything except a bucket) tight quarters squishes them in there, very reminiscent of the womb, I imagine. I had some occasional problems with my third deliberately bending his head forward to try and drink the bath water, so watch out for that. Otherwise, I didn’t have to try and grab a slick naked baby and keep them from drowning.

The second reason I fell in love was that I could shower at the same time as the baby. You can put the wash pod on the floor just outside the shower and be very confident neither the pod nor the baby will move, and with the shower curtain open or a see-through curtain it’s super simple to watch them like a hawk. Or you can do what I did, and plop the entire bucket into the shower with you. This method worked even in my 1950’s era bathtub, and because the wash pod is vertical, unlike most baby bathtubs I’ve seen which have more space horizontally, it not only takes up less of my space in the shower, but it also catches little to no water from the shower to raise the water level inside the bucket.

The smaller size also made it easier to store nearby in the bathroom. It has a cushy waterproof non-slip pad at the bottom that includes what we referred to as a butt divet. One side has a deeper indentation and baby’s bum,goes right in. You have to pay attention to which direction your baby faces when you first put him in it, but otherwise ease of use is very high. It’s also simple to add or remove water with a cup to adjust the levels. I liked to keep it just at the armpit level, so my baby didn’t get cold but also got clean. The cup came in handy for pouring water over their heads, too, if you have a baby that allows that kind of treatment.

No sitting up skills are required for using the wash pod. My babies went in it as soon as their umbilical cord stubs fell off, and used it until I couldn’t squish them in any longer. By the time they didn’t fit, they were ready for the big bathtub experience. The wash pod had enough room for a toy or two, and my kids really enjoyed batting them around. The small area kept them entertained despite their lack of coordination and hunting skills.

My firstborn adored this bucket. It was the only way I got a shower for at least six months. I would put the bucket on the floor of the shower and fill it up with warm water, undress him as fast as I could, endure the screaming, and then lower him into the wash pod. He would stop screaming immediately. I would climb into the shower and shower next to him and he would be completely happy, in no danger of sliding around, until I had to take him out again. Cue the screaming.

It was too big to travel with, so we used a real (very clean) bucket on our trips. I can’t recommend that, as unlike the wash pod, it was much more likely to tip over, and not contoured at the bottom, so it didn’t hold him in there as well. Remember not grabbing a wet baby? With the bucket I constantly snatched him this way and that to keep his head above water. The wash pod is flared at the bottom so it is super stable. Even on wet surfaces, it didn’t slide around either, and it sports handy grips on the sides. It now comes in three colors: plain white, which is what we had, blue, and pink. All three are translucent, so you, too, can see the cuteness that is your child’s toes squished against the side. If you want to see a video of my child screaming every time he’s removed from the wash pod and instantly stopping every time we put him back in, let me know and I’ll happily share the 5 and 9 minute videos.