Life

Shittens Mittens Are Already Sold Out & It's Not Hard To See Why

It's happened to the best of us. You are merrily cleaning your little one's bottom when all of a sudden you realize a rogue finger seems to have gone astray from the careful confines of the baby wipe. Ugh. OK, so maybe the "merrily" part of that story is a tad off, but the rest of it? Oh, how you know the eww-factor of diaper changing to be true. Because let's face it: Poop is gross no matter how cute its creator is. That's why it's no surprise that a rad invention like Shittens Mittens sold out so quickly. Can't wait to get your hands on — err ... in them? Here's the inside scoop.

According to a representative for the company, the popular mittens that shield you from all of the shittens should be available again on Amazon in about two weeks. Which feels like an eternity to wait when you are deep in the trenches of a particularly messy diaper and would like nothing more than to provide any level of protection from what's in store. Like when I received a call from my sister last week, and she described a diaper incident that she said would be hard to shake from the forefront of her mind for at least a few days. (Let's just say it involved poop from back to belly to neck and a glimpse of her husband scooping the mess from their son's onesie into the toilet.)

Oh, Shittens, where were you when you were so deeply needed?

Curious about the inspiration behind Shittens? As explained on the company's website: "While old fashioned, square wet wipes put your hands at risk for all kinds of accidental fecal contamination. The genius mitten shape of a Shitten provides not only safety from poop, but on a larger scale, emotional peace of mind."

Keep in mind that, while most parents become veteran diaper changers after they are initiated with their first big blowout, Shittens might also be useful when it come to eliminating the use of excess wipes. And we are all about conservation, am I right? Also notable: Shittens and their cheeky name aren't just for babies — the creators say the product is useful in cleaning up doodie of all kinds. The wipes are FDA-approved for use on kids, adults, and pets. However, they are not biodegradable and should not be flushed.

So, back to nabbing these things for yourself. Amazon is currently out of stock, but I did manage to find them available at Holy Cow Thats Awesome. One 20-count pack of Shittens is selling for $22. They are also at FishPond.com for $47 and a few Amazon sellers have them priced upwards of $60. And, well, I guess it just depends how much poo you are dealing with when it comes to making the decision to spring for those or not.

When they are in stock, the cost of Shittens on Amazon is $34.30 (plus $6.99 in shipping) for a pack of 20, which comes to $2.06 each wipe. Um, yeah, that pretty pricey. There are, of course, other options that parents swear by in terms of durability and cleaning power. According to Babylist, options for the best baby wipes range from BabyGanics Baby Wipes (400-count, $20) to Water Wipes (540-count, $25) to Pampers Baby Fresh Baby Wipes (504-count, $13). Your decision, of course, depends on your budget and a few other factors, like whether or not your little one has sensitive skin.

As for those extra messy cleanups, it might be nice to have a helping hand like Shittens as a tool in your arsenal. After all, there are some blowouts that even surprise the most jaded of diaper changers.

Check out Romper's new video series, Bearing The Motherload, where disagreeing parents from different sides of an issue sit down with a mediator and talk about how to support (and not judge) each other’s parenting perspectives. New episodes air Mondays on Facebook.