Curious about how to hand þřř4wash cloth diapers? I was too, which is one reason why I’m participating in the Flats and Handwashing Challenge, hosted by Clothdiaperrevival.com. This is day 4 of the challenge and that means 4 days of handwashing my flat diapers. I’m pretty sure that I’ve got my routine nailed down.

I actually skipped diaper washing yesterday. I had crunched some preliminary numbers about how much water I was using to handwash my diapers, and it had me concerned. I decided that maybe I’d try to combine 2 days of diapers into 1, to cut down on water. It was a great idea! Because my Littlest is already 7.5 months, he is only going through 6 diapers a day and washing two days of diapers wasn’t that bad.

My Finalized Hand washing Diapers Routine

Materials:

• A 6 Gallon Bucket (about 23L)
• A standard wooden plunger
• Tide Powder Detergent
• My Bathtub
• A Hang-Dry Laundry Rack

The Steps

Prewash/Initial Rinse:

1. Place bucket in bathtub. Fill 1/2 bucket with luke warm water (11.35L)
2. Add 1tsp Tide Powder
3. Soak 5 minutes
4. Do about 30 plunges
5. Drain into bathtub drain

Main Wash:

1. 2/3 bucket full HOT water (15.13L)
2. 1tbsp tide powder
3. 50 plunges
4. 5 minute soak
5. 10 more plunges
6. Drain

Rinse:

1. Squeeze as much soapy water out of each piece and put back into empty bucket
2. Position bucket under faucet or shower sprayer
3. Individually rinse each piece quickly but carefully under the running water (I collected the rinsing water into the bucket in order to remain conscious of how much I was using. This used another 2/3 bucket full of water)
4. Set each piece into tub after rinsing
5. SQUEEZE the living daylights out of each piece and place them into the empty bucket to carry to my rack.

Dry:

1. Hang each diaper on drying rack
2. Fold once dry. (Everything took 4 hours indoors to dry, and only 2 hours outside)

My toddler totally helped

EJ is nearly 3, and has been potty trained for a year. That didn’t stop him from helping mama with baby brother’s dirty diapers! EJ thoroughly enjoyed working the plunger while Little L supervised. It was a really fun moment.

My toddler loved helping to wash his little brother’s diapers

Read about other blogger’s experience!