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:
- Place bucket in bathtub. Fill 1/2 bucket with luke warm water (11.35L)
- Add 1tsp Tide Powder
- Soak 5 minutes
- Do about 30 plunges
- Drain into bathtub drain
Main Wash:
- 2/3 bucket full HOT water (15.13L)
- 1tbsp tide powder
- 50 plunges
- 5 minute soak
- 10 more plunges
- Drain
Rinse:
- Squeeze as much soapy water out of each piece and put back into empty bucket
- Position bucket under faucet or shower sprayer
- 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)
- Set each piece into tub after rinsing
- SQUEEZE the living daylights out of each piece and place them into the empty bucket to carry to my rack.
Dry:
- Hang each diaper on drying rack
- 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.
Actually, this routine doesn’t sound too terrible. It’s good to know I could do it in an emergency or while camping.