Monday, May 28, 2012

Wrapping Up With Flats {2nd Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge}

I am taking part in the Second Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge hosted by Dirty Diaper Laundry.  For 7 days I will be using only flat cloth diapers and handwashing them in an effort to prove that cloth diapering can be affordable and accessible to all.  You can learn more about the rules and why this challenge was started by visiting the announcement post.  This year there are over 450 participants from all over the world!

{Be sure to read posts 1234, and 5 to see how the rest of the challenge went!}

People keep asking if I'm going to keep this up - flats and handwashing. To be honest, I think flats are amazing, but I cannot imagine washing laundry by hand every night for the next year.

Washing by hand has been a great experience, though. The flats get just as clean in less time with less water... Just a whole lot more sweat and elbow grease. It's a great feeling to know that I could do it if I wanted to. Even my husband suggested I try it for a whole month (to compare utility costs).

The flats, I will definitely continue to use. In fact, I plan on replacing all my microfiber inserts with flats. It's been nice living without the hassle of microfiber this week. My wish list of diapers to purchase is looking incredibly different from a month ago. Everything is flats related.

All in all, I'm really glad I did this challenge. It's given me a better perspective on what I am capable of as a person and a mother. I know that if we have another baby, I can use flats from the beginning and not waste a dime on disposables. And if we really need to cut back, I'd honestly be ok selling off all my pockets for flats and handwashing (at least occasionally). I know camping this summer will be less stressful because of flats.

I live in an area with a lot of poverty and a high unemployment rate. I hope I can put this experience to good use at some point.

Friday, May 25, 2012

Tip Jar: Flats and Handwashing {2nd Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge}

I am taking part in the Second Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge hosted by Dirty Diaper Laundry.  For 7 days I will be using only flat cloth diapers and handwashing them in an effort to prove that cloth diapering can be affordable and accessible to all.  You can learn more about the rules and why this challenge was started by visiting the announcement post.  This year there are over 450 participants from all over the world!

{Be sure to read posts 1234, and 6 to see how the rest of the challenge went!}
vogue
I honestly don't feel like any kind of an expert to be handing out tips on this after only a few days, but here are a few things I've learned through my own trial and error.

Although covers seem like they absorb next to nothing, they can actually hold a lot. This is a lesson I learned the hard way. My first night handwashing diapers, I didn't bother to do anything with my covers beyond my "pre-wringing" process. In the morning, the covers still seemed fully saturated. When you don't have a machine to spin it out, rolling your covers in a towel works surprisingly well. This is advice I'd heard over and over but regret actually listening to from the start.

my 4 year old helping out with diaper laundry
Fold your flats ahead of time. Whichever folds you prefer (pad, kite, airplane, gaynor, etc.), It's the equivalent of having your pockets stuffed before it's time for the next diaper change. It seems like a simple idea, but when your flats have been hanging to dry all night, it's easy to forget about them until you need them.

Use your iron. I normally hate ironing laundry, but I actually don't mind ironing my flats. It's helpful if your flats need a boost drying (assuming you can't use a dryer), the heat can help kill bacteria, and the nice crisp, smooth flats you're left with are easier to fold.

Don't be afraid of pins. They might seem antiquated, but you can get a really secure fit with a little practice.


To read tips from others participating in the challenge, check out some of the links below:

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Camp Wash, Hand Wash {2nd Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge}

DDLbutton
I am taking part in the Second Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge hosted by Dirty Diaper Laundry.  For 7 days I will be using only flat cloth diapers and handwashing them in an effort to prove that cloth diapering can be affordable and accessible to all.  You can learn more about the rules and why this challenge was started by visiting the announcement post.  This year there are over 450 participants from all over the world!



{Be sure to read posts 1, 235, and 6 to see how the rest of the challenge went!}

So I've decided that handwashing diapers is actually pretty cathartic. More so the first day than the following, but it has made some nice time for me to be alone. My husband refuses to even enter the bathroom while I'm washing, and since the weather has been wet and cloudy all week anyway, I've been washing after the kids go to bed. Funny how physical labor can become so relaxing.

One of my reasons for not using cloth with my son is (aside from the fact it never realistically occurred to me as an option) we didn't have our own washer & dryer. "We couldn't have washed them then anyway." Well, I think I'm proving myself wrong. Handwashing is very doable. We lived in a daylight basement when G was in diapers with a tiny kitchen and a tiny bathroom without a tub. I realize now that I could have used flats and washed them in the sink. WE WOULD HAVE SAVED SO MUCH MONEY!

For this challenge, I decided to use a camp washer, like in this video. Basically, it's a bucket with a lid, and a plunger used to agitate.  You may or may not have noticed in previous pictures that I actually have two buckets... 
Obviously, the bucket on the left is my camp washer, the blue bucket is for "pre-wringing" the diapers. 
diapers after initial soak w/ holey plunger
I use my bucket as my diaper pail during the day and my wash routine basically goes something like this: 
1. fill bucket with warm water and a tiny bit of detergent after putting last diaper of the day in, then agitate a little and let soak while I get the kids to bed.
2. drain water, add detergent, fill with HOT water, then agitate for the duration of one song on my playlist. 
3. drain water, fill with HOT water again, agitate for the duration of another song... 
4. repeat step 3 then "pre-wring" using the blue bucket 
5. repeat step 4 
6. wring flats by hand, roll covers in a towel and press, then hang everything on the drying rack for the night. 

When I'm ready for the "pre-wringing", I dump out most of the water, then set my blue bucket inside... 

flip the buckets over and press

Once the initial water is pushed out, I stand on the buckets to really press as much water out as I can get (this is fully against my husband's wishes as this is really not the safest activity out there)
  
the pancake of diapers ready to be wrung

Voila!
I'm definitely feeling more accomplished with myself these days. I won't be sad about using my washer and dryer again, but there is something to be said for being able to get diapers so clean with your own two hands. 

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Playing Favorites {2nd Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge}

DDLbutton
I am taking part in the Second Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge hosted by Dirty Diaper Laundry.  For 7 days I will be using only flat cloth diapers and handwashing them in an effort to prove that cloth diapering can be affordable and accessible to all.  You can learn more about the rules and why this challenge was started by visiting the announcement post.  This year there are over 450 participants from all over the world!



{Be sure to read posts 1245, and 6 to see how the rest of the challenge went!}

In the short time I've been using flats, I've definitely settled on some favorite folds. I thought for sure the origami fold would be my #1, but it was almost a complete fail for me. I could never get the fit right on N. So then I moved onto the kite fold, which worked really well. But then I started playing around with it and modifying the fold until what I was really using was more like the neat fold. It works well on my little girl.

The exceptions are:

1. I have a couple receiving blankets that are rectangular. I prefer using the diaperbag fold with these, but I feel like I can't get the fit snug enough on N's thighs.

and 2. For bedtime and naps, I will sometimes use a larger neat fold for more coverage. And at night I pad fold a flour sack towel to tuck into the diaper cover for extra absorbency.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

What We're Working With {2nd Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge}

DDLbutton


I am taking part in the Second Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge hosted by Dirty Diaper Laundry.  For 7 days I will be using only flat cloth diapers and handwashing them in an effort to prove that cloth diapering can be affordable and accessible to all.  You can learn more about the rules and why this challenge was started by visiting the announcement post.  This year there are over 450 participants from all over the world! 


{Be sure to read posts 1345, and 6 to see how the rest of the challenge went!}

In case you're doubtful of just how easy and inexpensive it is, here is a breakdown of everything I'm using for this challenge: 


one cute baby

one dozen Walmart Flour Sack Towels, 10 cotton/flannel receiving blankets, and a stack of made-by-me microfleece liners

Monday, May 21, 2012

On Our Way {2nd Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge}

Or... The first of 7 days using only flats and washing all diapers, wipes and covers by hand.

DDLbuttonI am taking part in the Second Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge hosted by Dirty Diaper Laundry. For 7 days I will be using only flat cloth diapers and handwashing them in an effort to prove that cloth diapering can be affordable and accessible to all. You can learn more about the rules and why this challenge was started by visiting the announcement post. This year there are over 450 participants from all over the world!


{Be sure to read posts 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 to see how the rest of the challenge went!}

My husband has finally taken the Just-Smile-and-Nod route when it comes to me and this challenge. To be honest, with his running commentary on this, I'm nervous to let non-cloth-diaperers know what I'm up to. (In all fairness, he's mostly confused by the handwashing aspect.) But if I had known in the beginning what I know now, I would have had more than a few flats from the start.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Whispers

Babies with hearing aids are not so common. Of course people will notice, ask questions. At church today I heard someone whispering about N's hearing aids. At first, my feathers were ruffled - but then I got over it. There really is nothing offensive in pointing out something obviously out of the norm.

My daughter wears cloth diapers and a hearing aid. And she is beautiful and fun.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Ready, Freddy {2nd Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge}

The Second Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge, hosted by Kim at Dirty Diaper Laundry, starts in less than a week. I've been practicing my folds and *gasp* pinning. 

When I first decided to sign up, I figured I'd just use Snappis or padfold my flats, but the more I started using flats, the more I wanted to experiment with all the different folds. And, to be honest, the Snappi wasn't playing nice with the receiving blankets I have. It was time to bite the bullet and order some pins. A diaper pin is a diaper pin, right? I don't know, but at some point, I came across a review of diaper pins and the blogger RAVED about Dritz diaper pins. I went to Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique and ordered a couple packs. The more I use this old fashion system, the more I'm liking it. For the day, I do a modified Kite fold and it is SUPER trim. For overnight, I use one flat kite folded, and another padfolded and  tucked into the cover. Somehow, adding a second, super trim flat makes for a CRAZY bulky diaper. There is something especially comforting about a well padded diaper on N's bum, though. I think it's cute. 

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Wipe it Off: using cloth wipes

It was more than 2 years ago that I happened upon a friend's blog post where she talked about the possibility of switching to family cloth. At this point, I'd never even heard of using cloth wipes. It sounded weird, to say the least. But then, the longer I used cloth diapers, the more ridiculous disposable wipes seemed. A total and complete wasted of money and resources. It seemed like everyone using cloth just cut up flannel receiving blankets and voila!

So...



I followed this tutorial on Dirty Diaper Laundry for the "pop-up effect." My husband was fully impressed. With the pop-up, not the wipes. He was still fully weirded out by the idea of cloth wipes. At this point, I realized it was a mute point, though, because he wasn't changing any of the cloth diapers (even though our original deal was just that he didn't have to change any of the poopy diapers).

Alas, Miss N has a more sensitive bottom than we'd realized. Whether the wipes were dry or fully saturated with solution, they were still too rough for her. I gave up my homemade solution and switched to something a little nicer. LuSa Organics Baby Wipe Juice has a nice lavender smell, and I feel like it gets N's bum clean while also moisturizing her sensitive skin a little. 

I also decided to opt for some more luxurious wipes. From all my insane research, I decide velour would be our best bet. Everyone knows Thirsties Fab Wipes are insanely soft, but I decided I liked the sound of the cotton sherpa the Swaddlebees Cloth Wipes have to offer. I bought two packs and haven't looked back. Cloth Diapers, Inc. carries packs of 6 for only $10.95 with free shipping, but their color selection is a little limited at times.

I discovered the shop Sproutling Love while participating in The Great Cloth Diaper Hunt this year. I forgot my whole box of wipes at my parents' house recently (over 3 hours North from here), so I figured I'd give their wipes a try. I often thought it would be nice if the Swaddlebees wipes were a smidge wider, and this seemed like a good alternative. For $10.50 plus shipping, I ordered a pack in girl colors. Let me tell you - the pictures do not even come close to showing the cuteness of these wipes... If mine weren't all in the laundry as I type, I'd take a picture to share with you. They're a great size, super soft, and work great. I have to be honest, though, the baby terry loop does not compare to the cotton sherpa when it comes to cleaning up big messes. I love my Swaddlebees wipes.

Click here to visit Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique and check out their huge selection of wipes and other cloth diapering accessories.

*edited to add this picture of a few of my Sproutling Love wipes:

UPDATE: Have you heard of Geffen Baby? I was surprised to find how well I like the single layer hemp wipes, but they are my new favorite now! Check out my full review.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Diapers, Diapers Everywhere, and Not an Inch to Spare

Most of the diapers are clean and put away, so I figured now would be a good time to 1. show off my stash, and 2. show how I keep things organized...

All diapers and diaper paraphernalia are kept in N's room, in her changing table. I love this table. With my son, I used an old card table covered with a sheet. My sister-in-law found this on Craigslist (a practically perfect match to the crib) for $20. Anyway, Inside the drawer is where I keep covers, wipes, snappis, pins, lotions, and rash cream... as I'm typing that I realize I probably should have taken a picture of the inside of that drawer... oh well.


Thursday, May 3, 2012

Bedtime

N - fresh from the bath, getting ready for bed and wearing a Thirsties Fab Fitted (size 2, on lowest rise).