Thursday, May 26, 2011

Flat Challenge Update

So, I knew the using flats would be easy.  I also knew the drying rules would be easy.  I already do those two most of the time, so it wasn't a big stretch for me at all.  But the washing - oh the washing!

I first tried to wash in the bathtub on Tuesday.  It wasn't a huge success.  I found it hard to agitate them enough, possibly because I had too much water in there, possibly because of the smaller number of diapers in such a large tub.  They were okay, but I wasn't 100% happy with the results.  Plus, I did it later in the day so I didn't get to let the dry int he sun (which helps make the smell better).  So, Wednesday morning I washed 4 diapers as my son took his morning bath.  I washed in the sink where I could easily access the diapers and watch for them to be clean enough.  And it seems to have worked.  I am using Tide because everyone can find it, and I empty the sink 3-5 times each time I wash.  But, since the sink holds around 1 gallon, it isn't a HUGE amount of water really.  And since I am washing in the morning, I get to dry in the sun.  Luckily my son only goes through 4-6 diapers a day (depending on his nap schedule and milk consumption).  So, I can just wash daily in the sink until Sunday or Monday.

Now, if I was doing this long term, I would probably buy a hand-powered machine.  There is one on the market for around $50 that would fit 10-12 diapers.  If I didn't have the money up front, I would probably take the diapers to the laundromat at least once or twice a month to get a "good" cleaning in.

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