Just a quick primer on my version of handwashing cloth diapers. Specifically I was using flats (like I can let you forget that! LOL). Flats are going to be the easiest to handwash, because they are 100% cotton, they are thin, and dry easily.
I used a dry pail during the day, since I was washing every night. Every night I used the following routine:
- Throw all the flats and covers into 5-gallon bucket, and fill it with cold water. Plunge it around for about 30 seconds. Let it soak for at least an hour.
- Drain all the water. Refill with hot water from the tap, as hot as I could run it. I tried boiling water the first night, but I didn’t find it made any difference.
- Add 1 scoop of Rockin’ Green Soap to hot water. Put the lid on. Plunge the diapers for agitation at least 5 minutes.
- Drain the hot water. Fill bucket again with cold water. Plunge for about 1-2 minutes.
- Drain. If water runs clear, you’re done. If not, do another cold rinse.
- Wring out each flat as much as humanly possible. (This was the worst part for me! It hurt my hands!)
- Hang to dry.
This entire process took about 20-30 minutes (not including the hour of soaking time).
Now that’s quicker than your washing machine, I bet!
What was your routine for washing during the Flats and Handwashing Challenge by Dirty Diaper Laundry?
Cassondra
Thursday 2nd of June 2011
i wash at night and they dry in the living room with a towel under the metal rack to catch any drippage. lol. at 7am, my husband puts the metal rack outside in the sun. by that night, 24 hours later, the only thing that is wet are my AIO's and any hemp or bamboo inserts. my flats, covers / pockets, microfiber inserts, and prefolds are dry within 18 hours. totally different than 1 hour drying time, but since i have tons of diapers, there is no need to rush over here =] i'm sure it'll be a much faster dry time with wringing but when i used to wring, my hands got so chapped and bled by day 2. ew. no thanks. i'll squish and wait. LOL
Cassondra
Thursday 2nd of June 2011
omg. no. i wash every morning! i did a few times at night so thats what messed me up. i just did a night load now. LOL. but, the drying times are the same =]
Cassondra
Thursday 2nd of June 2011
i wash at night and they dry in the living room with a towel under the metal rack to catch any drippage. lol. at 7am, my husband puts the metal rack outside in the sun. by that night, 24 hours later, the only thing that is wet are my AIO's and any hemp or bamboo inserts. my flats, covers / pockets, microfiber inserts, and prefolds are dry within 18 hours. totally different than 1 hour drying time, but since i have tons of diapers, there is no need to rush over here =] i'm sure it'll be a much faster dry time with wringing but when i used to wring, my hands got so chapped and bled by day 2. ew. no thanks. i'll squish and wait. LOL
Cassondra
Thursday 2nd of June 2011
omg. no. i wash every morning! i did a few times at night so thats what messed me up. i just did a night load now. LOL. but, the drying times are the same =]
Cassondra
Tuesday 31st of May 2011
because of this challenge (i didnt do it and now i wish i did!), i decided on washing all of my sons diapers every morning in the kitchen sink (we dont use it otherwise). he now sleeps more solid during the day and pee's less. so i only have about 4 diapers a morning to wash TOPS. If i were to use that to fill up our pail in the hot summer, it would take a week to get the pail filled and im sure the bottom diapers would be moldy! so .. i am using the summer months to handwash every diaper / insert / cover. my wash routine is a bit different than yours. but our diapers come out clean =] my wash routine is a bit different. take soiled diaper off. rinse right away in sink. toss in diaper pail. all day of course. Morning comes. rinse night time diaper and toss in pail. fill sink with the hottest water possible and 1 tbs of RnG. toss diapers around and swish for 2 minutes with hands. let soak for 10 minutes. come back to brown water. gross! drain. fill with hot water. swish around for a minute. let soak for 10 minutes. come back to clear'er water. drain and use cold water to get rid of all the bubbles. hang to dry outside on metal rack. takes me 30 minutes. plus our water in the apartment is free. lol. so all it costs is the prayer of sunshine and some pushing / swishing motion. i dont "wring" things out unless its an insert. i typically roll everything in a ball and just squish the water out. aaaaaack. sorry so long. lol.
Cassondra
Tuesday 31st of May 2011
because of this challenge (i didnt do it and now i wish i did!), i decided on washing all of my sons diapers every morning in the kitchen sink (we dont use it otherwise). he now sleeps more solid during the day and pee's less. so i only have about 4 diapers a morning to wash TOPS. If i were to use that to fill up our pail in the hot summer, it would take a week to get the pail filled and im sure the bottom diapers would be moldy! so .. i am using the summer months to handwash every diaper / insert / cover. my wash routine is a bit different than yours. but our diapers come out clean =] my wash routine is a bit different. take soiled diaper off. rinse right away in sink. toss in diaper pail. all day of course. Morning comes. rinse night time diaper and toss in pail. fill sink with the hottest water possible and 1 tbs of RnG. toss diapers around and swish for 2 minutes with hands. let soak for 10 minutes. come back to brown water. gross! drain. fill with hot water. swish around for a minute. let soak for 10 minutes. come back to clear'er water. drain and use cold water to get rid of all the bubbles. hang to dry outside on metal rack. takes me 30 minutes. plus our water in the apartment is free. lol. so all it costs is the prayer of sunshine and some pushing / swishing motion. i dont "wring" things out unless its an insert. i typically roll everything in a ball and just squish the water out. aaaaaack. sorry so long. lol.