Flats & Handwashing Challenge Day 7 - My overall experience

Today marks the seventh and final day of the 4th Annual Flats & Handwashing Challenge.  We made it! 

Yesterday, I asked my husband a few questions and one of them was "What did you think when I first mentioned doing the challenge?"  Part of his response included the statement, "I was questioning whether or not you would stick with it."  To be completely honest, when I decided to take this challenge...I wondered the same thing.  Would flats work for us?  Would I really handwash everything all week when my perfectly good, working washing machine stood just a few rooms away?  Would my participation really make that much of a difference that sticking with it would be worth it?  I really had no clue.  What I did know was that I'm not one for backing down from a challenge.  My stubborn side always has to prove someone, even myself, wrong.

So, I stuck with it.  Was it hard?  Yes and no.  Was it time consuming? Somewhat. Was it physically challenging?  Yes.

This week, I fell in love with flats.  They will become a part of my regular cloth diaper rotation and they will continue to be used each week.  I can't believe I waited until my little man was on the verge of potty trying to try them out.  Our next LO's stash will have many, many flats.  After figuring out my favorite folds and how to use the Snappi and Boingos, these became a very quick and simple cloth diapering option for us.  So, did I find using flats to be hard?  No. Not really.

Handwashing on the other hand...I am not a fan.  Time wise, it really wasn't that bad.  Just about 15 minutes of active work. The work itself was a bit strenuous.  (You really do get a good upper body workout in if you are doing it right.) The rest of the time was just playing the waiting game.  Waiting while my diapers soaked in the detergent and w bjaiting (so, so long) for my diapers to air dry inside my tiny home during the freak May snowfall we experienced in Chicagoland this week. So no, I would not choose to handwash my diapers every day.  Not if I had a perfectly good, working washing machine just a few rooms away.

However, most people who choose to handwash do not have this choice.  Many either have found themselves in a living situation where they do not have easy access to a washing machine or may not have the funds to replace a washing machine they were previously using.  This is why we do this challenge.  To raise awareness that cloth diapering is still possible even if you do not have the luxury of having a washing machine in your home.  I appreciate my very simple washing machine much, much more after this challenge.  It may be simple, but it saves me from shoulder pain and the dread of adding to that strain each night as I walked toward the bucket to wash more diapers.  Furthermore, I have a new appreciation for those people who do this *every* single day, all year long, so their children have access to safe, clean diapers.  I also appreciate that this challenge has taught me that if I am ever in a situation where I might think that I *need* to turn to disposable diapers, I don't.  I now have the knowledge necessary to know how keep my son in cloth in nearly any situation.

So congrats, participants! We did it! Until next year! (Hopefully, by then, I will have a new LO to help me participate in the challenge.) I will also be kissing my washing machine tomorrow.  (Yup, I can admit it.  I love a machine.)

Flats & Handwashing Challenge Day 6 - Dear hubby of mine

Today is an open topic day, so I decided it would be a great chance to get my husband's opinion on the Flats & Handwashing Challenge as well as cloth diapering in general.

Hey S! Thanks for putting up with me tonight and letting me ask you some questions.  (I should also mention, he's giving me a massage as I type this.  Sometimes...he's really good to me.  Though I think he is taking pity on me today after the very long week we've had. This is probably the reason he has agreed to letting me interview him tonight. That and the fact that he has full control over the TV while he is doing this. Ha.) Here we go!

1. What did you think when I first mentioned doing the challenge?

    That you are crazy and you wanted to spend more of our money, even though it was for a good cause.  I was questioning whether or not you would stick with it.

2. On that note, what did you think when I first mentioned cloth diapering for the first time?

    That it would be old school cloth with the safety pins and be a pain in the butt. But, I did think it would save us money in the long run.

3. Since you have now helped hand wash (we just finished doing tonight's load together), what do you think?  Would you choose to hand wash if we didn't have access to a washing machine or would you fall back on disposables?

    It's a bit time consuming, but it is a money saver.  I would choose to hand wash, just as long as I don't get stuck doing it often.  I don't like the chemicals in disposables and we would spend the same amount of money on a dozen of the basic flats as we would on a box of disposables. And we can use the flats over and over again.  For other kids too.

4. We've tried many different cloth diapers in the last year and a half.  What has been your favorite style?  Favorite brand?

    Definitely not pockets! I don't really know the styles, just the brands.  I like the Orange Diaper Company, Boogie Bums, Twinkies (Twinkie Tush) and Chloe's (Chloe's Cloth).

5. What are your thoughts on flats?  Now that we have tried them, would you reach for them more often than other styles we own?

    Yes. They take up very little space.  They are easy to fold. They are easy to put on G when he cooperates. I don't know, they are just simple and easy to figure out.

6. What is your favorite flat fold?

    The one that I put on him.  I don't know. The one where you fold 2 opposite corners into the center and then fold the other 2 corners up to make a triangle. (He's describing the Skinny Neat fold. Good man!)

7. Which of the flats in our stash is your favorite?

    I don't have a favorite.  I just grab and go. I do like the stretchy ones when I've got G running around though.

8. Let's talk covers over flats.  Which is your favorite? PUL or wool?

    Covers? You mean, "what kind of pants does he wear?" Woolies. Done.

9. How have your opinions of cloth diapering evolved since we started using them?

    We aren't saving as much money as I thought we would because you love buying diapers.  Well, loved.  Now you love buying wool.  But I guess we are still saving money compared to disposables. 

10. Anything else you want to share?

     I like turtles.  Can I go to sleep now?

So...there you have it folks.  (Thank you, S! Surprise! The remote is yours for the rest of the night! :-) Once in a lifetime offer.  Do you really still want to go to sleep?)

Flats & Handwashing Challenge Day 5: These are a few of my favorite things

Flats...  Oh, how I love thee.

I'm going to be real here.  I'm playing catch up on my blogging today.  I planned to write this post yesterday after I got home from work.  My husband needed the car so I got a ride.  I had the keys to the house, but...the storm door was locked.  (G has been playing "escape artist" lately so we've had to lock it so he doesn't go running out on his own.) S works a half hour away so while waiting for him to bring the garage door opener, I decided we would go to the park.  Well, the park we went to was further than I remember.  I also live in a very hilly neighborhood.  I'm talking steep hills surrounding a lake.  A lake we live across the street from.  The park is a mile away...up hill.  There are no sidewalks.  I had no carrier or stroller. What I did have was a toddler who wanted to, "walk, please" and then as soon as I'd set him down, he would take off running.  So I'd have to lug him up and over my shoulder and  keep climbing the never-ending hill.  He'd fuss and kick until I gave up and set him down.  Rinse and repeat...  Needless to say, I was exhausted.  As soon as we got home, I changed G into a new diaper (leaving the dirty ones in the wetbag in the diaper bag, of course) and we climbed in bed for a nursing session.  We both passed out.  At 6:30 PM.  For the night.  So...  here is day 5 on day 6. Ahem, as I was saying...

Flats...Oh, how I love thee.

Before deciding to participate in this year's challenge, I had *zero* experience with flats.  I had tried every other style of diaper out there but I had completely bypassed "my grandma's diapers." I so wish I had tried flats sooner.

I had picked up my first flat (ODC square) a few months ago but didn't actually use it until a couple days before the challenge just so I could get in some practice using the Snappi & Boingo. (The hardest part of using flats, in my opinion.  I still can't really get a hang of the Snappi and find the Boingo to be much easier.)

Suffice to say, I am in love with flat diapers.

If I wasn't so attached to some of my awesome WAHM print diapers, I'd probably donate a majority of my hybrid fitted/fitted stash in lieu of my bamboo terry flats.  They are just so soft, stretchy, trim and I always get a great fit.  AND...now that I have found my favorite folds, they are nearly as absorbent as my fancy hybrids.  I would probably stick with my current overnight solution, but I would be just fine using nothing but flats during the day. 

Biggest surprise throughout this entire challenge: my husband agrees. (More on this tomorrow as I will be doing a mini-interview with him and his thoughts on the challenge and flats overall.)

I'm going to be sharing some of the folds I've tried and I will be linking to the YouTube videos that I watched in order to learn these folds.

My first fold was the Origami Fold.  I think this is a pretty common first fold.  It is very easy to learn and gives all over absorbency.  However, I have a boy who lets it go full force so I need lots of layers up front.  I used this fold a few times during the first day of the challenge but have since stopped because it just wasn't what we needed.

The other fold that I practiced with before the challenge was the Airplane Fold.  I was convinced that this would be our go to fold because it really does provide many layers up front, exactly where I need it.  However, after an unfortunate incident with the Snappi, I was hesitant to use it as often as I expected.  This is when I decided it was time to look into a few more folds. I did, however, find that this fold (doubled with a NB flat) was the best fold for us for overnights. 

The next fold I tried was the Diaper Bag Fold, after hearing a ton of praise for this fold on the ODC boards.  I actually really like this fold, but it isn't something I used often.  My son is almost 2 and generally, he either tells us that he has to poop or we catch him about to start and bring him to the potty.  Also, his surprise diapers are usually fairly solid, so we didn't need the "poop pocket" created by this fold all that often. (This will definitely be my go to fold when I have a newborn.)

Then...I tried the Skinny Neat.  I didn't think much of this fold at first.  It was easy to fold in a hurry, but it didn't seem all that special.  Of course, as usual, I should learn not to write things off so easily.  This has, hands down, become the most used fold here. It's quick, it works, and as the name implies, it looks nice and neat when on G.  Super trim with just enough left over to fold down the rise and add absorbent layers, easy to jelly roll.  Overall a fantastic fold!

In the last day, I've discovered the Jo Fold.  I am really loving this fold too.  Just as quick and easy as the Skinny Neat, but the extra layers along the center make this ideal for car rides or even nap time. 

So, my favorites?  Skinny Neat, followed closely by the Jo Fold.  For overnights, I am all about the Airplaine Fold. 

Also, if I didn't say this enough before...I love flats!  The great thing about them is that I can use so many different folds to fit my needs (I'm sure I'll prefer Origami to Airplane if I ever have a girl to diaper) and if I don't know of a fold that will work for any given situation, I can easily experiment with creating my own.  (I've done this, but I apparently am really good at making horribly complicated folds that I cannot replicate. :-P)

What are your favorite flat folds?  Are there any others that you really like that I haven't listed?  Share them with me!

Flats & Handwashing Challenge Day 4: My wash routine

So, the plan was to have my husband take pics last night of my wash routine, but that didn't happen.

And...we had a crazy morning this morning so I'm just getting around to washing now. And...S is gone for the day and cannot take pics, so I don't have any action shots.

I just wanted to share how *I* handwash my diapers.

Before the challenge, my husband help me set up a camp washer by drilling a 1" hole in a 5 gallon bucket lid.  We picked up a new plunger for the purpose of handwashing and we already had a 5 gallon bucket in the garage that we weren't using. 

The first night of the challenge, I really didn't know what I was doing and I just kind of winged it. 

I took all the flats and tossed them in the bucket (I had 7 my first night).  I rinsed with cold water, "squished" the flats with the plunger for about 5 minutes and dumped the water.  Then I turned the water to hot and used some "cloth safe" detergent that I still had on hand from my first couple of months of cloth diapering.  I placed the plunger handle through the hole in the lid and I "squished" the diapers some more.  Another 5 minutes at least.  I dumped the water.  I re-rinsed again using the same method.  I dumped the water again, wrung out the flats and then hung them to dry.

My diapers were NOT clean.

The next day, I got the bright idea to fill the 5 gallon bucket with cold water.  I got smart and actually made sure the flat was unfolded before throwing it in the water.  Every time I changed G's diaper, I'd add it to that bucket and use the plunger to agitate for a minute or so.  I'd do this with every single dirty diaper.  By the end of the day, I'd have 6-7 flats to wash.  I'd dump the water, refill with cold water again and agitate for about 5 minutes.  Dump again.  Fill with hot water and add TIDE! (The first time I used Tide, I used too much and had to rinse 8 times.  I found that about a tablespoon was the perfect amount for a half dozen flats. The Tide seemed to get my diapers much cleaner than the CD safe stuff, but I think the CD safe detergent would have worked better than it did had I actually unfolded the diapers.) After adding the hot water and detergent to my load, I spent a good five minutes agitating with the lid on.  Up and down, in half circles, along the sides...I got a good work out.  Then I decided to let the diapers soak in the detergent water for about a half hour.  I went back, agitated some more & dumped the water.  Refilled the bucket with cold water, agitate and repeat as necessary (until there were no more detergent bubbles.)  I've found that I need to rinse 2-3x per load but...

SUCCESS! Clean diapers! There is probably an easier way to do this, but I am not messing with something that is working.

So:

Rinse cold
Agitate
Dump water
Hot wash with detergent
Agitate
Soak
Agitate
Dump water
Cold rinse w/ agitation until no more soap bubbles!

Sorry for the quick post...and the lack cleaning pictures, but I need to get this kid to an actual bed.

I think it's naptime...

Flats & Handwashing Challenge Day 3: "Cloth diapering is too expensive." Oh really??

Let's discuss the real reason that the  Flats & Handwashing Challenge exists.  While each one of the participants is doing the challenge for their own personal reasons, we all have one thing in common. We want to spread awareness that cloth diapering is the most budget friendly diapering option out there.  Sure, there's Elimination Communication (free!), but really...that isn't diapering.

I know that my flat stash (let's be real, my *entire* cloth diaper stash) may be expensive and a bit exuberant, but a functional cloth diaper stash and all necessary supplies could cost you less than $50.  Let's break it down. (I know there are many, many different ways to to store/wash your diapers and even more cloth diaper options to choose from.  For this blog post, we will go over the way *I* would choose to cloth diaper on a $50 start up budget.)

First, you need to find a way to store the diapers until it's time to wash.  Wet bags are nice, but they are pricy. A 5 gallon bucket works perfect for this and it can serve as both storage for dirty diapers, and place to handwash your diapers if necessary. We had ours on hand already when we started this challenge, but you can pick one up for $2.85 at Home Depot.  You can store them dry in the bucket or, if you have a place to safely keep your bucket away from children/animals, you can fill it about halfway with cool/room temp water and place your dirty diapers there until it is time to wash.  (Since we are handwashing this week, we use a wet pail.  We keep it in the tub with the shower doors closed and the bathroom door closed as well.)

Next, diapers! There are many different options to choose from but if you are looking for budget friendly, flat diapers are definitely the way to go.  Not only are they inexpensive, but they are very customizable. There are so many different ways to fold flats to fit many different sized babies/toddlers. Often times, one flat will work from birth through potty training.  You can choose exactly where you want the most layers for absorbency.  Best of all, they are the easiest diaper to clean.  Because they are only one layer, they dry fast and you don't have to fuss much with the wash.  Just rinse, wash, rinse, dry. Done & done.

The amount of diapers you need will depend on how often you want to wash. If you plan to wash every day from birth, you'll need 12-15 diapers.  Double that if you plan to wash every other day.  If you are planning to cloth diaper an older infant or toddler, you can get away with 8-10 diapers a day. The most common flat diaper is made from birdseye cotton. Birdseye is fairly absorbent and gets softer after each wash. (These generally retail for $2-$3 each. Different brands to check out include Cloth-eez, Blueberry & Osocozy.) Bamboo flats are also available, but are a more expensive option. In addition to these birdseye cotton flats, other inexpensive flat options include flour sack towels ($4.88 for a 5pk from Walmart), old flannel receiving blankets (free!), even old T-shirts (free!). 

How are you going to keep those diapers on your baby? The most popular option these days seems to be the Snappi. It comes in 2 sizes.  Size 1 fits best on newborns/infants, while size 2 is meant for average to large toddlers. A size 1 Snappi costs $3.95 with size 2 being 60 cents more. My favorite, the Boingo, is a newer fastener option. They are sold in a pair ($5.50) and you can use both to secure at the hips or one to secure the wings in the center.  Then there is the old standby, diaper pins.  I, personally, am not very coordinated so I don't trust myself to not poke myself or G, but many people swear by them.  These are more readily found locally and are generally fairly inexpensive.  (For example, you could pick up a 6 pack at Toys'R'Us for $2.99.)

Now, flats are not waterproof.  We do use them coverless often around the home, but they become damp as soon as G wets himself.  If we are going out, during naps and overnight, a cover is necessary.  The most inexpensive option is to invest in a couple of good quality one size PUL (polyurethane laminate) cover.  These generally run between $10 and $20 and they will grow with your baby.  They can be washed with the diapers and dry quick. My personal favorite are the Sweet Pea OS covers.  They retail for $10.95.

So, let's say you have a newborn, and you plan on washing your diapers each night. You decide on birdseye cotton flats and will use some of your flannel receiving blankets as back up should you need more than your usual 12 diapers. You decide you want to try both the Snappi & a pair of Boingos. You plan to store your diapers in a bucket and go coverless at home but still need 1 PUL cover for naptime/overnights. How much will that cost (pre-tax)?

12 Osocozy birdseye cotton flats - $23.88
3 Flannel receiving blankets as a backup - $0.00
1 size one Snappi - $3.95
1 pair of Boingos - $5.50
1 5 gallon bucket - $2.851
1 Sweet Pea OS Cover - $10.95
Total = $47.08

You know what else costs about the same? A 3-week supply of Huggies. Every 3 weeks, you would spend the same amount of money on disposable diapers as you would buying a reuseable cloth diaper stash & accessories.  That is approximately $50 to diaper one child from birth until potty training (2.5 years, let's say) as opposed to the $2150 you would spend on disposables.  AND...you can reuse your cloth diaper stash if you have more children saving even more!

There is the expense of washing to think about.  I spend $7 more a month in electric/water in order to cloth diaper.  Add in the detergent use for the extra loads, it's really about $10 extra a month to cloth diaper.  So if we add that cost to the initial cost of buying your cloth diaper stash, you are looking at about $350 total for 2.5 years.  Still WAY less than what you could spend on disposable diapers.

For this entire example, I used retail costs. If you take advantage of cloth diaper sales groups, store specials or upcycle your own flats, you could save far more.  Cloth diapering with flats is a fantastic, economical and safe way to diaper your baby on a budget.

If you don't currently cloth diaper, what is holding you back??  For those of you that do cloth diaper on a budget, how much did you spend on your stash?

Flats & Handwashing challenge Day 2 - Stash shot!

We had a few bumps in the road, but we made it through day one of the Flats & Handwashing Challenge!

PSA:  When your toddler starts fussing and grabbing at his diaper right after you snappi your flat...make sure your Snappi isn't trying to bite his nether regions!  My poor guy!  He's ok, but we had to switch to using the Boingo for remainder of the day because he would not come near me if he saw the Snappi.  I can't say I blame him.

Speaking of Boingos, another particpant shared a tip.  It worked wonderfully for us today, so I wanted to share with you.  When using folds with shorter wings, tuck the wings under the front of the flat and secure it that way.  Similar to the way a side snapping fitted is secured.  I also used this same technique with longer winged flat folds by folding the wings in half before securing.

Boingo tip! Tuck the wings behind the front panel and secure.  Stays in place very well and looks much neater. (Yes, that is a cookie. Don't judge. Little man woke up dry and asked to use the potty!)

See!?  Works perfect!

Today, I'd love to share what I'm using for the challenge.  Stash shot!!

Clockwise from top left: Stashify dark turquoise, Stashify Toboggan, Sweet Iris Design Snug Bug "T-Shirt" Rocket Pop, Blueberry birdseye (middle left & center), WCW shweggings, WCW soakers, ODC terry squares.

Notice the backdrop?  My husband's late grandma made this for our son. She passed away a few days ago and I just noticed that I grabbed this quilt for the stash shot.  I had to point it out because it brought a smile to my face. :-)  Anyway, let's talk diapers!

• 6 infant size Stashify extra stretchy bamboo/organic cotton luxury diaper squares. OMG, these things are amazing!  They are super soft with just enough stretch to get a great fit every time.  The infant size is 24" x 24".  My toddler is fairly small and these fit him very well without any extra bulk. (He'll be 2 next month and weighs 23 lbs and is 33" tall.) Since these are bamboo, they are very absorbent as well.  I chose dark turquoise and toboggan.  Stashify also offers newborn and toddler sizes.  I was able to take advantage of a Flats & Handwashing Challenge special on these for 15% off so these cost me $54.82 plus shipping. (Kristen, the owner of Stashify, is also participating in the challenge! How cool is that?!)
• 2 standard size *limited edition* Snug Bug "T-shirt" bamboo terry diaper flats from Sweet Iris Designs. I already had enough flats to get me through the challenge when I ran across these flats, but I couldn't pass up these awesome Rocket Pop serged flats.  I am such a sucker for patriotic stuff! Per the listing:
  

  "It all started as a big mess up, and we've ended up with a super-cool new diaper you can get only for a limited time. We've got just one roll of this fabric, and it is very similar to our normal Snug Bug fabric. The fabrics have the exact same component fiber percentages and the same weight. Both fabrics have one smooth side and one french terry side. Yet the fabrics are different enough to warrant a special listing. Our limited edition Snug Bug "t-shirt" bamboo terry diaper flats are incredibly soft and stretchy. You may have a favorite t-shirt that is just incredibly soft and comfortable. Imagine wrapping that t-shirt around your baby. That's this flat."

  
  What a glorious mess up this was! These flats are *huge* at 30" x 30". They are soft and the stretchiest of all the flats in my stash.  Because my son is a tiny guy, we could have probably gotten away with a smaller size.  However, I really like that the larger size allows for extra folding in the wet zone making these great for naptime.  They could also double as a great towel or swaddle blanket. 2 standard size Snug Bug "T-Shirt" flats cost me $27.90 plus shipping.
• 1 Orange Diaper Co. Toddler bamboo terry square. The flat that started it all!  As you may have read in my previous post, I found out about this challenge through my research of different natural fibers. Specifically, bamboo terry.  I found out about ODC a few months ago.  I was able to get a hold of this flat through the ODC B/S/T facebook group.  I *believe* I spent $11 shipped for this flat.  This flat is different than the other two brands of bamboo terry flats. ODC flats are made from double loop bamboo terry, as opposed to the single loop bamboo terry used by both Stashify & Sweet Iris Designs. (Check out the comparison photo between double & single loop bamboo terry below.) This makes for a fluffier flat.  These are not as trim as the single loop terry flats, but are just as stretchy and absorbent. In fact, I feel as though these are a bit more absorbent than single loop bamboo terry so this flat is my go to flat for overnights during the challenge.  I also have a newborn ODC bamboo terry flat that was graciously PIFed to me by another mama on the B/S/T board.  I am using this padfolded as a doubler in the toddler ODC flat overnight.  ODC uses bamboo terry in many of their products like their popular Loops side snapping sized fitteds, their Sweet Sleep snap in boosters, as well as a new and innovative prefold design that was just released. Check back next week for a review on that!

Left: ODC double loop bamboo terry.  Both sides have fluffy, loop texture.  Right: Stashify single loop bamboo terry.  One side has loop texture, the other side is knit.

• 6 Blueberry birdseye cotton flats.  I ordered these because, while I obviously have a thing for bamboo terry, I felt like I needed to try a more common flat diaper material.  I liked that the Blueberry birdseye flats were generous in size and, after reading many reviews, were one of the few brands that tend to stay more "square" after prepping.  Being cotton, they are not as absorbent as my bamboo flats, nor are they as easy to get a great fit because they lack stretch.  However, these flats are great for pad folding in a cover for easy on-the-go changes.  These are the most inexpensive flats in my stash and half a dozen cost me $16.95 + shipping.
• While these are not flats, I feel as though they are worth mentioning anyway.  I only own one  PUL cover now.  Last summer, my son started having issues with heat rash due to the decreased airflow to his skin while wearing PUL.  Because of this, we stopped using covers over our hybrid fitteds (most of my every day stash.) Eventually, we started having issues with compression leaks and had to figure out a new way to prevent leaks without reverting back to PUL. Wool interlock to the rescue!  These are double layer soakers and shweggings (soaker/legging hybrid pieces) by Wild Coconut Wear.  I have a decent sized stash of WCW and a few other brands of wool interlock now, but these specific pieces are phenomenal for overnight/naps.  We will be using these as covers during the challenge.  Wool interlock pieces generally cost anywhere between $30-$50 depending on the size and style.  (I will not be including these in my total cost because we use our interlock stash as actual every day clothing as well as diapering accessories.)
• I also purchased a pair of Boingos and one size 2 Snappi for the challenge.  A pair of Boingos cost $5.50 & the toddler sized Snappi cost $$4.55.  I also will be using a Sweet Pea OS diaper cover on occasion.  I won this in a giveaway last year and this, personally, cost me nothing.  However, Sweet Pea covers retail for $10.95.

Including the $3 plunger and $1.50 lid I picked up for the 5 gal bucket I am using to handwash, my stash cost me approximately $125.  While I know that my this may not be an inexpensive flat stash, it is still more cost effective than other diapering options I currently have in my every day stash. ($125 for 15 flats, closures and materials for handwashing. The fitteds in my stash cost a little more than $30/diaper.)  Also, after nearly two years in the cloth diapering world, I have come to value my WAHM diapers most.  I prefer to support small businesses and am willing to spend a bit more on handmade, high quality materials whenever possible.  I know this is not always possible for everyone, so tomorrow, I will be going over other options for creating a budget friendly flat diaper stash. 

If you are participating in the challenge, what is in your stash? I'd love to see what you are using this week!  If you are not participating in the challenge, or if you don't cloth diaper, what is holding you back from trying flats?

Handwashing cloth diapers?!? Why I'll be doing it all week.

As I said in my last post, my new love affair with natural fibers (bamboo terry, to be exact) led me to discover an event that is happening this week:
 

The Flats & Handwashing Challenge, hosted by Dirty Diaper Laundry has invited families to try simple, cost-effective cloth diapering for the past 4 years.

I was drawn to this event because the knowledge of how to hand wash would have been very helpful for me just a few months ago.  We dealt with an abnormally cold winter here in the midwest, with temps dropping below zero quite often in January.  Our washing machine is in our garage and the frigid temps led to pipes freezing & subsequently bursting.  We had no water for 3 days and then had to wait for the electrical elements of our washing machine to dry out before it would function again.  For 11 days, I had no way to wash my diapers at home.  Luckily, my parents let me use their washing machine but...what if we didn't have that option?  January was also a fairly difficult month financially so buying disposables would have been quite a burden.

So, when I saw this event pop up in my quest to find out more about bamboo terry...I knew I just had to attempt it.

It has been a crazy week for our family and next week will be filled with some unexpected and unhappy events.  This endeavor may prove more difficult than imagined, but there are people that do this *every* day, through all of life's ups and downs.  If they can do this all the time, I can make it through one week.

Tomorrow I will be sharing my "stash" for the week!

Are you attempting the Flats and Handwashing Challenge? If not, have you tried flats or have you handwashed your diapers in the past?