Flats & Handwashing Challenge Day 4: Handwashing Therapy

I didn't wash diapers last night, but I should have. Jaxon had a doctor's appointment today and I stuffed a couple of pockets with flats so we'd have easy diapers for that. Since I wasn't in need of my covers, I just had to make sure I had enough flats. There were 6, which isn't enough for the whole day. But then I remembered I had two extra flats in the van, stashed there for emergencies. I figured that would be enough.

A large load of flats and covers soaking in the tub 

We had an uneventful doctor's appointment and headed home. As soon as we got home this afternoon, I started the diapers to soaking. No matter how much I swish the diapers around, they hold their folds unless I am deliberate about unfolding them. Then I agitated them for a few minutes until Jaxon called for me. Jaxon was very tired since he only took 30 minutes of a nap in the car. I nursed him on and off for a while and then finally remembered that I had wanted to get the diapers out and drying in the sun. At that point, it was almost 5. Still a couple hours of sunshine left!


I went to wash the flats, leaving Jaxon with Daddy. While I was washing, I got to thinking about all kinds of things. We are dealing with a lot of stuff this week...negative, yucky stuff. As I was washing and thinking through things, I realized what handwashing is good for: stress therapy. If you're stressed, you should totally take it out on a load of flats. The bottom of our tub is textured and I scrubbed them against the tub bottom and against each other over and over again. Then I rinsed them well. My flats are clean. They smell clean and are rinsing clean. I wrung them out over and over and over again. Wringing is hard work - the worst part of handwashing, in my opinion. I then took them outside, wrung them out again, and then shook them out, which helped release even more water. I must have looked like a crazy woman, but I could feel the water flying in the air so it must have helped. I wrapped my covers in a towel to help get excess water off of them since I didn't want to subject them to my brutal wringing. 

Flats and covers drying outside!

It's like a million degrees outside so I think that everything will be dry pretty quickly. (updated to add: most of the flats were dry by 7:30, all of the covers are not -they are now drying inside under the ceiling fan - I had used a couple of pocket diapers which are taking much longer to dry than my Flips & Econobums)


I don't find handwashing to be difficult. When you're stressed, it can even be therapeutic. However, wringing the diapers out is awful. I have a callus on my hand where I got a little carried away with the wringing today (wearing rubber gloves might prevent this). I could see myself washing diapers this way on a regular basis, but I think I'd have to come up with a more creative way for getting the diapers wrung out (does anyone have one?). 


All in all, this is a viable diapering and washing option. Even if it's just to supplement disposable use, it's definitely something that is feasible and affordable for most people. If I can handwash with Parkinson's, then almost anyone can do it. I don't throw my Parkinson's around often like that, but it fits here. Sure, it's challenging, but it's doable. Lots of things in life are a challenge, but we handle them. Handwashing is certainly better than reusing soiled diapers or choosing between buying diapers and buying food. Want to help provide cloth diapers to a family in need? Check out Giving Diapers, Giving Hope to find out how you can help.