What do you use??

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! 


 Today went surprisingly well ( the above picture is our first flat!!! )and we had no diaper leeks or issues. WOOHOO!! T is a pretty heavy wetter and I was concerned that flats alone would not cut it. We are doing this challenge as frugally as possible and I have tried to either use things we had or use things that are easy to get. I picked up a package of 12 flour sack towels from Sam's and have them prepped as my "flats". I am also repurposing a nice pile of baby blankets that always seemed too small for actual blankets. We had some snappies which are plastic hooks on a stretchy rubber band type thing for use instead of pins but I have also added in some good old fashioned pins that I bought at Toys R Us. I was able to get 6 in a package for under $2. I had some but since they were from when I was in diapers I figured they should be retired. :D 

We are using Flip and Econobum covers that we already owned but both are decent and fairly reasonable to buy new if you needed to. I am trying to only use 4. We needed 2 today and one dried during the day but I'm thinking the one that is drying overnight inside may not be dry by morning. My husband made a "camp washer" which basically is a 5 gallon bucket with a hole drilled in the top and then a plunger ( a new clean one) with holes drilled in it.     

IT WORKS AWESOME!!!! 

Of course our first diaper change this morning was a dirty one so I just shook it off and then threw it into the wash bucket and poured in HOT water and set the lid on so it could soak. Several changes later we had enough for a load. I did the first load for the day right after lunch and during nap. We had 1 dirty cover, 1 dirty flat, and 4 wet flats plus several cloth wipes. I added more hot water and plunged for a bit. Drained water and added more hot water and a very small amount of dish soap. Then we plunged some more. T is very fascinated by this and loves to "help" with the plunging part. I figure hey, she gets them dirty why not let her clean them?!?!
Then when I felt they were clean we dumped the water out again. All of this was done in the tub so I just dumped the bucket completely out. T then beat on the diapers with the plunger for a bit and helped get some of the water out. We then put them back in the bucket and got more hot water. Then the lid goes back on and we rinsed them. Then a final wringing or beating out of water and its off to the drying rack that is outside on the porch today. Most of the pictures are from the second load when I didn't have "help". :)