Monday, August 31, 2009

Hand Washing: As the Diapers Swirl

One of these was handwashed. The other was machine washed. Can you tell the difference?
Didn't think so. Neither could spouse, and he even had to sniff them.

So as promised, here is a breakdown of todays handwashing routine.

This is where I keep the fluffies. Yes, it's a Repurposed Tidy Cat liter bucket, 'cuz that's how we roll around here. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. All about the Reusing.

From there they go to the bathroom to be rinsed with the diaper sprayer. I actually took the camera in to take a picture for you, but lets just face it, some days you don't want people looking round your bathroom, you know?

From there it's out to the washtub in the tiny alcove in the garage, and by tiny, I mean two feet wide.
In my narrow, yet deep but plumbed alcove I have a washtub, complete with spray nozel, and handy dandy fence stuff for hanging things like scrub brushes and bags of, yep, you saw it, Rockin'Green. Yeah, I'm still hearting the Rockin' Green.

The diapers got dumped into the sink, complete with freshly found plug and recently steralized plunger. (That was fun, not!)
Then, while filling the wash tub with HOT water and 1TBSP of Rockin' Green, I invoked the Laundry Goddess, Mischief. Oh wait, that's just my cat.

I agitated the water with the plunger for a while. It didn't really do it for me so I went back to using my fists and body weight to agitate the water. I'm still not quite sure what I was doing wrong with the plunger, but I'll try again tomorrow. After the "wash" cycle, I was really wet. So I decided to do the rinse cycles in the bucket after I drained the sink.

So I drained the wash tub, put the bucket back in the sink, and filled it half way with HOT water while wringing out the diapers into the washtub.

Then I put them all in the bucket and agitated them by plunging both hands in as though I was kneading particularly stubborn and squishy bread. I agitated it for a few minutes, then dumped it out, and wrung the diapers while refilling the bucket again.

This step got repeated 3 times, because I'm all paranoid 'n stuff, and then I wrung them, sprayed them, and wrung them again.

After they were thoroughly wrung, I lugged them through the house and to the back porch hang out on the rack to sun.

While todays batch were sunning, I pulled yesterday's out of the dryer (where today's will end up after they're done sunning, because in this weather, there is no hope of hang drying in just one day) and folded them.
I was a little proud that I had gotten them all clean, as well as the wipes and inserts to the pockets that got used yesterday too.

For tomorrow, again, I plan to make a few changes.
1. I want to see how Tiny Bubbles works compared to the Rockin' Green.
2. I want to see about using a different style of plunger.
3. I want to see if I can scare up some gloves (still) because my hands aren't loving the HOT at all.

I am, however, feeling fairly confident that by the time we get the washer fixed, I will know how to wash a fluffy backwards, forwards, or inside out.

For the record- they aren't repelling today, so yay handwashing!

And for the germaphobes out there- I am planning to boil the inserts and prefolds on Friday, but the sun works wonders for killing bacteria too.

15 comments:

Lisa J said...

Awesome! Thank ya for sharing!

Krista said...

I have to tell you I'm not having any sort of hand washing diaper envy. ;) What a LOT of work! Go you for being such a great mom & making sure Snapdragon has soft fluffies for his bum. :)

Unknown said...

That is awesome! It's good to know that when modern conveniences are not available we can get by (and most times do a better job:) Love the 3 R's - we are big into the REUSING around here too!

RGsMom said...

That is awesome - good for you!

amanda said...

I think this is awesome! And by the way, it looks like you have a heck of a stash- I'm jealous. You truly must be the giveaway queen!

Jaime said...

I like your embellished prefolds. Did you make them like that or did you buy them?

Jessie Kaitlin said...

Have I ever mentioned that you are such an awesome Mama!!
Your kids are seriously lucky to have someone like you :)

Upstatemamma said...

Good for you!! We use an old kitty litter box as our recycling bin. We keep it right next to the garbage paill in the kitchen and when it is full I take it outside and dump it in the one that will go to the curb on Monday. We are all about reusing too. Cheap and environmentally friendly - what's not to like?

Anonymous said...

Wow, that's dedication!

As I was reading your description I thought to myself, "I hope she has gloves, that sounds too hot." Sorry to hear you didn't, and I hope you've managed to scare some up since.

Nancy said...

Wow that's a great method! Love the kitty too!

Christine said...

I love handwashing :) We don't even own a washer.

Lisa J said...

I'm doing this today! I went and bought a new plunger haha, because yeah.. I have big boys, and um. NO. NO. No.

I'll let you know how it works out. I have Rockin' Green too, but I saw a thing of Zote at the dollar store and thought I'd use it, and see how it works.

:)

Kristen said...

Where did you get the drying rack? We need one of those!! Thanks for sharing!!

Slee said...

@Lisa
Good luck! I need to use the regular kind of plunger, but am ever reluctant to spend the $, even at the dollar store, or is that *especially* at the dollar store.

@Kristen. I don't know where to get said drying rack. It was a gift from my mother, but I do know ikea carriesa drying racks. My mother has a very nice wooden one, which I covet a little. I'll have to ask.

Melinda said...

I've started hand washing, pretty much the same method.
I have to break down and buy a new plunger. The one I had like had extra rubber that came back into the inside. It makes like a lip or something. I didn't know it when I bought it. The two times we've had to use it, I promptly sterilized it due to the fear of icky water.