8 things I learned during the Flats and Handwashing Challenge

Today is the final day of the Flats and Handwashing Challenge hosted by Dirty Diaper Laundry. Once again, I have learned so much! This year, I washed in the bathtub. That was such a challenge, as I had to bend my pregnant heiney over the tub. I was also traveling for the first four days of the challenge. So what exactly did I learn?

1. I learned that it is possible to hand wash and dry you diapers in a hotel room, even when your child has a virus that gives them horrendous diarrhea.

2. I learned that investing in a diaper sprayer is worth the money! I love my diaper sprayer and it makes it so much easier to to get the poo off and to rinse the diapers thoroughly!

3. I learned that you don't have to have a diaper sprayer to make cloth diapering work. You can get the poo off if you dunk, swish, and flush... repeatedly. Then you can rinse in the bathtub or sink.

4. I learned that it is much easier to get your diapers clean if you invest less than ten dollars and get a plunger and a five gallon bucket. I did this last year and feel that the whole process was much easier and my diapers came out cleaner.

5. I learned that washing daily is much easier and less time consuming than washing every other day.

6. I learned that you need to experiment to get the right amount of detergent. Too much and rinsing takes FOREVER!!! Too little, and your diapers do not get clean.

7. I learned to appreciate the luxury items of my washer and dryer. It is so easy to forget that not everyone has these items.

8. I learned a new appreciation for my mother and grandmother, who hand washed their diapers when they had no other choice. It was my mother who encouraged me to cloth diaper over 13 years ago when I was a single mom and had my first son at the age of 19. She opened me to a whole new world that has literally become an addiction, but in a good way! (I say first son, because now it is years later and I am about to have my FIFTH son!)

Thanks, Mom! You are the best and I love you!