Day Two

Today is Day 2 of the Flats and Handwashing Challenge and our topic of discussion is “Supplies.”  What are we using for the challenge in terms of flats, covers, acessories, and washers.

 I'm using several items in the flats and handwashing challenge.  (The flats aren't such a challenge.  That's how I started cloth diapering back in 2008.)  I am using approximately 12 flat diapers. I tie dyed a few, and the rest are plain old white.  Many of them were mine when I was a baby, some I bought when LMM was a baby.  The tie dye kit cost $9.87

I am also using a Palm Tree one sized cover, four medium Thirsties covers, one Bummis Super Brite cover, and a pair of homemade wool shorties.  I had all of these already or got them in my free diaper mail.

For extra absorption I am using eight homemade fleece soakers.  They are made out of some extra fleece I had from a project and some more I made from an old pair of footie pajamas.

Overnight I am using two KaWaii Heavy Wetter Overnight diapers.  They take awhile to dry so I am using two.

 For washing I made a camp style bucket washer.  I used the directions from this link.

 We started using Charlie's Soap in 2008.  We bought this bucket in July of 2009-as you see the date on the bucket.  We finished the bucket two weeks ago.  (It isn't 128 washloads, it says 1,280).  We used Charlie's on all of our laundry until I had Rosebud, but she got ammonia burn as a reaction.  We switched to using Charlie's on all of our clothes and the Rock In Green on our diapers.  Problem solved.  We paid $125 including shipping for this bucket.  So we did our laundry for nearly three years for $125.  It is 1,280 if you use an entire tablespoon each time.  With our washer we often only need 1/2 TBS.

The bucket is now my "washing machine".

 Drilling holes in my plunger which I paid $3.00 for.  So far the challenge has cost me $12.87.

 The holes help the water swish around with less resistance.

 All finished!!!  Rosebud thinks it is pretty cool.

 I also bought Boingos!  I think they cost $3.  We're up to $15.87.  They are basically a "cool" Snappi.  I don't see any benefit of them over a Snappi.

I am also using a couple of Snappis that I already owned.

I probably shouldn't have spent the money on the tie dye, it totally wasn't a necessity.  I did want to try the Boingos as I hadn't before and I needed a clean plunger.  But part of my doing the challenge was that I would already have everything I needed to do the challenge.  I didn't want to spend unnecessary money on things I didn't need.

If all goes well, I plan on doing this while I am at camp this summer!