Friday, May 25, 2012

My #FlatsChallenge Tip: Blinding My Dipes

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! 

Day 4 Update: I have completed 4 entire days, it does seem to get easier as the days go on. However, yesterday I was down to 1 diaper, praying that I would find some way to dry my diapers in time for the next change! 

You see this week the weather has not been very kind to me. We have not had 1 sunny day yet, and every day there has been rain. On top of this, the weather has been very humid, making it even more of a challenge to dry the diapers inside as well. These problems have actually helped me to discover my#1 Tip. Make use of everything and anything to dry your diapers! (Personally I wanted to stay away from anything electronic like a hair dryer...so my options were limited).

While running out of space to dry my flats, I was walking around the house, in search of anything to hang my diapers on. Then suddenly, a wave of creativity overtook me! I thought to myself...why don't I just hang my flats on the blinds? I grabbed some clothespins, and used the blinds on my sun porch to dry my flats! It worked so well because despite the lack of sun, there was still light coming in. The diapers I hung on the blinds dried faster than those on my drying rack. I was so impressed. This is my new favorite way to dry diapers! I am not sure if this method would work for heavier diapers, but it is perfect for my flats and even covers. I will continue to use this method for the rest of the challenge and beyond. Of course with new discovery comes naming the technique...so I am going to call it "Blinding My Dipes".

P.S. Make sure your blinds are clean...if not, your diapers will turn into dust rags!!

Other Tips:

  • Let your diapers soak! This will help keep the stains out. I am amazed at how clean and fresh my diapers smell!
  • If you have access to 2 buckets, use both. I have used 1 bucket for poopy diapers, and one for pee diapers. This seems to work well for me.
  • Set the timer if you are soaking your diapers in detergent. In my experience, I get busy doing tons of things, and then forget about my diapers, and then I am cutting it close with having enough diapers ready for the next change.

What are your favorite tips and tricks for drying flats in less than perfect conditions?

What is the biggest tip you have discovered so far in participating in the Flats Challenge?

6 comments:

  1. Haha! Love "Blinding" your dipes. What a creative use of space. : )

    Chana @ www.adventures-in-fluff.blogspot.com

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  2. That is brilliant! Love it! ~Melissa

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  3. Love that idea! You can even let them get some sun this way!

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  4. Lol. My blinds are too filthy to do this!

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