2nd Annual Flats & Handwashing Challenge - Day 1

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! 

Well day 1 is almost over & I think it went pretty well. I have a feeling today will be the hardest day of the challenge as I am new to flats & just figuring out what works best for me. I tried several different folds today including, kite, origami & pad. After several uses of each I've decided the kite fold folded around another flat  that is folded into a small rectangle works best for us. My little man is a bit of a heavy wetter and this gives us plenty of absorbency.
I also washed 2 different ways today. First, I let the dipes pile up and chucked them in the tub after rinsing the few that needed it. I washed them by stomping the crap out of them (literally). It worked fine but I felt like it wasn't the most time efficient way to do it. For the rest of the day I decided to wash the diapers right after changing when I washed my hands. Way easier.

Time comparison: It took me about 25 minutes to wash 6 flats (4 changes worth) & 1 cover in the tub vs. 2-3 minutes for a wet or 3-4 minutes for a dirty dipe. Plus I only have 10 Gerber flats at the moment, so washing them as I go is better for me.

I ♥ my laundry line. Especially when it looks all cute like this.

 I also busted out my woolie for the first time last night & let me just say, I'm in love. I've been too nervous to try it out before now since I'm clueless to the care of it but having this great support group has encouraged me to go for it. I know if I have any questions someone on the board will have an answer for me.