Supplies & Tactics for Handwashing Flat Cloth Diapers

This year, I am doing a completely different approach to this handwashing challenge.

1. I am using only 5 large cotton Diaper Rite Birdseye Flat cloth diapers and I am washing them as my daughter soils them.
2. I am NOT using gloves.
3. I am using our laundry room's utility sink for all handwashing.
4. I am using BioKleen Free & Clear Powder Detergent.
5. I am using Bleach (8 drops per gallon) to disinfect poopy diapers after they've been rinsed and are on the washing stage.
6. I am using JUST my hands.
7. I hang the diapers to dry wherever seems best at the time (mostly outside).
8. I am using 2 flat cloth diapers at night (pad folded) in a Fleece (not PUL) pocket diaper or in a Fleece cover.

How I wash:

PEE DIAPERS
- Rinse diaper well, with running hot water from the utility sink faucet
- Wash in 1-2 gallons hot water and just a bit of detergent (enough to make some bubbles). I let it sit 30 minutes before I agitate it a few minutes and rinse it with hot, running water.

POOP DIAPERS
- Drop solids in the toilet, remove what doesn't drop with toilet paper and rinse off poop leftovers in the utility sink with cool water, then rinse well with hot water.
- Soak previously poopy diaper for 30 mins in 1-2 gallons of hot water with 8 drops of bleach per gallon and just enough detergent to make some bubbles. I then agitate and clean the diaper well & rinse it under hot, running water.

Pictures:
*Tessa (my 20 month old daughter) nursing her baby while wearing an Origami folded tie dyed flat that is Snappi'ed on :)

* A glimpse at today's handwashing diaper experience,

&

* 4 of our 5 tie dyed flats and the Grovia shells I like pad folding the flats into,

*All pictures are property of NaturalMommas.blogspot.com*

2nd Annual Flats & Handwashing Challenge

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!

I am participating for the second (and possibly last) time this year, because I am a huge cloth diaper advocate. I am the founder and president of a cloth diaper non profit charity called "Let's Cloth Diaper Sarasota, Florida! Inc.". We help low income families locally and nationally by providing them with usable cloth diapers at no cost to them.

I like to prove that ANYONE can truly cloth diaper successfully if they put their mind to it. You don't need a washer or dryer to accomplish saving money, your baby's butt or the environment. PLUS, it shows that handwashing doesn't need to be unsanitary.

Please join me in the challenge this year by trying the challenge yourself or following my posts this week.

*This year I am posting mostly from my Droid because we have no internet out in my small farming town, but I am going to try my hardest to provide you with all the links you need for more information.

Peaks of London : Breastfeeding Clothes

 Do you need some beautiful and functional breastfeeding clothes?


Well, Peaks of London offers beautiful, stylish breastfeeding clothes and dresses for any occasion.
I really love their dresses and the beautiful way they lay!
There is a color and style for every type of mom between these three dresses.
“The Tokyo” and “The Drape” breastfeeding dresses are perfect for all your more casual occasions.
If you need a breastfeeding dress to wear to a wedding or special dinner, I especially love Peaks of London’s  “The Waterfall“ dress. “The Waterfall” dress is fresh, versatile and functional for a more formal occasion.  These dresses are light on layers and heavy with style!

As a former breastfeeding mother of my 3 children, I always wanted to be dressed fashionably and have breastfeeding clothes that functioned just for breastfeeding. I also remember how hard it was to find those beautiful, yet functional breastfeeding clothes! Well, look no further, because they are no longer hard to find, just visit Peaks of London!



* This is an original post by the other of the Mod’N’Natural Blog and a paid post by Peaks of London, a company I like & felt good about sharing with you! *

Operation Smile : Sponsored by CampusBookRentals.com

Here, at the Mod’N’Natural, children’s health and welfare really matters to me. I am always excited to see companies with a passion for helping those in need, because I too, have that same passion!

I want to introduce you to CampusBookRentals.com - a really awesome company that makes obtaining college books for students affordable, easy and rewarding, with free registration.

CampusBookRentals.com not only helps out college students by getting them the books they need for class at around half the price, but for EVERY book rented:

A portion of the proceeds are going to Operation Smile- where they have their sites set on meeting and exceeding changing 1,000 lives through cleft palate correction surgeries on children! 

 (Picture above taken from http://www.operationsmile.org/living_proof/patient-stories/ & direct link is: http://www.operationsmile.org/img/living-proof/patient-stories/IND_2012_Bismita_1442_Before_124.jpg)

 

Their goal is phenomenal and I want to see them reach it.

Have you heard of Operation Smile before?

Operation Smile performs life changing cleft lip surgeries on children who come from families where the operation cannot be afforded. The surgeries vastly improve these children’s lives. They also are empowering countries to treat these children on their own and teaching & training health care professionals.

Can you imagine that just by renting some books for your next class, you are helping to fund a precious child’s cleft lip surgery? You need the books anyway, right?

So why not use CampusBookRentals.com and help them meet & exceed their goal of 1,000 cleft lip surgeries for children!

PLEASE VISIT OPERATION SMILE TO SEE HOW YOU CAN HELP FURTHER
AND TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BEAUTIFUL HUMANITARIAN CHARITY


* This is an original post by the other of the Mod’N’Natural Blog and a paid post by CampusBookRentals.com, a company I like & felt good about sharing with you! *

The Great Cloth Diaper Change 2012

Today was a big event in the world of cloth diapering!
Here, at the Mod'N'Natural we attended The Great Cloth Diaper Change in Tampa, Florida.

The Great Cloth Diaper Change was created by the Real Diaper Association (RDA) and is to set the Guinness Book of World Records score of the most babies changed into a cloth diaper simultaneously all over the world.

I attended it today with one of my best friends and fellow board member of Let's Cloth Diaper Sarasota, Florida! Inc.- Clarissa Bennett. We started off the event early this morning to donate cloth diapers to families on WIC and/or Medicaid.

We were blown away at the amount of families who came to us for cloth diapers. We actually had to ask people to email us to send cloth diapers to them, because we ran out. We were so happy to help these families to do something fantastic for their babies.

We had 2 awesome sponsors for LCDSF! Inc. Thirsties and BubuBiBi sent us items to raffle off, Thirsties sent 100 Catalogs, BubuBiBi sent 50 Wet Bags for the first 50 guests &100 Brochures- all for the participants of The Great Cloth Diaper Change.

I must say, the heart and love behind these 2 cloth diaper brands are amazing. No other companies are quite like them. Not only do they have beautiful, affordable diapers- they care about people in a very real way.

The most exciting moment of our day? We got to personally meet and chat with Calley Pate (THE ECO CHIC!) and also, Jennifer Labit (YES! THE OWNER OF bumGenius!). Not only did we get to chat with them, but we got our picture taken with them and Jennifer interviewed US on video! I was so nervous. Let me tell you, these women are so incredibly sweet, loving and are simply awesome, real people.

During the event, Tessa was changed out of a diaper I made her into one of her GroVia Mod Flower diapers as she sucked on her new Monkey Pacifier set. The cute pink Monkey was given to her as a gift today from the owner and creator of Baby's Best Friend after Tessa sat and eyed them during the expo. She is in LOVE with this Monkey. (I AM TOO!)

To finish off this incredible day, we got awesome totes stuffed with goodies! I cannot believe this is this is my 2nd & last The Great Cloth Diaper Change I get to participate in. Tessa is starting to potty train already. BUT that is okay, because I still plan on being there next year to donate diapers again to those in need!

Please share with me what your The Great Cloth Diaper Change was like today for you! Did you have fun? Did you get a grab bag and what was in it? Did any of you win something amazing?

Please visit the companies, organizations and people that I mentioned in my article :)

letsclothdiapersarasotaflorida.blogspot.com
www.bububibi.com
www.thirstiesbaby.com
www.theecochic.com
www.jenniferlabit.com
www.gro-via.com
www.BBFtoys.com
www.greatclothdiaperchange.com

* All content and images on naturalmommas.blogspot.com is property of naturalmommas.blogspot.com and may not be used without written consent. *