In preparation for the Flats and Handwashing Challenge May 23-30 I have been creating lots of tutorials to help guide everyone as they enter the world of Flat cloth diapers!
I’ve already shown you the three major different folds (Pad Fold, Kite Fold, and Origami Fold) and how to make a Camp Style Bucket Washer. Now here are two more videos, one on How to Prep your Flats by Boiling them and the other on How to Wash your Flats using the Camp Style Bucket Washer.
How to Prep Flats by Boiling:
How to Wash Your Flats (or other Cloth Diapers) Using a Camp Style Washer
For the challenge you can prep your flats in your machine however I wanted to use a method that would work if you didn’t have washer/dryer access. Boiling one dozen flats took an hour since I could only fit 2 flats in each pot. I was boiling the 33″ GMD Flats.
If you don’t want to use or make a bucket washer there are other washing methods. You can use your bathtub-video here-, your sink, a large wash tub, or a portable washer. You can also use your hands as agitation, or a breathable washer (20$).
The most beautiful thing about handwashing flats is that they aren’t picky. Our grandmothers used baby laundry detergent (my Grandma used Ivory Soap- we all know that is not “cloth safe” these days) because the flats aren’t synthetic! They don’t hold detergent as much as a suedecloth lining or a microfiber soaker. I’m not saying you should start using Dreft, but there is a little more wiggle room here.
