Seven days of using, and hand-washing, flat nappies instead of using disposable nappies or more expensive modern cloth nappies and using a washing machine.
Today was spent moving more stuff from our old home to our new home. Driving there and back and there and back again. It was pad-folded birdseyes in covers on the bum until just after lunch when an unexpected monster poop put our last clean, dry cover out of action. So I went back to using coverless origami/bat folded bamboo flats with a snappi for the rest of the day.
As I’ve said before, we’re used to using flats, that wasn’t an issue. Hand-washing those flats, that was a challenge (as was blogging about it every day!). But I imagine it would become less of a challenge if I had to continue hand-washing every day.
Our new home has a dishwasher. I’ve never had or used an automatic dishwashing machine before. I am the dishwasher. I use my hands and wash dishes throughout the day in the kitchen sink. Not much of a chore. I’m used to it. I guess it would be the same with hand-washing nappies/clothes instead of using a machine. If you’re used to hand-washing, for whatever reason, it wouldn’t be much of a chore.
What have I learnt over the past week? I’ve learnt that hand-washing requires a LOT of water and effort and time. I’ve reconfirmed my view that flat nappies are easy to use, especially when using birdseye flats: thin cotton, perfect for pad-folding and easy to wash and so quick to dry.
Will I continue using flat nappies after the challenge?
Will I continue hand-washing those flats?
I will embrace my washing machine in the morning, cover it lavishly with kisses, and joyously throw in baby’s flat nappies with the rest of the laundry.