5.11.2015

Why I'm Taking the Flats and Handwashing Challenge



This week is the Flats and Handwashing Challenge and I'm participating!

What is the Flats and Handwashing Challenge?

It is a cloth diapering challenge in which participants go "old school" and only use flats (one single layered piece of flat fabric) and covers for one week. All covers and flats must then be washed by hand and line dried. Cloth diapers have come a long way and this challenge is an opportunity to go back to the basics. You can follow others doing the challenge by checking out the link above following #bringingflatsback #flatschallenge


Why am I doing this?

I'm already a cloth diapering mom, but I wanted to take this challenge for the following reasons below:

Emergency Preparedness/ Self Sufficiency

I live in a community where emergency preparedness and self sufficiency is very valued. Our family is no exception.

My main reason for becoming a cloth diapering mom was to have a self-sufficient diapering option and to not depend on expensive disposables that are just thrown away.

There are many families who aren't prepared to diaper their babies in the event of running out of disposables, a parent losing a job, a natural disaster, a zombie apocalypse, ;) etc. I want to spread awareness that by purchasing a few affordable basics and gathering supplies you likely have laying around the house, you can build a useful and sustainable diapering option in the event of an emergency. (I'll talk more about this on Wednesday!)

The one item you should add to your Emergency Prepareness kit today? A Snappi. (Pictured below.)

First T-Shirt Flat of the Challenge! (Before I put the cover on!)

Not Depend On Washer and Dryer

I also want to do this challenge so that I am prepared to handwash my diapers and other laundry in the event the power goes out, the washer goes out, or another emergency comes up. I will be using a plunger and a bucket and/or the bathtub. I look at this as a great "practice run" to iron out any kinks that may come up and make changes as needed. I'm going to try a few different options and let you know the good, the bad, and the ugly of each! I'll share what I learn so that you can learn from my mistakes!

Make Cloth Mainstream 
I hope that by participating and blogging about my experience some friends, family, acquaintances may perhaps consider cloth diapering as an option for emergency preparedness or daily use.


Viable and Low Budget Option

I also wanted to bring awareness to the fact that many people do not cloth diaper because they believe they cannot afford it. Many are under the impression it is MORE expensive than disposable diapering and requires a huge investment. While there are certainly some cloth diapering stashes out there that are worth well over $3,000, my current stash is worth $210. The photo below is every cloth diapering product I own (AIO, hybrid, covers, prefolds, inserts, boosters, snappies, wet bags, etc.)

While this is a picture of all of my items, (including a few indulgent "pretty" covers that make me happy) my go-to stash that I regularly use is actually closer to a $160 budget.

My current stash of all my cloth diapering supplies (not for the challenge) valued at $210.

When I am finished with these diapers, I could very realistically sell my stash for 50%-80% of what I paid for it. Some people think that cloth diapering is beyond their budget, but I want to show that it can be much more affordable than people even realize. And it is a viable option for people on a tight budget.

For this challenge, I'm keeping it very low budget (under $50) by using re-purposed materials from around my own home. Instead of using purchased flats, I'm using re-purposed T-shirts and receiving blankets. You can even use flour sack towels!

DIY flats out of old T-shirts

Instead of using baby wipes, I'm using T-shirt sleeves and a receiving blanket cut into small squares. 

The only items that do cost money are my covers, snappies, and plunger (my handmade washing machine!). 

I will give more details on my Flats Challenge stash that I am using this week on my blog post tomorrow. But here is a sneak peek!


* Not pictured, my plunger AKA handmade washing machine.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I never thought of emergency preparedness. That is a very good and valid reason.I am in the process of simplifying my stash to a flats and fitteds.