Hand wash routine for organic cotton prefolds and PUL covers

[hasya]

Dear friends,

I find the need to hand wash diapers a few times a week and was wondering if anyone can suggest how you go about doing so. From removing the diapers to washing and drying.

If you don't use prefolds, I'd still like to hear about your routines.

Thanks!

Edited by hasya - 7/2/12 at 8:04am

[Mosaic]

Oh man, good luck! I've handwashed before, and I really hated it, to be honest with you. What soaps/tools do you have available to you?

My best recommendation is to try to minimize effort wherever possible. Scrape off solids whenever possible and do a very good rinse, then maybe soak with borax or vinegar to kill germs. I've also used Dawn when stripping my dipes by hand. Then you have to seriously wring them out as MUCH as possible and then bake those suckers in the sun to dry. They will end up a bit crunchy if you sun-dry, so throw them in a basket or on the floor and let the kids play around on them to soften them up.

[iowaorganic]

I don't hand wash them.  Ick.  but I think the way to do it would be to use a diaper sprayer and hose them down good first.  Then I would fill the bathtub up with super hot water, soak and swish really good.  If you sprayed them all with the diaper sprayer you shouldn't really have to scrub them too much....  Oh yeah and sundry those suckers.  I couldn't live without my diaper sprayer :)

[Siouxsie]

I remember this from the handwashing challenge (I didn't do it but seems cool) http://dirtydiaperlaundry.com/flatschallenge-how-to-make-a-camp-style-washer-instructional-video/

I knew someone who did them in her tub while the wash was broken too. She used a (new) plunger to force the water through them and added a kettle of boiling water to the hot wash water. 

[hasya]

Hello all, I haven't logged in in a while. We've been having horrid sleep issues and I am a mess as is my 2 year old. But that's material for a different forum. 

Thanks for your responses!

I saw the plunger video, thanks. I mainly wanted to hand wash the diapers a few times, in a pinch. So, I was wondering what people did. I suppose it isn't that common to do so, these days, eh?