by Krystal Crawford & Danica Hecht
The best thing you can do with any routine is keep it simple, which is especially true for hand washing. The easiest way to hand wash is with a 5 gallon bucket and plunger. Drilling small holes in the plunger can help with resistance but isn’t necessary.
Equipment:
Danica bought all her supplies at Menard’s (US) for about $11, and borrowed a cordless drill for the holes.
This 5 gallon bucket with screw-top lid was about $3:
This plunger (Roto Rooter brand) with handle was about $8:
Here’s what it looks like as a finished product:
Basic Routine:
Getting Started :
Gather supplies – detergent, stain fighter if desired, water softener if needed, and bucket/plunger setup.
Before each cycle, add the required amount of detergent + stain fighter + water softener to the bucket, then add a little water (½ – 1”) and swirl around to start dissolving/mixing it.
Add diapers, wipes, etc to bucket until it is more than ½ full but not more than ¾ full, then add water to nearly the top of the bucket.
If you check for “stew” with a spoon or spatula, there should be a few inches of water above the diapers when you push them down. Follow instructions below for detergent/softener/booster amounts and plunging directions.
Cold rinse
50 plunges (wait 5 minutes) 50 plunges [Detergent/water softener is optional in this step]
Dump water
Hot wash #1
2Tbsp detergent, 1Tbsp water softener [if needed], 1Tbsp stain fighter [optional]
50 plunges (wait 10 minutes) 50 plunges
Dump water
Hot wash #2
2Tbsp detergent, 1Tbsp water softener [if needed], 1Tbsp stain fighter [optional]
50 plunges (wait 10 minutes) 50 plunges
Dump water, wring out thoroughly
**Note: It is not always necessary, but many people find it helpful to rinse the diapers under the faucet and wring them out before proceeding to the full cold rinse cycle. This will prevent excessive suds or slimy diapers at the end and ensure a clean rinse, since a bucket and plunger doesn’t drain and spin out between cycles.
Cold rinse
50 plunges (wait 5 minutes) 50 plunges
Dump water, wring out thoroughly, hang to dry or put in dryer
Important notes:
You can add 1Tbsp of detergent and water softener in the first cold rinse, if you wish. Stain fighter (Oxiclean) is entirely optional. There WILL be suds at the end of you routine, after the cold rinse. This is perfectly normal and as long as the diapers don’t FEEL slimy/soapy, just wring them out and hang them to dry or throw in the dryer.
Make sure the bucket is at least 1/2 but no more than 3/4 full, you still need diaper ‘stew’ for proper agitation. A water softener is necessary for hard water only, omit this addition if you have soft water.
A Hand Washing Video!
by Danica Hecht