I'm too lazy to write my own exciting post.

Well, give me a break, I woke up at four am remembering with a start that I have forgotten to take the garbage out and tomorrow is Spring Clean Up Day and the only opportunity I will have for months to get rid of my old bread machine and a mattress that has been the bane of my existence for months. So I'm not exactly relaxed and thinking clearly.  But fortunately Amanda from Diapers and Paranoia is, as well as Kim from Dirty Diaper Laundry and no doubt countless others.

Here's the gist of it:  What's it like to be trying to live on limited funds without a washer and dryer?  Go ahead, ask me, I do it everyday.  I've washed laundry in my bathtub and kitchen sink.  I've boiled it, I've hung it outside, I've used drying racks and fans and heaters and the ever-trusty curtain rod!  So I will tell you from experience that hand washing cloth diapers is a time consuming and thankless job.  Kim wants us to try and use only flat cloth diapers (the old-fashioned, fold-your-own kind) for a whole week, just to see if it's possible for limited income families to do it; if it's a feasible option for everyone.  She's explained it much better on her blog, which you should go check out.

Here are the rules:

• You MUST use Flats.
• You MUST handwash them.  How is up to you.  (bathtub, sink, large wash tub, portable non electronic washing machine, or camp style washer (bucket and plunger- think churning butter)
• You MUST air dry them.  (indoors or outdoors, makes no difference)
• You MUST limit your number of covers in rotation to 5 or less.
• You can use any detergent you want.  (Keep in mind that you still want cloth safe detergents)
• You can still use your nighttime diapers but I ask that you try to make flats work.  Maybe try a prefold wrapped in a flat.
• You can use disposable liners.
• You CAN’T use a diaper sprayer.  I thought long and hard about this one, but at an average cost of 40.00 this is one diaper accessory that is out of range for many families.  Dunk, swish, flush, or scrape!
• You MUST start the morning of May 23 and end the evening of May 30.
• You MUST fill out a completion survey about your experience.

So that's it - I'll be doing it.  I have the cloth diapering *stuff* - it's just a question of getting a few more cleaning options and I'll be, hopefully, ready to go on the 23rd.  Won't you join us?  Let's see if there is a way to make clean bums affordable to all!