Hello again and welcome to Day 1 of the 2018 Flats and Handwashing Challenge hosted by Cloth Diaper Revival.  

Today marks the start of the 7 day challenge, during which I will be using only flats and covers as nappies, and I will be handwashing them to get them clean. No modern cloth nappies, no washing machines & no tumble dryers. Am I crazy? Probably! But I am up for the challenge and I can't wait to bring you along with me through my blog and Instagram.

You can scroll through my previous cloth nappy posts here:

For those of you wondering what on earth the flats challenge is all about, here is some more info for you:

Kim at Dirty Diaper Laundry founded the Flats and Handwashing Challenge eight years ago as a way to bring awareness that cloth diapers are a valid option for families in need, struggling to provide diapers for their baby. 

"Our aim is not to say that every poor family facing the supremely difficult choice of buying diapers or food should use cloth diapers. That would be short-sighted of us to think it's an answer for every family. The flats challenge is a way to show that for families willing and able, babies can be diapered for less than $100 or even $50 and without owning a washing machine. It is a viable option for families who are in homes without washing machines and an effective one." ~Kim Rosas,  Dirty Diaper Laundry

Why are you taking the Flats and Handwashing Challenge?

When I first started using cloth nappies on my little girl (she was born on the 5th September 2017) so a little over 8 months ago, I did extensive research...which meant I basically spent hours and hours trawling through the awesome South African Cloth Nappy Users Facebook group (click here to go check it out) during those sleepless nights during my pregnancy.

The vast majority of people recommended flats & covers for newborns, because you are able to fold the flats so that they PROPERLY contain all those runny newborn poosplosions. Plus you're able to get a nice tight fit on those teeny tiny legs, unlike the other nappies which work better once baby is a bit older. I took their advice and started putting together a varied stash of nappies (another great tip is to buy a few different kinds of nappies from different sellers so that you can work out which ones suit you and your baby best).

Click below to read my post all about cloth nappies and newborn babies.

As I enjoy a challenge, I knew that I wasn't scared of the whole 'folding' thing, and, again, because I enjoy a challenge, I set about making my own flat nappies (with the help of my mom!) because I wanted to show people that cloth nappies really don't have to be expensive. You can make it work on a very tight budget, it just takes a bit more time and effort.

As Everly has gotten bigger, I've been able to use all the other types of nappies as they now fit her nicely...All-In-Ones, pockets, All-In-Two's, Hybrids, Fitteds. These nappies are much more like the disposable nappy design, and so I've gotten a bit lazy, and find myself reaching for them over and over again, and neglecting my stash of flats. 

And so, this challenge couldn't have come at a better time. I have a stash of flats that I loved using, but that have been relegated to the back of the cupboard lately, and so I am determined to bring them back and fall back in love with them...that's the idea, and I'll be sharing how I feel about them at the end of the challenge.