Our old routine had stopped working, our washer only pretends to wash things now...leaving actual poop still on them even after 3 cycles with soap! Since I do most of the washing, I'd slacked off on writing up the changes I made to my "system". The main change was adding a "soak" step to the whole process, this seems to have really helped in getting the diapers clean until we can get a new washer (hopefully in the next few weeks) or attempt "fixing" this one!
So, here is what I typed up (I love my snipping tool)... What I forgot to add was the water level...you need as much water as possible in the washer, but I generally wash nothing unless it's a full load (large), so that should never need adjusting anyway.
My typed instructions are so that anyone can do the laundry for me. I tried to keep them simple, because it is a very complicated set up anyway, especially if you think about all the chemicals sitting on top of my dryer for washing various things (liquid Tide Free & Clear for our clothes and the baby's clothing, White Vinegar for use as a fabric Softener but used rarely on the baby's stuff, scent beads for our stuff only, dryer sheet solution which shouldn't be getting used at all right now and I keep hiding the dryer sheets so they can't be used as it can cause the diapers to repel moisture, the powdered Tide for the diapers, the homemade cloth diaper detergent for the diapers because neither "soap" work well enough on their own so I mix the two, a small jar to pre-measure the diaper detergent into so it can be dumped in if I'm in a rush, measuring spoons for all the stuff so they don't cross-contaminate each other (most worried about stuff getting on/in the diapers), various cups and scoops for everything else...ugh)! As for the mention of "which OxiClean tub...I reuse those for lots of stuff, my Tide Powder is in one with a yellow lid.
I forget where I read it (another blog, I know that), but someone posted that they leave a dry-erase marker in their laundry to write reminders like "don't put the black bra in the dryer" on the washer lid. This works great in my multi-step wash routine! When I put the diapers in for their first cycle (to rinse out the poo and unstuff the diapers without me having to do it by hand...as a side note, the KCK All in Ones, which were really pockets that someone had modified the pattern from the AiO pattern, are the only brand of diaper that do not unstuff themselves in my washer! Before Gabriel was born, I had heard that Applecheeks were the only brand designed to do this...I couldn't afford those though, and am too lazy to unstuff dirty diapers to go in the wash...and no one else wanted to touch them either), I write on the lid "soap" and "rinse" (I also write "soak" between them now too). This way, I know what step I need to do next and anyone else can help by doing the next step in the process without too much confusion. I also fill my little glass jar with my measured amounts of detergent at the same time, this way I know that if the jar is empty, I just forgot to wipe off that step (rather than running it twice with soap). Obviously, I went dry erase marker crazy on the front of my washer too...don't worry, it all washes off!
Labels keep things moving smoothly, with few questions when I have to ask someone to go "start that load of laundry please"! We always use the longest wash setting...I don't know why but we always have.
I got smart and dated the routine this time...that way I can know if it's out of date and we aren't going to be the ones using the information (grandma takes over laundry duties when she comes to visit most of the time). I still need to finish typing up the rest of the clothes washing routines, which are also out of date...but that may have to wait until I get home! But, they go in the plastic sheet protector and hang n a peg on the wall too for easy referral for anyone not used to my "system".
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| Hanging on the wall... |
I forget where I read it (another blog, I know that), but someone posted that they leave a dry-erase marker in their laundry to write reminders like "don't put the black bra in the dryer" on the washer lid. This works great in my multi-step wash routine! When I put the diapers in for their first cycle (to rinse out the poo and unstuff the diapers without me having to do it by hand...as a side note, the KCK All in Ones, which were really pockets that someone had modified the pattern from the AiO pattern, are the only brand of diaper that do not unstuff themselves in my washer! Before Gabriel was born, I had heard that Applecheeks were the only brand designed to do this...I couldn't afford those though, and am too lazy to unstuff dirty diapers to go in the wash...and no one else wanted to touch them either), I write on the lid "soap" and "rinse" (I also write "soak" between them now too). This way, I know what step I need to do next and anyone else can help by doing the next step in the process without too much confusion. I also fill my little glass jar with my measured amounts of detergent at the same time, this way I know that if the jar is empty, I just forgot to wipe off that step (rather than running it twice with soap). Obviously, I went dry erase marker crazy on the front of my washer too...don't worry, it all washes off!
Labels keep things moving smoothly, with few questions when I have to ask someone to go "start that load of laundry please"! We always use the longest wash setting...I don't know why but we always have.
I got smart and dated the routine this time...that way I can know if it's out of date and we aren't going to be the ones using the information (grandma takes over laundry duties when she comes to visit most of the time). I still need to finish typing up the rest of the clothes washing routines, which are also out of date...but that may have to wait until I get home! But, they go in the plastic sheet protector and hang n a peg on the wall too for easy referral for anyone not used to my "system".
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