Input requested: Homemade baby wipes
I know that you have posted about cloth diapering in the past but have you ever put up recipes for homemade baby wipes? I'm looking to do this when #3 arrives in December but I'm reading mixed reviews about them, i.e. mold can develope on the wipe. Maybe some of your readers would have some tips to prevent this? I'm really looking forward to trying this but I don't want to be let down when it might not work. -DianaThanks for a great question, Diana. I've never made my own baby wipes, though I had intentions to when I was a brand-new mom. We received a huge box of baby wipes as a gift, in addition to some other packs, and I've never run out! I have used cloth wipes before and love those, but I didn't use them all the time, only part of the time since sometimes it was more convenient to use the other wipes I had on hand (especially when we're out an about). I just finished up the baby wipes right before beginning potty-training in earnest, and now, when I need to use wipes, I use flushable wipes which I got, surprise (!), for free with coupons.
That said, I'm pretty confident there are at least a few readers who use or have used homemade wipes. Anyone want to share your experiences? Recipes? If you use cloth wipes, did you make your own or buy them somewhere? Do you just wet them down with water before using, or do you use some type of homemade solution in a spray bottle? C'mon moms, share with us newbies what has worked for you!
posted by Crystal Paine at 3:54 PM
18 Comments:
I have a wipes solution that I use with my cloth wipes. It would work for disposable wipes, too, I would think. The necessary ingredients are tea tree oil and distilled water. These will prevent mold and other bacteria from growing and will help keep your wipes fresh. You never want to use moldy wipes. They pose a threat of severe infection. I mix about 1 to 2 tsp of tea tree oil, a TBS of 100% aloe (did you know you can drink this pure stuff like a fruit juice???) a few drops lavender oil, a TBS of olive oil, a few squirts of Dr. Bronners Baby Mild liquid soap and I add it to about 3 to 4 cups of heated distilled or boiled water and stir it until combined. I poor them over my cloth wipes in a wipes warmer - you could substitute disposable towels for this. All these ingredients aren't necessary though, just the tea tree oil and the distilled water. You can use whatever baby soap you want. Adding the olive oil helps GREATLY to get those sticky, don't wanna wipe up poo's and provides a barrier agains rash. The aloe helps keep Baby's skin moist and smooth, and the lavender smells so good.
I hope this has helped!
Oh, one more thing to add to my last comment. If you use the solution in a spray bottle you will need to shake it up really well before you spray it. It will work just as well as having your wipes already moistened but it is a little more inconvenient when you are out and about.
Also, I use very inexpensive cloth wipes that I purchased from me :). They are only one layer, unlike what many people prefer, but I find them single layer much easier to use for some reason. The wipe up just like a washcloth. I use 24 of them and they last me a good week or two because we wash every day to every other day and just add them back to the stack. The solution re-wets them over and over again. We use them for bums, faces and hands.
I use cloth wipes and in order to prevent mold, I don't get them wet until I'm about to use them. I keep my wipe solution in a spray bottle (a little one that fits in the organizer on my changing table, which is the top of the baby's dresser), and then as I'm about to wipe the baby, I spray a little on the wipe, or even directly on the baby depending on how bad the situation is! :)
This is the wipe solution I use in my spray bottle:
3/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon baby shampoo/bathwash
1/2 Tablespoon creamy baby oil
1/4 teaspoon Shaklee Basic H
You could probably skip the Basic H, I use Basic H because it's organic and very gentle on skin, but is a good cleanser and disinfectant. This has worked really well for me. In 9.5 months, my daughter has only had two very mild diaper rashes.
I used the recipe found in one of the Tightwad Gazette books. After awhile I altered it to fit with whatever I had on hand. Basically I would cut a roll of good paper towels (like Bounty) in half and put it in the bottom of an empty wipie container (the round upright ones...do they even make those anymore?) I would add a small amount of water and a little baby soap or baby shampoo. (I never measure when I cook either.) They worked great for me.
I have used store-bought, homemade, and cloth baby wipes. I really prefer the cloth! :)
For my homemade wipes, I did much like another commenter said, cut Bounty paper towels in half, and soak in boiled water that had oil and a little baby soap in it. Mine never got moldy, but I didn't store them in a warm place and I never had more than 2 "batches" (rolls) made up at one time.
For my cloth wipes, I use any thin baby washcloth or I make my own like I described in a frugal fridays post (http://www.tammysrecipes.com/node/649). I wet them with warm water as needed. They work well for me... I always pat baby dry with a washcloth before re-diapering. (And I usually let my babies "air out" for a few minutes at changes.) :)
I liked the homemade disposable wipes, but figured I could save time and money by using cloth. Since I already used cloth diapers, it was no biggie to throw the wipes in the load with the diapers! :)
I made my wipes with two layers of flannel. I like to put a days worth of wipes in a container and poor wipe solution over it. I usually have to squeeze out the extra liquid but I like them wet. For me the bottle takes too long...I like to squeeze and go. I don't like to have to spray, spray, spray before wiping. As far as on the go I just squeeze out three or four (depending on how long I will be gone) and put them in a wipes to-go box (found at babies-r-us). I can get even the messiest poops up with one wipe because they are so handy. I used disposable wipes for the first month and have to say I was nervous I would miss them. I like my made ones soooo much better. I bought some wipe solution from http://honeychunks.com/p1.html and really like it. I might try making my own when this runs out but it is so easy I might not. hope some of this helps:)
I also use cloth wipes - just washers that I store folded above the washing machine (on which I change baby, on a folded towel). I keep a bucket in the laundry tub next to the machine. I just grab a dry washer, rinse it under the warm tap water, and use, then put it in the bucket. No soap, no chemicals, just warm water. At the end of the day, I put all the washers and cloth diapers through the machine to be hung in the sun to dry. Voila!
I do the same as the previous person.
Just wet my cloth wipes with warm water from the tap. I like to use warm water (rather than cold) and also like knowing there is nothing that could irritate my babies skin (tea tree oil can be quite harsh).
My cloth wipes are just cheap face-cloths which I got on sale (and at garage sales etc), all in white so the family knows white is for bottoms, colours are for faces!!!
When I used disposable diapers and wipes, I used to make my own wipes with paper towels, water, baby soap, and a little bit of baby oil (to help prevent spoiling).
Now that I use cloth diapers, I just use baby washclothes. I just wet them with warm water at the sink and that's it. No soap or anything needed as long as they're well wet. Occasionally, I have to use two washclothes.
I use the same solution as Catherine with the exception of Basic H. I buy the cheap pack of washcloths at Dollar General and cut them in half. I put them in an empty diaperwipe box. I would double the solution for a box full. The baby oil really helps get off the "sticky stuff". ;-)
I have made homemade disposable wipes and really liked them. They are great for cleaning faces and hands too. I use Viva (I think it's the softest), baby oil, water, and anti-bacterial hand soap. The first time I made them I used baby wash and really loved the fragrance. But they molded. So I began using the hand soap and that took care of the mold. I have also read that a few drops of lavendar helps with mold.
I use 1/2 Bounty roll, 1 1/2 cups water, and 1 1/2 tablespoons baby soap. I put all that in a Rubbermaid 3 quart container. I've never had a problem with mold, but I only make one batch at a time, and I clean the container between each batch. Maybe that helps. I love my homemade wipes, and I don't like when I have to use storebought ones. The homemade ones are much softer and work much better.
I'm thinking of trying cloth wipes & diapers with the next baby, so we'll see how I like that...
Cloth wipes:
My Grandma cut out dozens of flannel squares and serged the edges for me. They are on-ply. I absolutely love them. We keep them in a wipes warmer, usually with just water, but sometimes add mild baby soap or Burt's Bees apricot baby oil. It's best to only put a days worth in the warmer at once. I wash them with diapers. :)
I make disposable baby wipes all the time and the only time they ever grew mold was when I left them in the container for a long, long time. I too use Viva towels, they're soft and have no lines or designs on them (I tried other towels at first but with a newborn, the harsher surface of the imprinted designs tended to scratch the baby's skin if I wasn't very careful) I cut the rolls in half, pull the cardboard tube out of the center and place in a tightly sealing rubbermaid container. Then I pour a solution over the top, let the liquid soak in and when it's cool, use them...
The liquid solution I use is simply...
1 - 1.5 cups boiling water
1.5 tablespoons each - baby oil, soap and lotion.
Mix all together and pour over towels.
I use cloth wipes at home (and disposable ones for the diaper bag). I've never used anything but water on my cloth wipes. I just wet them at the sink before I change the diaper or use a squirt bottle (depending on if I'm near the sink). They are cheap too. You can just buy cheap baby wash cloths. Or you can buy wipes with serged edges. If you sew, you can make either two ply wipes by sewing and turning the material or one ply by serging the edges. I made myself some by cutting up some extra receiving blankets I had received as gifts and didn't need. I mostly have wipes made of flannel, but I have a few that are velour with a stretch cotton backing and those are my absolute favorites. The velour is so soft and really "grabs" what it needs too. I plan to make some more.
I REALLY need to correct something I said in my first comment about tea tree oil. I use a very diluted "Kinder To The Skin" kind, which is why I use an entire teaspoon. I wouldn't recommend more than a few drops of the 100% stuff. It is harsh in such large quantities but is completely safe when only a small amount is used. I should have stated this in my original post but accidentally left it out. It came to me last night and I asked some friends questions about it and couldn't stop thinking about it.
My wipes grew mold before I used a wipes warmer. I guess in some areas mold just grows better. I remember in SC our stroller and car seat grew mold. It was YUCKY! I have since learned that washing my stroller and car seat covers with a few drops of tea tree oil could have completely prevented the mold growth.
I love my flannel wipes.
Ingredients:
1 squeeze bottle
3 drops lavender oil
3 drops tea tree oil
1 cup distilled water
15-30 3-4 inch square pieces of flannel
Wet the wipes as you go, wash them with your diapers. Completely reusable, gentle on your baby's bottom, and easy to carry around. I use a compact lidded squeeze bottle for traveling. It's so easy and you'll never have to throw anything away. Ever.
To make my cloth wipes, I cut up one old towel and one old t-shirt with pinking shears. In the beginning, I tried several solution methods. First I put them in a wipes warmer with boiled water, then I tried "Baby Bits": a solution similar to what other people have commented. However, I ALWAYS eventually got mold in the wipes warmer...I guess it's just the right temperature. My daughter got a really bad diaper rash.
Since then, we ditched the wipes warmer. Now we just have water in a squirt bottle, and keep the wipes dry until we use them. It's great! I wash the wipes with the diapers, no problem.
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