Homemade Baby Wipe Solution

Natural Moms Talk Radio

When I tried making my own baby wipes (using paper towels), it was a colossal FAIL. The paper towels shredded where I cut them, leaving huge fuzzy balls everywhere, including baby’s linty butt. I didn’t find that they cleaned particularly well either. I was irritated that I spent money on paper towels, something I never buy, to try making my own.

Making my own baby wipe solution (to use with cloth wipes), however, is something I’ll do as long as I have a little one in diapers.

Why?

• Commercial baby wipes contain ingredients I’d rather not have on my baby’s skin. Things like: parabens, propylene glycol, Disodium EDTA, and fragrances. And the all natural ones are very expensive, and not as environmentally friendly as cloth.
• Washing cloth wipes isn’t any extra work when you’re already washing cloth diapers.
• Cloth wipes, once you’ve made the initial investment, are free. I love whizzing by the baby wipes aisle in the grocery store. I think cloth does a better job of cleaning the baby’s bottom anyway.
• Making this wipes solution takes less than 60 seconds, start to finish. It’s a frugal activity that’s worth it, for me.

To whip it up, I use the following ingredients:

- Water. I’m not fussy with this. Ordinary tap water is fine. It’s going on a butt. I don’t boil my baby’s bathwater to sterilize it, so I see no need to do anything special with butt washing water.

- Soap. I use Dr. Bronner’s baby castile. But you could use any gentle, all natural liquid soap (or shampoo) you feel comfortable with.

- Oil. The oil is what helps move poop off the baby’s skin. Don’t skip it. It really makes a difference. I use Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Oil because I love love love the natural fragrance, but you could use almond oil or another baby safe oil.

- Disinfectant. This is to keep the water from getting scummy since it will be sitting around for a few days. I use tea tree oil for my disinfectant, but I’ve heard of people using a little lavender oil or even vinegar for this reason. The disinfectant ingredient would also help prevent diaper rashes due to candida. So, bonus.

Note: After I started making this solution, I noticed that Ruby got less diaper rash. She’s the only baby I’ve had who is prone to rash, and I have to be vigilant with frequent changes and such to keep it at bay. This recipe really helps keep her booty cleared up! Commercial baby wipes, on the other hand, seem to contribute to rash.

My specific “recipe” is not exact. I usually just eye it. I use a Quart of water, about 1 Teaspoon castile soap, 1 Teaspoon oil, and a few drops of tea tree oil. I put a lid on the container and shake it up nicely, then pour the solution on top of the cloth wipes in my wipes warmer.

Yes, I keep my cloth wipes in a wipes warmer. It’s one way I spoil my baby a little. Warm butt wipes – it’s what I wish I had. That, and a heated toilet seat for winter.

Have you ever made your own cloth diaper wipes solution? What recipe do you like?

Natural Moms Talk Radio