If your babies have skin like mine, most disposable wipes are not an option. At least that is what poor Kathleen’s bottom seemed to be telling me after a couple of days of using sensitive ones. I’ve always just used a cloth and water. However, there is a reason why wipes are popular; they really do the job quite well. So after planning to make my own wipes and solution with each baby, I finally got around to it with my third. Actually these are handy to have in your car or purse even if you don’t have children.
Wipes ready to go!
The Wipes:
7X7 in serged flannel squares
Okay, so you could actually use whatever you want, old t-shirts are brilliant because they don’t need any sewing. I jumped at the chance to use up some of the excessive amounts of white flannel from two years ago when I made an embarrassingly large miscalculation for a quilt that still hasn’t been made.
I wanted mine to fit into a plastic disposable wipe container so I cut 7X7 inch squares and sewed the edges with the serger. Folded once they fit nicely in the container.
Homemade Wipe solution:
You will need
4 c. Distilled Water
1 tbs Castille Soap
15 drops Lavendar
4 Tbs Collodial Silver (or Vinegar)
1-2 Tbs Oil (Almond, Coconut, or Jojoba)
Mix everything and warm lightly on the stove; I just find this helps everything mix nicely but you could just shake it up in a jar unless you use coconut oil.Use as much as you need to dampen the wipes in the container or Ziploc. I use about one cup to wet 50 wipes. Store the remainder in the fridge and give a quick shake when you want to use it.
Soaking the wipes
A few notes:
- I used distilled water because we have very hard and mineral filled water, which is not a bad thing but I worry it is a breeding ground for bacteria thus mold in my wipe container.
- You can also use whatever essential oil that you like, but lavender is safe for babies, easy on sensitive skin, is a calming scent, and has antibacterial properties. Tea tree is a great one if it is for your own personal use.
- I have been using the colloidal silver to fight thrush but you could leave that out.
- If you would prefer dry wipes, you can also just carry the solution in a small spray bottle. I have found that to be nice and compact for in my purse (although, I wouldn’t recommend using the same bottle, even thoroughly cleaned, that you used for your homemade bug spray. Hello citronella!).
a dry compact option
And finally, a question for any cloth diapering gurus out there; I am not sure how to get my diapers clean with the our hard water that I mentioned. I have always been really happy with Nature Clean soap and an occasional stripping, but now nothing seems to work. Suggestions?
