Monday, March 31, 2008

Green Baby Wipes

Anyone who has been around babies can testify to their constant need of wiping. Various parts of baby anatomy need wiping multiple times a day. Not only tushies, but also noses, mouths, and hands.
When my first child was born, we lived in a faraway country where baby wipes were imported and therefore very expensive. We were already cloth diapering, but I didn't know anything about cloth wipes.
My strategy at the time was to mix my own wipes solution.
My recipe was:
2 TBSP baby wash
2 TBSP baby oil
an unmeasured amount of water; probably about 3 cups.

I would put the baby wash and baby oil into a spray bottle and then fill it up with water. When I changed my son's diaper, I would spray his bottom with the solution (it was kind of fun, and I think he liked it!) and then wipe it off with tissues or toilet paper. The tissue or T.P. would be flushed down the potty along with the solid waste from the cloth diaper. I had heard of people using paper towels to make homemade wipes, but paper towels were not readily available to me. They would definitely be more expensive than tissues!

This method was very easy and inexpensive. Luckily my son didn't have skin sensitivities and we never had problems with my homemade wipe-spray.

Three years later, my second child was born and I was educated about cloth wipes. Baby #2 DOES have very sensitive skin and can't be experimented upon very easily. I did have to get over a mental hurdle to begin using the cloth wipes. For some reason in my mind, cloth wipes are yuckier than cloth diapers. But in reality they aren't bad at all. The diaper can get tons of poo in it, but the wipe just gets a small amount. It is easy to wash the cloth wipes along with your load of cloth diapers.
He uses Cotton Babies Flannel Baby Wipes (100% Unbleached Cotton Designed by a mom and made in the U.S.A.) along with Kissaluvs Diaper Lotion Potion in a spray bottle. The flannel wipes are so soft; I also use them to wipe little noses. And some times even my big nose.

For other possible cloth wipe tips, check out Frugal Baby Tips!

1 comment:

Jennee said...

I decided since I was already washing diapers and putting them in a pail, why have a pail/basket place for wipes! A fellow CD Mom made me wipes from my receiving blankets (which 6 blankets made like 80 wipes! DOUBLE sided!)

I am currently using California Baby Diaper Spray which I put a little in the wipe warmer and dump a whole cup of water. I bring the spray w/ me to spray her bum while we are out - she like it too :-)

We are traveling at the end of the month and I just don't have enough diapers to survive the trip and no where to wash them so I am going to get some 7th Generations. I figure they are better than the others (which I need to sell!)

Ok, I am done!