Making your own baby wipes is an easy, cost-effective, and eco-friendly way to take care of your baby. This guide will show you how to make a homemade solution for cloth or disposable wipes in under 5 minutes!
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Jump to:
- Why you should use washable baby wipes
- What you need to make homemade baby wipe solution
- How to wash reusable baby wipes
- What essential oils to use in homemade baby wipe solution?
- How to use washable wipes when you are out and about.
- Can I use another oil instead of olive oil?
- Different ways to use washable wipes
- 💬 Comments
I've been making my own baby wipes for 14 years now - long before it became fashionable! So I really can tell you how easy they are to use and how much money it has saved me! In this post you will learn how to make the homemade baby wipe solution that I use and how to wash reusable baby wipes.
If you are thinking about other eco friendly swaps here are some ideas for simple everyday swaps that will make a difference too. I try to avoid baby shampoo, baby oil and anything else that is full of chemicals and likely to be harsh on baby's delicate skin.
This post contains affiliate links. If you buy a product to make this homemade baby wipe solution using these links there is no extra cost to you, but I may make a few pennies from the sale to go towards the running of this blog.
Jump to:
- Why you should use washable baby wipes
- What you need to make homemade baby wipe solution
- How to wash reusable baby wipes
- What essential oils to use in homemade baby wipe solution?
- How to use washable wipes when you are out and about.
- Can I use another oil instead of olive oil?
- Different ways to use washable wipes
- 💬 Comments
Why you should use washable baby wipes
Shop bought baby wipes are so expensive, wasteful and full of plastic. They can take years and years to decompose and heaven forbid if you flush them down the toilet, they can cause all sorts of problems. They can also be full of nasties that I didn't want going near by babies reproductive organs. Typically shop bought baby wipes can contain:
- Benzoic Acid
- Butylene Glycol
- Ceteareth 12
- Citric Acid
- Parabens
- Phenoxyethanol
- Propylene Glycol
- Tartaric Acid
So you can see why I would choose to use washable wipes. They really are very easy to use. You might also want to consider reusable nappies too as these are so much better for the environment. I used to use washable nappies (cloth diapers) but you don't have to in order to use washable wipes, just changing from disposable wipes alone makes a huge difference to the cost and also the environment.
What you need to make homemade baby wipe solution
You will need...
- Two glass or tupperware tubs (I use these from Ikea)
- Flannel squares - I use cheeky wipes for nappy changes and larger flannel squares for face and hand washing
I get the glass or tupperware tub and fill it with hot water. There's no need to use distilled water, tap water is fine. Add a camomile tea bag and leave to brew for an hour or longer until cool. Remove the tea bag and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and 2 drops of essential oil. The camomile is soothing for baby's skin and although you can just use plain water, I find it's a really important part of this homemade wipe solution and helps to avoid diaper rash.
I used Lavender or Tea Tree oil as they have antiseptic properties and smell lovely. Be careful with essential oil that you don't use it neat on your baby's sensitive skin and you test for an allergic reaction by using the wipe solution on a small area first.
I then use this solution for the dry wipes, simply dipping the wipe in the solution and squeezing it out before use. I then use the other tupperware or glass pot to store the dirty wipes. These store neatly on our baby changing table for nappy change time!
Another method is to put the cloth wipe solution into a spray bottle and spray a little bit on the dry washable cloths or directly on baby's bottom at each nappy change. I always go for the easy and quickest option, especially for diaper changes so this isn't for me!
How to wash reusable baby wipes
When the dirty wipe tub is full, I take it downstairs and throw the wipes in the washing machine (no need to touch them!). I wash them at 90 degrees and if I can leave them to dry outside to keep them white and stain free. Every once in a while I will add some Napisan to the wash if they need whitening some more. I then wash out the tub and start again, filling it with the wipe solution again and using the other tub for dirty wipes.
What essential oils to use in homemade baby wipe solution?
I like to use lavender essential oil but tea tree essential oil is also good, especially if your little one has a nappy rash as it has natural antiseptic properties. Mandarin essential oil smells gorgeous too and is really gentle while rose geranium is anti-viral, anti-septic and smells amazing too.
How to use washable wipes when you are out and about.
People are often put off using washable wipes when they are out because they think it is difficult and end up using disposable wipes. I promise that it really isn't much more effort to use washable wipes. All you will need is two wet bags, one for clean, damp wipes soaked in the homemade wipe solution and the other to put dirty wipes in. When you get home simply put the dirty wipes and wet bag in the wash with the other dirty wipes. Or you can take your own cloth wipes with you (dry) and the wipe solution in a portable squirt bottle.
Can I use another oil instead of olive oil?
You can, I prefer olive oil as it is well absorbed by the skin. If olive oil isn't available to you, try rapeseed oil or avocado oil. It will need to be an oil that is liquid at room temperature so coconut oil or even castile soap wouldn't work for example. Baby oil would work but is less than ideal because it contains many chemical ingredients and fragrances and we are trying to use only natural ingredients for these wet wipes.
Different ways to use washable wipes
You can also make the change to reusable face wipes too - you can use these to take off your makeup or clean baby in the bath or with a top to tail bowl instead of using cotton wool. Get a batch of smaller cloths in a different colour so you can recognise them as your own wipes. You can use a similar solution as a homemade make up remover or use a shop bought one. There are lots of different recipes for a homemade make up remover online.
I also haven't bought a roll of paper towels for years and years. We keep a drawer of cloths of different colours and sizes - some for wiping dirty hands and faces and others for wiping tables and surfaces. All these cloths I wash along with our towel wash so there is no extra laundry load to speak of.
I have made a YouTube video showing how to make the diy baby wipes solution if you prefer to follow video.
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