I used to think that spit-up was yucky…but then I started having babies and now proudly display spit-up on my sleeve every second of my life.
I used to think that cloth diapering was gross…but then I saw how much we were spending on disposables and almost had a heart attack.
I used to think that cloth wipes were disgusting…but now I use them because they make my baby’s hiney shinier than I thought was humanly possible. 🙂
The me of the past was a giant scaredy-cat when it came to all the “nasty” baby stuff. 🙂 (Ok, to be honest, I still have a weak stomach when it comes to watching my kids eat their own boogers…GAG!)
But nowadays, saving money trumps a weak stomach. So cloth diapers it is. (And by the way, it didn’t take me long after starting cloth diapers to quickly fall in love with them!)
And most recently, cloth wipes it is!
Cloth wipes are an incredibly easy to way to save a buck here and there. They are much less time-consuming, much less involved than ordering and using cloth diapers.
Before I tell you how to make the wipes and the solution, I want to run through how I use them (and how I don’t use them).
I keep a small spray bottle of solution at my diapering station along with a stack of the cloth wipes.
When it’s time to change a diaper, I pull the diaper down and fold it underneath baby’s hiney. This is to keep everything from getting wet when I spray their bottom. Then, I just spray them a couple of times with the solution and wipe ’em down with the cloth wipe.
I use one wipe all day long…and that one wipe is good for two kid’s bottoms that I’m still wiping. However, let me insert a disclaimer here…I do not use a cloth wipe on a you-know-what type of diaper. If it’s a total mess down there, I totally break out the disposable wipes.
At the end of the day, I just toss the wipe into the basket with the rest of my dirt clothes and wash it with everything else. BUT, if the wipe has any you-know-what on it, I rinse it out by hand first and then toss it in with the dirty clothes. I think the reasoning there is pretty self-explanatory. 🙂
This may sound like saving pennies on the dollar. But be assured, I have found myself buying a pack of disposable wipes (the 3-pack at Wal-Mart) about once every five or six months, as opposed to once every couple of weeks. Not bad! 🙂
Now on to the mixing of the solution.
Get ready, people. It doesn’t get much easier than this.
Mix together:
- One cup of water
- Two tablespoons of baby oil
- Two tablespoons of baby soap
Voila! Baby wipes solution!
I keep the bulk of it in a sealed mason jar, and continually fill a small spray bottle as needed.
As for the wipes, you can go several different routes with this.
You could totally just use any type of washcloth that you have in your house. Or you could buy some little terry cloth towels, cut them, and sew them into small squares. Or you could use an old t-shirt, or a sock, or whatever you want, really.
A good friend of mine made me these. They are terry cloth on one side and a really soft cotton on the other. I really like them!
And what I love most about using cloth wipes and homemade solution is how clean and shiny my precious baby’s hiney is! The solution is so gentle on their skin…nowadays, diaper rashes are about as common around here as clean toilets. 🙂
So I encourage you to give it a whirl! You probably already have some water, baby oil, and soap lying around your house. Why not whip up a batch of solution and try it out? 🙂
I would love to hear if any of you decide to try this out. Let me know what you think!
And don’t forget, everyone, that Guest Post Month has started! Get your work in to me by April 18! 🙂
