Hypothetical question:
Have you ever gone to the bathroom at a friend’s house and found yourself staring at an empty toilet paper roll?
Maybe you look under the sink and above the toilet, but in all the usual places there’s no spare roll in sight, and you start to panic a bit, thinking “Oh my gosh, I’m going to be stuck on the toilet forever, I’ll never be able to leave and they’ll wonder what happened to me and eventually they’ll forget my name and I’ll be known only as “Toilet Lady” and they’ll have to bring me my meals and oh my god, I’m going to be eating macaroni and cheese with my pants around my ankles forever and ever and normally that would sound kind of awesome but not under these conditions—not now!”
Then, maybe, did you start to freak out and even cry a little bit because damn, you don’t want to be Toilet Lady, and then did you all of a sudden find a solution that would prevent you from becoming Toilet Lady and did that solution just so happen to be a package of baby wipes?
No? That’s never happened to you? Really?
I mean, of course not—right? Me neither!
Ha! Oh wow. Awkward.
ANYWAY, if I had ever found myself in that rather awkward situation (which I totally haven’t), I think I would probably tell you that those baby wipes are NOT pleasant on your tender lady bits—not at all. And this experience, this COMPLETELY hypothetical experience, makes me wonder why we are using these wipes on the tender bits and pieces of our littlest ones.
So to replace these (allegedly) irritating store-bought baby wipes, there are two options: we can make disposable ones ourselves, or use cloth wipes with a homemade wipe solution.
Cloth Wipes
If you’d prefer to use cloth wipes, you need only look around you to find the materials to get started. Fine washcloths, sheets, or any sort of soft absorbent cloth that’s not being used anymore. (Jersey-knit sheets or T-shirts are ideal for this type of thing because they don’t require any sewing and won’t unravel.) The steps are simple!
- Run the material through the wash on a hot cycle to make sure the cloth is clean and pre-shrunk.
- Then measure out and cut into a uniform size.
- Squares measuring 8 inches x 8 inches will fold neatly into a wipe container, but you can make them any size you like.
- When the wipes are done, just pile them in a basket on the changing table and they’re ready to go.
- Wash in hot water, and dry in the sun to remove any stains or odor.
If you are a compulsive closet-purger (ahem) and you don’t have any material hanging around that would be suitable for wipes, you can choose to support someone in your community, or someone on Etsy, by purchasing cloth wipes instead. I’m lucky enough that my crafty sister Claire kindly whipped some up for me.
The benefits of reusable wipes are endless. If they are washed on a hot cycle, they can do double duty as baby washcloths or burp cloths, and can be kept and reused for the next baby in the family.
Baby-Wipe Solution
If you’ve decided to use cloth wipes, you can make this solution to take the edge off those messy diaper cleanups. The Castile soap is a gentle cleanser with a natural scent, aloe helps soothe baby’s bum, and olive oil allows the mixture to glide easily and moisturize that tender tush.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups water, boiled and cooled
- 3 tablespoons organic olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap
- 3 teaspoons pure aloe vera
Pour all the ingredients into a large jar and measure out into a squeeze bottle as needed (a well-rinsed shampoo or dish detergent bottle works great for this).
The olive oil will rise to the top of the bottle between uses but don’t panic, that’s normal. Just give it a shake before you use it and you’re good to go.
Disposable Wipes
With this method we’re still generating waste, but by making the wipes ourselves we can reduce a lot of the packaging involved, as well as limiting the amount of weird and (not so) wonderful mystery ingredients we’re putting on our babes.
To Make Disposable Baby Wipes, You Will Need:
- 1 sealable container large enough to fit a paper-towel roll cut in half 1 roll of recycled paper towels
- 2 cups of water, boiled and cooled
- 2 tablespoons Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap
- 1 tablespoon organic olive oil
Start by using a serrated knife to cut the paper towel roll in half. Place one half inside your container.
In a medium-sized bowl mix the water, the Castile soap, and the olive oil. The reason that we boil and cool the water is to ensure that it’s sterile.
When the mixture is combined well, pour it over the paper towels, close the container, and then shake, rattle, and roll it around until the liquid is fully absorbed.
Wait a half-hour or so, and then open the container, remove the inner card- board tube, and pull your first wipe from the inside of the roll.
All done! These wipes are quick, inexpensive, and totally simple to make. Your baby’s butt will be clean, sweet-smelling, and smooth to the touch. And, best of all, you know exactly what ingredients went into getting it that way.
From All You Need is Less: The Eco-Friendly Guide to Guilt-Free Green Living and Stress-Free Simplicity, by Madeleine Somerville
Top image by Melanie Cook
The post Make Your Own Baby Wipes – Cloth or Disposable appeared first on Green Child Magazine.