Wipes and Solutions

Cloth wipes are so easy to make or buy. And, contrary to belief, wipe solution is not that difficult either!

You can get cloth wipes a couple of different ways:

• Buy the cheap, thin 8 pack of Gerber washcloths at the store. I personally like the thin cloths because I can get into all the crevices when wiping (amazing what a person will blog about, huh?).
• Cut up old receiving blankets and sew a hem around the edges to keep from fraying. I did not have good luck with this because the receiving blanket that I used did not absorb my wipe solution, and it would roll off onto the carpet. By the way, olive oil droplets on the carpet stain...
• Buy cloth wipes online. I have had great luck with www.nickisdiapers.com, and I bought their flannel wipe pack. A little pricey, but guaranteed to work.
• Buy wipes in the store. Babys R Us now sells bamboo wipes along with a cloth wipe warmer. I haven't tried them, but I just gave them as a gift, so I am looking forward to seeing how they work. Again, a little pricey, but they make a great gift.
• Basically anything you can think of that you have lying around the house that would make a good wipe. A cut up T-shirt from the rag bin, an old sheet, the wash cloths you got as a wedding gift that you will never show on display because they are a hideous shade of hot pink...you get the idea!!!

Wipe solutions can be simple, complicated, and anything in-between!

• My recipe has 4-5 ingredients. Simply mix all ingredients together.

1. One cup of filtered water
2. 1.5 Tbsps of olive oil (conditioner for skin)
3. 2 drops of chamomile (cleanser for skin)
4. 2 drops of tea tree oil (cleanser plus anti fungal for skin)
5. Occasionally I will add 2 drops of lavender. Sometimes the smell of lavender can be overwhelming to me, so I often will leave this for the diaper pail air freshener. But most people are not like me, so go ahead and add it in as it is a great cleanser.

• Basically, a wipe solution should have the ingredients listed below. You can use your imagination as to what you would like to use. Some use baby wash as the cleanser and baby oil as the oil.

1. Water
2. Cleanser
3. Oil (this is important because it helps you make a smooth wipe without the friction that can be irritating to baby)

• This link is the best source I have found on all kinds of wipe solution recipes: http://www.zany-zebra.com/cloth-wipe-solution.shtml

There are many different ways to apply the solution to the wipe:

• Spray it on the wipe with a spray bottle.
• Use a disposable wipes container and pour solution onto wipes.
• Use a squeeze bottle to pour solution on wipes.
• Dip wipes into solution that is in a container.

My system includes pouring the solution in a squeeze bottle. I then shake it to mix the oils and water and pour it onto wipes that I have placed in a disposable wipes container. I don't do all the wipes at one time because I don't want to leave wet wipes in the plastic container for too long. I usually just wet a little more than I think I will need.

HAPPY WIPING!