Cloth Diaper Wipes

I liked the baby wash cloths...and if you buy them at Wal-mart they are nearly as cheap as making them yourself. You can find infant-grade terry cloth at some fabric stores...I bought a yard once and just cut it in to 5" squares...they didn't last as long as the hemmed washcloths but still worked quite well. I also cut up some old towels (ones that had become thin...new towels were too thick and not soft enough). I just used warm water with them because my son's little butt was so sensitive to anything else...the only other thing I tried that didn't irritate him was witch hazel.

NOTE: You keep going girl...God is with you! I'm a single f/t working mom too and for the past eight plus years of my son's life I wished I could be a SAHM too...but that wasn't the way it worked out for us.

In the old days regular wash cloths were used and washed with diapers.

Blessings to you!

I go back and forth with using cloth diapers. I started about a year ago, then my oldest that's in diapers outgrew the cloth, so I started using disposable, and my youngest in diapers was too small (in my opinion) to use cloth(I use the cheap Gerber diapers that you get at walmart, with the cheap covers and pins). However, I am about to start using cloth on my youngest and anytime I use cloth diapers I use cloth wipes. What I did was simple.....I cut up old socks (they are thick ones). Also, the baby wash cloths are great to use! I have 2 spray bottles. One with plain water and one with a mixture of water, baby oil, and baby bath. I found the recipe online when I did a search. The recipe I found called for 2 c water, 1 c baby bath, and 1 c baby oil. Personally I thought it was too much baby bath, lots of suds when I wiped, so I cut it down to 2 c water, 1 c baby oil, and 1/2 c baby bath. It works great for me. I found online that it's recommended to use spray bottles because if you mix the wipes with the solution, it increases the chances of it mildewing. I just spray the wipe when I need it, and voila. Using cloth wipes along with cloth diapers is so easy. You don't have to make sure you throw the wipe in the trash. Just throw it all in your dirty diaper container, and wash it all at the same time. Good luck and God bless!

I just used those cheap gerber baby washcloths and sprayed water on them. I was always able to get my babies clean with water but if you prefer you can make a wipe solution with water, baby soap and baby oil. I know people who would put their wipes in a sealed container and pour the solution over them to have ready made wipes. Good luck!

Hi B.,

Congratulations! On switching to cloth! I know after you get the system down and the first day it gets easier and easier. I am using only cloth. We are saving soooo much money! Anyway, I make my own cloth wipes and solution. I made the cloth wipes by just cutting up a few of the flannel type receiving blankets I had with pinking shears into rectangles. I folded the blanket into thirds and cut then into thirds again. This size fits into a plastic wipe container that I saved from the disposable wipes. They will fray a little but they have been working like a charm for the past 8 months. Let me know if you want a great receipe for cloth solution. I reuse one of the spray containers I have for my hair, cleaned it out and put my cloth wipe solution into and voila! You are ready to go! Hope this helps! Good luck!

Yay! cloth is wonderful. We cloth (my toddler at night, my 21 month old full time, and my 3 month old full time!) and love it.

You have many options with cloth wipes. Many people cut up old flannel receiving blankets. This works, but I find they are too thin. I use cut up flannel for liners, in case we need to use diaper cream and need to protect the diapers.

You can also use baby washcloths. When I first started, I bought a bunch of them for wipes. Work well.

I admit that I decided to try some wipes made by a WAHM and love them above all. She makes 2 sided wipes, serged together, in your choice of fabrics. I personally love the velour and sherpa. Soft and "grabby" to clean up those bottoms. This is probably a luxury item, but I love them. I got more, in fact, to use for noses (I keep a basket in the bathroom for the "tissue" cloth wipes, and a net laundry bag to "dispose" of them until laundry day - I have tried to cut all unneccesary paper out of our lives). The WAHM I like is named Jessica, and her site is www.hyenacart.com/picassotums I just love her stuff, she ships super quick and is nice. I use the smaller wipes (labeled "family cloth") because those are big enough for me.

For wipe solution, you really are fine just using water (for urine, especially). Some people make their own. Here is a website with lots of recipes: http://www.zany-zebra.com/cloth-wipe-solution.shtml I have made my own and liked it ok. I really like supporting WAHMs in their missions to stay home with their kids, so I buy WAHM when I can. The wipe solutions I like are www.bootycubes.com (little cubes of solution that you dissolve in hot water) and www.buddhabunz.com (very concentrated soy solution, scented with yummy essential oils - a little goes a long way). THe last time I bought any was last summer, and I still have lots. They last a long time. But you can certainly make your own. I prefer to stay away from any chemicals I can, and these are good solutions for that.

As for storage, I'll keep a few days' worth of wipes saturated in an old disposable wipe container. For traveling, I'll either carry dry wipes and a spray bottle (little 3 oz ones are available for 99 cents at Target) of wipe solution, or I'll have already wet ones (squeezed of excess fluid) in a wet bag (PUL lined). I've found that it's not always convenient to just go to a sink (at the zoo, at a store shopping, etc.) so I like having them wet already. I have 3 children under the age of 4, 2 of whom are in diapers, so having them wet works better for me.

As you can see, there are many ways to use cloth wipes. THe cheapest way is flannel blankets you already have with water or making your own solution. I found that once I bought tea tree oil and special things for my solution, though, I was really better off supporting a WAHM who makes them. You may also have lots of little wash cloths that you aren't using. We personally use ALL the washcloths we got for the kids, so that wasn't an option for me. I bought more for that purpose. Some people will tell you the old cut paper towel way, but to me that is very wasteful (paper) even if it is cheap. I really like having the double sided, serged, luxury fabric WAHM made wipes. One wipe cleans up the messies. So you have lots of options, all of which will work. You just have to see what works best for you.

Oh, and props to the day care provider who is willing to cloth diaper your baby boy! You're very lucky in that regard!

Good luck, and don't hesitate to ask questions! message me anytime. I've been cloth diapering full time for well over a year (my second and third have been completely cloth diapered) and i've diapered newborns through toddlers potty-learning! I've used prefolds, fitteds, and wool, pockets, and AIOs. I've bought big brand (Bumgenius, for example) and WAHM made. So i have lots of different experience.

you can make your own wipes solution (just google for recipes). I keep some in a spray bottle and spray a flannel wipe.I personally don't like wetting all the wipes and leaving them in a tub.
You can use flannel and zig zag the edges with a sewing machine. If you don't sew, you can cut them with pinking shears.

If you're not opposed to it, Parent's Choice (at Wal-Mart) has a wipie that is cloth. They are in a blue wipie container, they're the 'sensitive' ones, made with real cloth. That's what I've been using for 14 months now & I like them a lot. They are even gentle enough to wipe their face with!! Kuddos to you for going cloth....I have to admit, that's the 1 area that I didn't go natural. :(
God bless! H. B

I love cloth! I found that the disposable wetwipes were a hassle because then after wiping a poopy bottom what do you do with the wipes? I like using cloth and just leave them in the diaper and rinse them and wash them together.

i tried the flannel but found that it was worth buying some. I buy them from emibeans.com She has grab bags available so you can try different fabrics and sizes or you can get them on clearance sometimes too.

like another poster said, the velor and sherpa are really nice.

As for solution, I put water and tea tree oil in a spray bottle. tea tree oil is great for the skin and kills germs.

S., mom to 4 girls ages 2-6 and 1 boy, born sleeping March 8, 2009

If you get on diaperswappers.com there is a ton of information and WAHM that make wipes. I use Eli's wipes and they are less than $1 and GREAT quality. Let me know if you want any more information.

I used the little baby wash cloths and just washed them along with the diapers. Easy. B.

PS: I read the other good responses and thought I should tell you how good Shaklee's Basic H2 in water works. My first grandson often took antibiotics due to ear infections. He stayed at a nursery and I don't know if that added to his diaper rash problem but when he came to my house for overnight......... usually staying about 24 hours, he got a good cleansing with Basic H solution and a covering of A and D Ointment with each diaper change. I know it made him feel better and he went home with a nice little bottom clear of rash. I love those babies!

All I did to make my own cloth wipes was cut squares of t-shirt fabric. The ones you can buy (are expensive for what they are) are flannel (I think), but flannel frays unless you sew the edges - something I don't have time for. The t-shirt fabric curls some, but not so bad you can't use them.
For the solution, I just take about 1-1/2 cups water and add approx 1tsp of baby shampoo and equal amount or a little more of baby oil, stir and pour over wipes.
Make sure you rotate the wipes. Once you wash the used wipes, put the under the ones you haven't used yet so you don't end up with using the same ones over and over, while the other ones just sit there - make sense? I'VE also noticed that if I don't mix up enough solution, the wipes will start to have a musty odor.
Hope this helps! Good luck!