Guest Post: Make Your Own Baby Wipes

Save Money, Baby!  Make Your Own Baby Wipes

We’re all trying to save a few bucks wherever we can, right?  A couple of years ago, my husband and I were combing over our budget and diapers and wipes were, of course, costing us a fortune.  There was not going to be an end to it any time soon, with three little tushies in the house, only one of which had completed the potty training stage at that point.

Add to that, I had been concerned for some time about all the chemicals in baby wipes. I have kids with super-sensitive skin and I don’t think wipes were helping the matter. So I decided to make my own. Guess what? It’s super easy, it saves a ton of money and they are much better for your kiddos’ skin.

Here’s what you need:

Viva  brand papertowels

Water and a gallon container to put it in

Tea tree essential oil

A container for your wipes

Optional: ¼ cup of oil (olive oil or almond oil are commonly used)

A few words about the products: 

·      I use Viva brand paper towels because they are the softest. The least expensive place to buy them (trust me, I have looked around and done the math) is Wegmans, if you buy them in the multi-pack.

·      Tea tree oil is a natural antibacterial disinfectant.  (If you don’t care for the smell of tea tree oil, you could use lavender essential oil.)  It comes in a little tiny bottle but you only use a few drops at a time. I bought mine at Whole Foods, but you can find this at most health food stores or order on line.

·      Adding olive or almond oil to the solution helps the wipes glide over the skin and softens the skin. I never used oil in my wipes, as I didn’t come across this suggestion until now, but if dry skin is an issue, this would help.

·      I used an empty gallon milk jug to mix my water and tea tree oil.

·      I used a clear plastic “shoe box” container that I got for $1 at Home Depot.

Here’s what to do:

·      Fill the clean gallon jug with water and add 10 to 12 drops of Tea Tree Oil. Shake.

·      Tear the paper towels off of the roll.  Cut in half. For newborns, cut in quarters. I make a big pile and cut them all at once, as much as my kitchen scissors can handle. My older kiddos have loved to tear off the paper towels so sometimes, that is their job.

·      Place the towels in the shoe box container. Pour the water and oil mixture over the towels so they are damp but not soaked.  Use within a couple of days.  If you don’t go through wipes that quickly, don’t put so many in the container. You want the solution on the paper towels to be fresh, discouraging mold.

Keep all of your supplies wherever you change diapers so you can refill your box in a flash. Nothing like going to change an explosive poopy diaper and having no wipes but if you have everything handy, you can throw a new pile of paper towels in your box, douse them with the mix and you’re ready to go.

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Julie lives in Loudoun County, VA and homeschools her now-8 and 6 year olds while her 3 year old demands endless snacks.  But, hey, he’s finally potty trained, so life is good. She blogs about her family’s learning adventures  at Creekside Learning