Wipes: Not just for bottoms anymore

What can't you use a baby wipe for?! I love baby wipes, I've been using them for 8 years and I really don't see myself giving them up even once we are out of the diaper stage. But one thing is I hate the price. So along with my cloth diapers, I've been using reusable baby wipes sometimes. Yea- not all the time, we had quite a stock pile of baby wipes before Bacon Bit arrived! Making your own cloth wipes is super easy to do and they will save you money and you know what is in your baby wipes. (did you know it's quite a process to make baby wipes! I got curious and found this). We're not new to making our own wipes here. In fact that's one thing we have made since Bacon Jr. was quite little. But this is the first time we are using reusable cloth wipes. In the past we would make cheap disposable baby wipes using paper towels. Either one will save you money at the store!

You can make your own wipes solution or buy the good smelling little soap bits from a lot of places on the web and etsy. Pretty much anywhere that sells cloth diapers will sell some type of cloth wipe solution. I received a sample of some soap bits when I ordered some of my diapers. I had to try it out.


They are vanilla lavender scent and they smell amazing! One bit to 2 cups of hot water and just wait for it to dissolve. Pour the solution over your wipes or in a spray bottle and you are ready to go. But you don't have to buy the special soap. You can mix your own. I found this recipe a long time ago and used it a lot.

Baby wipe solution:
2 cups warm water
1 tbsp baby oil
2 tbsp baby wash

Mix together and pour over wipes or in spray bottle.
I like this because you can use any kind of baby soap you want or change the scent as you wish.

Now I mentioned earlier that you can make wipes from paper towels too. I like keeping a tub of these kind in the car for those sticky messes. To make wipes from paper towels, take a paper towel roll and cut it in half so it looks like you have two toilet paper rolls. I accomplish this by taking out my trusty electric carving knife. It's the only thing we've used it for since we got it as a wedding gift so many years ago! Don't have an electric knife, no problem. A regular kitchen knife works too- just takes a bit longer. Either way will create some mess from cutting though, but a little elbow grease now will save money in your pockets later!

Pour your solution into your wipes container. Mix it around a bit too. Then squish your paper towel roll down a bit to fit in the container. You might not have to do this step depending on how big your container is.

Stick the paper towel roll into the solution and let it start to absorb some liquid. Then take it and flip it over so the dry side is in the liquid. Then close the lid and let it sit for a few minutes.

Once they've rested for a bit, now it's time to get the cardboard center out. Grab it with your fingers and pull it out. Some paper towels might come with, it's ok, this is where they are suppose to dispense from! Gently pull the wipes from the center. If they are still dry when you pull them out, no problem, just leave them in the container and it will absorb the liquid.

TADA! Homemade baby wipes. This batch is going straight out to the bacon mobile!

Another bonus with this solution recipe is that you can change it to how you want, need more or less water no problem. Got too much solution, just squeeze the roll out over the sink. Too oily or soapy, you can change the amounts to what works for you!

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So I like my cloth wipes. Not just for Bacon bit's butt, but to wash up his messy fingers after he ate (and the other kids as well!). But what was best to use for a reusable wipe? I did some digging. There are lots of kinds out there, many you can make yourself with a sewing machine. Mine however happens to be in the shop... again. So I decided to just use the giant stack of baby washcloths I had laying around the house. How I got so many I don't know, I'm starting to think they reproduce on their own. Another cheap idea is to take some of the flannel receiving blankets you have laying around and cut them into 8x8 inch squares and use those too.

While researching all of this, I came across a way to make the wipes pop out of the container like store bought wipes do. I had to try it out! Anything to make my life easier and I got to reuse some of those containers I had laying around. Here's how:

First lay one wash cloth on the table, then overlap the second wash cloth by half. Next fold the first washcloth over the second one you put down.

Then take another wash cloth and place half of it on the stack and half off like this.

Keep repeating this process until you have a stack tall enough to fill your wipes container.

Set them in and pour your wipes solution over the top of them and let them sit to cool and until all the wash cloths absorb the liquid. Stick the top wash cloth though the pop up hole on the wipes container and use as you would store bought wipes! I love to leave a container on the counter to wipe up the kids. I hate washing their little fingers and faces with the dish cloth we used to wash the dirty dishes and wipe up messes from the counters and it will save you money from buying paper towels too.

So there you go. Save yourself some bacon for your pockets by making your own baby wipes. What do you use wipes for? Got any tips of your own?

Keep checking back. I have more in store for this month. I happened to find some pictures of delicious looking (and tasting!) Chocolate Eclairs on my camera when I was pulling pictures off for this post. Also I'm going to be trying my hand at homemade yogurt! I'll post whether it was a flop or not!