cloth diapering wipes

Jan 31

the blog

 

We use cloth diapers for more reasons than one, and once we made that choice, we decided to take a similar route and use reusable cloth wipes with a solution made of natural products we can make at home. We were already going to be washing loads of diapers and could easily wash the wipes along with them. It took some trial & error to come up with a great solution mixture, but we have finally found one we love. It’s a combination of water, coconut oil, castile soap and witch hazel. The coconut oil is used for moisture, castile soap for a bit of cleansing and witch hazel to fight bacteria. We keep our wipes moist in this wipe warmer.  There are concerns of warmers causing bacteria to form inside (especially when used with cloth wipes), but we go through the stack of wipes quickly enough that there’s not enough time for bacteria to form.

After washing a load of diapers & wipes, we separate our wipes, which are Bumgenius flannel wipes and fold them back and forth (see demonstration in the photos below) so they fit nicely in the warmer, and so the next wipe in the stack pops up ready to go (like how a tissue would in a tissue box) when we are fumbling, say, in the darkness to change a diaper.

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Here’s our wipe solution recipe:

3 cups boiling water

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 teaspoon Dr Bronner’s Castile Soap

2 dashes witch hazel

And here is how we fold the wipes:

Start by laying one wipe flat.

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Lay another on top of it, covering only half of the first wipe.

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Fold the uncovered half of the bottom wipe over half of the top wipe.

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 Place a new wipe flat, on top, meeting the edges of the folded wipe.

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And then fold the other side halfway. It’s basically just a repetition of halfway folds, making sure you overlap the wipe below it it.
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Keep folding in half, meeting the edge of the folded wipe with the edge of a new wipe until you have a full stack.
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You’ll want to max out around 20-25 wipes so they fit nicely in the warmer.

Then it’s time to mix the solution ingredients. Start with a stainless steel (or glass) bowl, and place the 2 tablespoons of coconut oil inside. Then pour the boiling water into the bowl. I do it straight from a teapot and eyeball it. The coconut oil will  melt up pretty quickly.

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Add the castile soap and dashes of witch hazel, then place the stack of wipes into the bowl and let the solution absorb.

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I let it sit for a few minutes to cool, then pick it up to wring it out just a bit before placing the stack into the warmer.DSC_0025

Transfer it directly to the warmer.

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And you’re ready to go. I asked Eric to make a hole for the cord right in our drawer using a paddle drill bit. It is plugged into the power strip we mounted on the back of the changing table so the cords stay out of the way and so it does not look messy.  DSC_0031 DSC_0032

I love how soft they are in comparison to other wipes and I love knowing there aren’t harmful chemicals touching our babe’s most sensitive areas.

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