Cloth Diapers...Good! What about WIPES????

[Scarlet_Redhead]

I can find tons of information on cloth diapers but not too much on what kind of wipes to use. I need help please!!!

-Do you use purchased cloth wipes? (seems expensive)
-Make your own cloth wipes? How?
-What solution do you use?
-How do you keep them moist?
-What do you do when they are really full of poop? Do they just go in the diaper pail with the CDs? Or do you rinse them out in the toilet?
-Do you use disposable wipes? I've heard you can just throw them in the diaper pail with the CDs, wash em and reuse em.
-Cloth wipes- How many do you need?
-I've heard about using Viva Paper Towels (because they are cloth like). You cut the roll in half, take the tube out of the middle and it fits into a regular wipe container. Just soak it in solution and you are all set. Anyone done this?

Thanks for your help!

[NaturalMindedMomma]

I used cloth wipes. I got white ones, I ordered them on brooks pharmacy website. I used just a plastic wipe container with warm water. I washed and emptied it every night. To go out, I just wet them and put them in a ziplock which kept them moist.

[Masel]

I made cloth wipes out of old receiving blankets. I sewed parallel zigzag lines and cut between then. Each blanket made 20 wipes. Three blankets worth was enough for us.

I just used water in a squirt bottle at home. No solution. My dd has sensetive skin and any solution recipe I tried was just too much. When out and about we used disposable wipes and just left them in the diaper. They do indeed wash well and can be reused. They are so soft afterwards! (Some brands wash better than others. Target orginally had great wipes but the more recent ones fell apart sometimes.)

[Abraisme]

Just a note: If going to use paper-towels as wipes, you might as well get actual diaper wipes. They really cost about the same and it will save you time. I personally use disposable wipes.

[lurable]

I bought a meter of terrycloth and a meter of flannelette and made beautiful double sided wipes. I just run them under the tap to wet them and throw them in the laundry with the other CD's when they're done. very easy and cheap!

[holyhelianthus]

Yup I love making them out of old receiving blankets and I have also heard old T-shirts work well.

ETA- I didn't do anything to the old receiving blankets but cut them up into squares.

[Coconut Chronicles]

This threads timing couldn't be more perfect... DH has been trying to convince me all week to consider cloth wipes instead of disposable ones.

[Krystal323]

Originally Posted by lurable

I bought a meter of terrycloth and a meter of flannelette and made beautiful double sided wipes. I just run them under the tap to wet them and throw them in the laundry with the other CD's when they're done. very easy and cheap!

this.

or you could just cut washcloths in half, or use fleece (it doesn't fray when you don't hem it).

i have an assortment of cloth wipes, some of which are kissaluv brand (good), some of which are baby washcloths (some ok, some not so good), and a few of which are gorgeous WAHM-made wipes that i got as a thank-you with purchase for something on hyena cart. they are double-sided terry and flannel, just like what the pp said, and they are SO AWESOME! work great and are supercute too.

storage: i use a wipes warmer, like they sell for disposable wipes.

solution: i make mine in a canning jar--warm water from the tap, a squirt of baby shampoo, a dash of burt's bees apricot oil, and lavender or tea tree essential oil (5 drops-ish). i'm very un-scientific. i used to use (expensive) aloe gel and measure everything, but it's really not necessary. shake everything up, then dump it over the wipes in the wipes warmer.
this way, you get deliciously warm comfy sauna-cloths for baby instead of cold icky thin sposie-wipes.

washing: throw 'em in the pail w/the dipes. as w/dipes, if there's major poo, i dump it in the T first, but no rinsing/swishing/scraping

sposie-wipes won't ruin your machine or anything, but i wouldnt' reuse them. mostly they stick to your dipes and are all crumpled, shrunken and gross-feeling. not really re-useable IMO.

how many: i have like 24 cloth wipes and it's plenty. you only need to use 1-2 cloth wipes for a mess that'd take like 7 sposies, in my experience.

to me, sposie-wipes are actually MORE trouble, when you're already using cloth dipes

[Talula Fairie]

I use bought cloth wipes, I like their size the best. Kissaluvs makes some that are only $1 each and they last forever. I usually put some water and a tiny tiny bit of baby soap in a bowl, add a drop of lavender and tea tree oil, and soak the wipes with that, then stick them in a wipes warmer. If it's cold out I may turn the warmer on, otherwise it's a glorified wipes holder. Sometimes I just used plain water. I do like my wipes to be pre wet though, it's just more convenient imo. I washed them with the diapers, I never pre rinsed them, I don't think even people who use family cloth pre rinse their wipes. Anyway nb poo is pretty non offensive if you're breastfeeding. You don't even have to pre rinse diapers at that stage.

I think you need as many wipes as you need diapers, maybe even more becuase some jobs need more than one wipe. Paper towels are not that soft, even viva, and those are not any cheaper than disposable wipes. I would not reuse disposable wipes. You run the risk of them breaking down in the wash and making a mess of your laundry, they would be a pain to separate from the other laundry items, you'd have to re wet and re fold them....just NO. So not worth it. The point of disposable wipes is that you throw them out.

[thepoet]

I use/used clothe wipes, purchased and made my own. I would just go in the bathroom and run warm water on the, do the diaper change, gather everything up and throw it in the pail. Pretty easy.

When we were out, I had a stack of wipes, a small spritz bottle with a solution that I made inside it. Spray the wipe, use, throw it in the wetbag.

The solution was IIRC...
Water
a drop of TTO
a drop of Lav EO
a squirt of baby wash

You can buy premade stuff too.



I tried using disposable wipes with CDing, and didn't find that it was easier at all.

[Talula Fairie]

That was my solution too

As for premade stuff Kissaluvs Diaper Lotion Potion is nice, but kinda spendy.

[Pernillep]

you got some good advice already. I really only have one thing to add
We use distilled water to put in a squirt bottle with a little olive oil, baby shampoo and a few drops of essential oils. Depending on where you live the tap water may get stinky before you use the entire bottle of solution which is why we switched to distilled.

[Grumpy72_ga]

I don't know.... people just gave me face cloths... so I had tons... some lush and thick - some whimpy and see-through ... so I put an F with permanent marker on the best ones for washing baby... and the rest just went into the dry old 'sposie wipe container I had kicking around ... I wet only when ready to use... in a public bathroom or wherever... Toss them in the diaper pail with the diapers... rinse only if needed.

It doesn't have to be fancy... just has to work.

I agree on the sposies.. I wouldn't reuse them... least not the ones I've used! LOL! they're just gross and icky after washing... and my silly dh had trouble knowing what to do with the paper towels... a few times that they ended up shredded in my washing machine/dryer... that they just became a no-go... and we ended up going cloth all the way!

[Spring Sun]

I made a bunch last time, and honestly, the best kind were the one or two sided flannel. I hated fleece. Why use fleece? It does not absorb anything...? This time I made about 60-70 really nice double sided flannel ones, which I will dip into a solution of water/tea tree oil/lavender when I need one. I made a bunch of different sizes for different jobs-pee, poop, blow outs, etc... I plan on cutting up some old flannel recieving blanket sot use for on the go wiptes-the kind I won't mind throwing out if I have to.

[Masel]

RE: Resuing washed disposable wipes
We often used them to wipe noses. The one we started with tended to stay intact. I did end up using a bunch to stuff a toy.

[texaspeach]

we are using disposable wipes because we're using a diaper service and won't be doing our own diaper laundry.

[Koalamom]

Originally Posted by Coconut Chronicles

This threads timing couldn't be more perfect... DH has been trying to convince me all week to consider cloth wipes instead of disposable ones.

Are you kidding me. DH is so supportive about the cloth diapers, but dislikes the cloth wipe idea. Lucky mama!
For wipes I use plain wash clothes that are from walmart. I got a pack of 18 for like 3 bucks. I use those for pees (and half the time I don't wipe a pee bum) I wipe with just water.
But for pooh, I do use disposable wipes from seventh generation or tushies. I cut them in half to make them last, and it takes me forever to go through them. Some other brands use propolyne glycol and are sold in HFS. I don't know why.

I heard about making the paper towel wipes, but never would because you have to use a sturdy paper towel like viva or bounty and I don't like their "proceesed paper" odor or the bleaching they go through.

I don't use organic dipes because I cannot afford them, but I know that they have been washed a ton and are probably fine, but fresh paper towels seem toxic to me (especially the Viva brand)

[Kim Allen]

I tried the viva thing in the beginning when I still used sposies with Ds and I really didnt like them. I liked the idea I was saving money but they really not that great.

I started making my own with two layer flanel zig zag stitched ( I have no serger ) I really really like cloth alot better. I actually was using these way before I tried CDing. I just started CDing about 4 months ago and feel so much better about using them and cloth wipes. I have about 30 or so. I would like to have more only because I use them also sometimes and I have to hunt some down out of the dryer if Ds needs them.

I recently was given 6 organic hemp cloth wipes from ordering diapers and i really like these. They are only one layer but seem to work really well. I also love the non dyed look of them. '

For solution I use some baby soap (tiny bit) and water and wet them as I need them. I just today found a neat video on youtube about folding them to put into a wipe box so they "pop up" like disposable ones do.So I am trying that now.

Oh and for the poop part well Ds is two and has the real yucky poo right now ( cant wait for the easy nb poop lol ) and so I have to dunk the diapers anyways so I usually take the diaper and "wipe" the poo off then finish with the wipes so that way I only have to dunk the diaper.

[mommaof5]

The best part about cloth wipes is not having to worry about throwing anything away. Not for the good of the earth, but just for your convenience. I like that everything goes in the diaper pail and I don't need a trash can around too.

My good friend made my wipes. One side organic velour the other side baby terry cloth. They are sooo soft! The size is 8X8 and they fit in my old huggies wipe container perfectly. I only need one wipe for poop because they are such a great size. I only have one wipe per diaper and it seems to be plenty. I only wash once a week.

You would need more wipes if you are using them for messy faces and other uses. I tend to have them on the changing table and only use them for little bottoms.

[Raene]

-Do you use purchased cloth wipes? (seems expensive)
I did with DD1, but this time around I've made my husband sew ours out of old burp pads and old teeshirts

-Make your own cloth wipes? How?
Just cut up old things, make them two layers thick, and sew the edges. Couldn't be easier says the mom who has her husband do it for her

-What solution do you use?
I make my own out of water, baby oil, teatree oil, and a dot of baby shampoo

-How do you keep them moist?
I have a plastic tub from a conventional brand and store my wipes in there, premade. For the diaper bag, I take dry wipes and a travel spray bottle with my solution in it...I just spray the wipes as needed.

-What do you do when they are really full of poop? Do they just go in the diaper pail with the CDs? Or do you rinse them out in the toilet?
I've never rinsed any cloth diapers or wipes in the toilet...that freaks me out. I think this time around we're buying one of those sprayers that hooks on the toilet just for DH's squeamish factor, but before I just threw everything into the wash (easiest with breastfed poos)

-Do you use disposable wipes? I've heard you can just throw them in the diaper pail with the CDs, wash em and reuse em.
No thanks...they're so full of harsh chemicals and alcohol. Wouldn't do it. And it's just too easy to make them yourself.
However, when vacationing, I make my own wipes by cutting up those blue paper towels they sell in mechanic shops...they're really strong and thick...and I use my own spray with those, too. Then they're disposable but still "natural" for the baby.

-Cloth wipes- How many do you need?
For a newborn I'm having 50 but that seems excessive. Depends on how often you'll be washing your dipes. Count 1-2 wipes per diaper to be on the safe side.

-I've heard about using Viva Paper Towels (because they are cloth like). You cut the roll in half, take the tube out of the middle and it fits into a regular wipe container. Just soak it in solution and you are all set. Anyone done this?
Similar to the thing I do with the blue mechanic towels, yup.