cloth wipes questions..

[Pinoikoi]

I am thinking of using cloth wipes full time..

how many do I need?
fabric recommendations? (I am thinking about doing prints to hide stains better since I figure these will get a LOT of use and get cycled through rotations fast).
Fair price per wipe (I just did a search on hyenacart and it seemed like the fabric choices made a BIG difference in price)..

I want to use that wipes warmer that is for cloth wipes so they would need to fit in there also.. (not sure what size would be best for that?) I assume I could fold them in half and roll them but still not sure what size to look for.

[kanga1622]

I made my own by just using a single layer of good flannel and serging the edges. I haven't used them yet as the babe hasn't arrived. I used some scrap fabric with prints but mostly got a very neutral beige fabric that should sun out pretty well or hide stains.

My goal was to have twice as many wipes as diapers figuring that was a good number to start with and I'll do laundry at least every other day.

ETA: A dozen wipes came with my diaper order so I just copied that size...about 8x8 which folded in half should fit well in a wipe warmer for you.

[Pinoikoi]

I read a review on the Prince lionheart warmies warmer (the one I want) and it said that the Bumgenius bamboo wipes were a perfect fit- so I am going to check their size.. (and would make the warmer fit about 15 of them at a time)..

I can buy SOME brands of wipes locally (a couple of blocks from my house actually), so I think I want to buy them rather than make them..

I want to make sure that I get some that won't shrink a lot and will stay FLAT (I have some cheapy washcloths that rolled up like eggrolls in the washer and I definitely don't want that).

ETA: anyone know the size of bumgenius wipes? 8 x8 ?

[Adsullata]

I have at least a 100 or so wipes. I bought one package (I think it was 2 dz.) of flannel wipes (cotton babies I think?), and a pack of Thirsties fab wipes (6 wipes), and then I made the rest from microfiber towels and some basic fleece from the fabric store. If you're not set on natural fibers, this is a good (easy and cheap) solution , because I just cut the microfiber and fleece with pinking shears basing the size on the size wipes I happen to like- about 6x8. No sewing involved. And I got fun colors I like. And, as it happens, I like those wipes the best, especially when I'm not using wipe solution- soft on baby's skin and leaves her nice and dry, and I haven't seen staining on them yet, although they're darker colors, so I might just not be able to see it. I love the thirsties tho for cleaning poopies, because they're bigger and double layer, but they're overkill for just pee.

And in case you need it, here's my favorites wipe solutions recipes list: Zany zebra cloth wipe solution recipes I really like the lavender & tea tree one, but found that I liked it better when I was careful about not too much of the essential oil part. I mix up everything but the water in a jar, and then add enough water to it in my spray bottle. I would think you could use the solutions in your wipe warmer, but I don't know.

HTH!

[Xavismom]

We use bamboo wipes. I love them! They are so soft, almost minky. I'm actually trying to search and find the WAHM I bought them from, because I want to order some more.

We use LuSa Organics Baby Wipe Juice with them, smells so awesome!

Also, our wipes are like a creamy white color... none of them have any stains at all. Baby poo comes out pretty good in the wash!

[cristeen]

I use hemp fleece wipes and love them. But to prevent rolling you need to pick a woven fabric (like flannel) instead of a knit (like cotton fleece). It's the nature of knits to roll at the edges.

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by cristeen

I use hemp fleece wipes and love them. But to prevent rolling you need to pick a woven fabric (like flannel) instead of a knit (like cotton fleece). It's the nature of knits to roll at the edges.

That's good to know! What ALL fabrics are woven?

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by Pinoikoi

That's good to know! What ALL fabrics are woven?

Of your woven fabrics, probably the only ones I'd go with would be flannel or terry. Most of your softer stuff is knit... anything stretchy like fleece, velour, or t-shirt material is knit.

Of course, if you have a 2-layer knit wipe, that won't roll.

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by cristeen

Of course, if you have a 2-layer knit wipe, that won't roll.

Well that makes sense.. I was wondering why anyone would want a knit, but if there's a way around it...

[lalemma]

I made all our wipes. Our favorites are 4x8, flannel print on one side, terry on the other, serged edges. I really prefer them to bigger sizes: I'd rather just keep grabbing wipes rather than folding and refolding a big one. I like that they're terry/flannel: the terry gets rid of the biggest mess, the flannel finishes it off. And I like that they're 100% cotton.

We use them for EVERYTHING. Wipes, little burp cloths, baby bathtime washcloths. They wash like iron. I am not a big believer in wipes solution, so mostly just use warm water to moisten them.

[Oliver's Mama]

Originally Posted by lalemma

I am not a big believer in wipes solution, so mostly just use warm water to moisten them.

I've heard a lot of people say that, but how do you contantly have warm water on hand? I can't imagine being in the middle of a diaper change, with my toddler grabbing at me too, and running to the bathroom to run a wipe under the sink? I didn't want to mess with a wipes warmer, because I'll have 3 changing stations in the house, plus I'll need something in the diaper bag..

Is it ok to just have a spray bottle with room temp water to spritz on the tushie before wiping? Anything easy to add to it? I'd like to avoid store-bought wipe solution because it seems pricy and the only one I found that's not online is Cali Baby, but that has lavender and tto..

Also, I've heard you can just cut up flannel with pinking shears as wipes- I don't have a sewing machine.
Otherwise, I'm ordering stuff at Green Mountain and they have flannel wipes or double sided wipes for around $1 a piece.

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by Oliver's Mama

Is it ok to just have a spray bottle with room temp water to spritz on the tushie before wiping?

I just use cold water - on the wipe, not the butt. I keep a Klean Kanteen with a sports top in the diaper bag, and another on the changing table.

[Oliver's Mama]

silly question, but if the flannel fabric I'm looking at says machine wash cold, is it ok for it to be washed warm with the diapers?

[BelliesBabiesnMore]

Originally Posted by Oliver's Mama

silly question, but if the flannel fabric I'm looking at says machine wash cold, is it ok for it to be washed warm with the diapers?

It probably says that because it is cotton, and cotton will shrink. I prewash all of my fabrics in hot water first before sewing so that they won't shrink any more when I wash them with my diapers. I like flannel backed with cotton sherpa wipes ~ 8x8. The flannel is nice and smooth, and the sherpa is good for those sticky messes

[Adsullata]

Originally Posted by Oliver's Mama

I've heard a lot of people say that, but how do you contantly have warm water on hand? I can't imagine being in the middle of a diaper change, with my toddler grabbing at me too, and running to the bathroom to run a wipe under the sink? I didn't want to mess with a wipes warmer, because I'll have 3 changing stations in the house, plus I'll need something in the diaper bag..

Is it ok to just have a spray bottle with room temp water to spritz on the tushie before wiping? Anything easy to add to it? I'd like to avoid store-bought wipe solution because it seems pricy and the only one I found that's not online is Cali Baby, but that has lavender and tto..

Also, I've heard you can just cut up flannel with pinking shears as wipes- I don't have a sewing machine.
Otherwise, I'm ordering stuff at Green Mountain and they have flannel wipes or double sided wipes for around $1 a piece.

You can totally use a spray bottle, but I'd recommend spraying the wipe not babe's bum. See my previous post above, the page I linked to IMO has good info about using cloth wipes and wipes solutions and also some good recipes. They also explain what make a solution, so you can learn how to pick and choose the ingredients that you want and need.

Pinking shears don't so much work on flannel IME as the edges will fray if not surged or sewn. They work fabulously on fleece however. To keep your wipes from rolling or balling up, I recommend using dryer balls in your dryer. Once I started doing that, my wipes all came out smooth and flat. You can get plastic dryer balls (Nellies) that are PVC-free, or you can buy or, if your a bit crafty, make woolen dryer balls. HTH mamas!

[lalemma]

I've heard a lot of people say that, but how do you contantly have warm water on hand? I can't imagine being in the middle of a diaper change, with my toddler grabbing at me too, and running to the bathroom to run a wipe under the sink? I didn't want to mess with a wipes warmer, because I'll have 3 changing stations in the house, plus I'll need something in the diaper bag..

Is it ok to just have a spray bottle with room temp water to spritz on the tushie before wiping? Anything easy to add to it? I'd like to avoid store-bought wipe solution because it seems pricy and the only one I found that's not online is Cali Baby, but that has lavender and tto..

Also, I've heard you can just cut up flannel with pinking shears as wipes- I don't have a sewing machine.
Otherwise, I'm ordering stuff at Green Mountain and they have flannel wipes or double sided wipes for around $1 a piece.

I wet the wipes on the way to the diaper change: I just keep a stack of wipes in the bathroom, and stop by to moisten a few. I carry them in a bowl I also keep in there.

I know some people are organized enough to put warm water in a pump thermos at the beginning of the day, but I am not one of them!

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by Oliver's Mama

I've heard a lot of people say that, but how do you contantly have warm water on hand?

Well I have a changing table for this baby so I will be using the Prince lionheart wipes warmer that is made for cloth wipes.. I have changed babies all over the house before, but I am too old and cranky to be changing babies on the floor anymore.

[Chryseis]

I made all of my wipes. Most of them are just two pieces of flannel serged together. Some are flannel w/a terry backing (which I like quite a bit). I just used leftover flannel and flannel I found in remnant bins and all of the terry cloth I used is from old baby towels/washcloths. I probably keep around 100 wipes of random sizes.

I keep two spray bottles on the changing table and in the diaper bag. One has a wipe solution (I used to use Kissaluvs Diaper Lotion Potion, loved it, but got tired of paying for shipping so I make my own now) and the other has distilled water. They're just room temperature and my son has never seemed to mind. I just spray it on the wipe and go. Although now that he's older, he really likes it when I spray it directly on his tush, he thinks it's fun.

[Addie]

I love using cloth wipes - it's one of my favorite things about CDing. We use thin flannel wipes and thicker terry washcloth-type wipes - we have maybe 20-30 of each. I find that the flannel wipes are great for a quick wipe after changing a wet diaper, while the thincker ones are great for poop. In the beginning we kept a sports bottle filled with wipe solution on the changing table and wet the wipes as needed. We then purchased the Prince Lionheart cloth wipes warmer, and we are still using it. I just wet a bunch of wipes at once and put them in the warmer, rolled - a full warmer lasts 1-2 days, and wetting them isn't much of a chore, I usually do it during a diaper change while my LO hangs out diaperless. Also, I've never had any stains on the wipes, so I don't think that's an issue. For wipe solution, we're currently using a bit of the Kissaluv's concentrate in water, and it is great. We have also used Honey Chunks, which I also liked, but you do have to allow time for the chunks to dissolve in water.

[Oliver's Mama]

Originally Posted by Chryseis

I made all of my wipes. Most of them are just two pieces of flannel serged together. Some are flannel w/a terry backing (which I like quite a bit). I just used leftover flannel and flannel I found in remnant bins and all of the terry cloth I used is from old baby towels/washcloths.

I bought the fabric today and splurged and got a sewing machine instead of doing the pinking shears way. I'm planning to do some flannel, and some flannel/terry, but the terry seems very unravely already- is it going to be a huge mess to prewash it? I figure I better prewash, especially if I'm putting two different fabrics together. Should I sew around the edges of the whole bolt before washing. Totally clueless here!!! afraid to open the sewing machine box!!!!