Cloth wipes . . . .

[aphel]

Hello mamas! I am just beginning my adventures in cloth diapering, and had a question for all of you vets regarding wipes.

I've got a mix of wipes, some hemp wipes from SB and some cheapo washcloths. Do you use plain water on your wipes or do you soak them in anything special (homemade or otherwise). What about a diaper area spray/wash like the one California Babies makes? Or is plain old H20 fine?

TIA!

[cristeen]

Nothing but water here, at a year.

[coffeegirl]

There's lots of recipes online, but I just use water, a drop or two of tea tree oil, a drop of baby wash and a few drops of baby lotion (lotion, not oil). But very small amounts of each. Then shake it all up in a bottle and pour on top of your homemade wipes int one of those plastic wipe dispensers that disposable wipes come in.

[GardenStream]

Wow, it's hard to believe I've been doing this for 2 years now.

I have a spray bottle filled with water, a few tablespoons of vinegar and a couple drops of tea tree oil. The vinegar is to help with nasties growing in the water as well as yeast rashes. I don't know how scientific it is, but it's working for me after dealing with a nasty yeast rash for almost 6 months. The tea tree oil is to combat the vinegar smell, the nasties and because I have it on hand.

I keep the wipes in a wipe warmer. Someone got it for me at my baby shower and I decided to use it. I just poor a little of my spray bottle solution over them whenever they start to feel dry.

My boys really didn't like being sprayed with cold water. The warm moist wipes caused a lot less howling. I still need the spray bottle to deal with the more persistant poo remnants.

[treeoflife3]

I just use water usually. I'm too lazy to make something most of the time so I just wet the wipe at the sink before I go to take the dirty diaper off.

[amyhulen]

I always just ran a clean flannel wipe or washcloth under a warm faucet, wring it out and go to work on my kids bottoms. I've never had an issue with rashes or anything like that. I once tried keeping my wipes in a warmer but they smelled musty after a day or two and quickly gave up on that plan.

If we are going to be out I will prewet a couple cloths and keep them in a small wet bag ready to go. I live not having to worry that I am wiping chemicals all over my kids faces and hands.

[nicky85]

I have a little spray bottle that I use to spray the wipes (or my son's bottom sometimes) with water with a little witch hazel and Dr. Bronner's added. I like it. =) But water will work as well. When my son was in the NICU they actually used water-only wipes because of concerns about allergies and skin sensitivity.

[ShwarmaQueen]

Originally Posted by treeoflife3

I just use water usually. I'm too lazy to make something most of the time so I just wet the wipe at the sink before I go to take the dirty diaper off.

Me too. In the beginning I did the squirt bottle thing (a peri bottle from our HB actually) but it got stinky before I could finish the bottle.

[sacridote]

Only been using cloth wipes for about 2 weeks, but I just wet about 5 at a time (more on the weekends) in the sink and ring them out really well and store them in a wipes container. Seems to be working ok. The hardest part was figuring out the "right" number to wet at one time so that they weren't sitting in the container for days.

[goldenwillow]

Nothing but plain old H2O here! I make our wipes from old blankets, sheet, inserts, etc.

[coffeegirl]

Hmm...I just have my wipes in a plastic container with the wipes solution recipe I posted up above (post #3 I think). The wipes have been sitting there in the solution for about a month now. I thought it was ok, I mean it doesn't smell funky or anything....but from some of these other replies I'm wondering, is this a bad idea? Should I change out the solution more frequently?

[jess_paez]

Originally Posted by treeoflife3

I just use water usually. I'm too lazy to make something most of the time so I just wet the wipe at the sink before I go to take the dirty diaper off.

this!

[chel]

plain water on a cheap washcloth here. just stop by the sink before a change.

when out and about i use dispossie wipes

[jimblejamble]

I used to make a fancy mixture of lavender essential oil, Dr Bronner's, and water, but now I just use water. I get a wipe out of the stack, wet it, wring out the excess water, and wipe.

[aphel]

eek . . . . So I know I'm going to be bumping an old-ish thread back to the beginning here . . . .

But I wanted to thank all you mamas for answering my query! My computer just got back from the shop. Somebody (Mr.) sat on it.

We're sticking to water for now, although I am happy to know of some other options in case irritation/rash develops!

[P.J.]

We use water with a few drops of lavender and chamomile oil for clean wipes, and used ones we throw in a sealable plastic box with water with a few drops of tea tree and lemon oil to soak until they get washed. I then wash them on the boil cycle.