Cloth Diapers: Pt II: Cloth Wipes

I was a little hesitant to try cloth wipes at first, but they are great and easy to use if you are already doing cloth diapers.  They also work SO much better than disposable wipes when you are cleaning a poopy butt!

Here are the items in my cloth wipes system:

•Prince Lionheart Warmies Wipe Warmer•

I prefer to have all the wipes ready to go, so I decided to go with a wipes warmer. This particular brand comes with an antimicrobial pad that sits in the bottom of the warmer.  You replace it every three months and it helps the wipes to resist mold and browning.  I haven’t had any issues except for the time I didn’t change the pad out for a really long time.

•Cloth Wipes•

I had some birdseye cotton on hand, so I cut it into 8″x8″ squares and simply serged around the edges.  I like that the birdseye has some texture to it, so it can grab the poop. I also like that they are thin, so I can fit a lot of them into the wipes warmer. You could also cut up old flannel receiving blankets, or baby washcloths.  Pretty much anything will work as long as it’s all natural materials.

•Wipe Solution•

Some people just use water, but I wanted something with a little more oomph.  I found this recipe online and I make a big batch which I keep in a recycled plastic jug.  Each batch lasts a couple of weeks.

4 cups water

1/8 cup baby wash- for cleaning

1/4 olive oil (or baby oil)- for moisturizing

4 drops tea tree oil- for disinfecting

I refill the warmer every couple days.  I just throw about 24 wipes in the bathroom sink and pour some solution over them.  I wring them out and roll them up to place in the warmer.

Wipes all rolled up and ready to go.  The warmer is half empty in this photo, so normally it would be filled to the top.

You also don’t need to use a warmer at all.  For the new baby I plan to keep the wipes dry and just use a peri bottle or a squirt bottle filled with solution and wet them as I go.  I don’t want to purchase a second warmer, so I’ll see how it goes.

I also may make a bunch of fancier 2-sided wipes (girls always need to be pampered!)  I think the perfect cloth wipe would be an 8″x8″ square of a cute flannel backed with birdseye.  You could either serge the two layers together or sew  and turn them.  The birdseye side would be good for poop and the softer flannel side for pee.