If you would have told me a few years ago that I would even think about cloth diapering my first baby I would have told you that you were crazy! Taking care of a newborn is a lot of work, and cloth diapering always just seemed like extra work. However, when I started looking into it I was inspired by some moms (Kitty Cotten and Lisa from Farmhouse on Boone) who use cloth diapers, and now we have our own easy cloth diapering routine. These easy cloth baby wipes are the perfect addition to our routine.
It was a little bit intimidating at first because there’s so much (probably too much) information out there, and there are SO many different types of cloth diapers.
I tried out a few different kinds of cloth diapers, but ended up using a hybrid system of Thirsties covers with these inserts which has worked great so far!
We’ve only been cloth diapering a relatively short time, but it has been working great for us. As a disclaimer, I am definitely no cloth diapering expert, but I did do a ton of research and am just sharing what has worked for us so far.
Our first few weeks home from the hospital we used disposable diapers and wipes. I wanted to focus on resting and recovering from birth, and learning to care for Evelyn. For the first month we used Pampers Pure newborn diapers and WaterWipes.
Once we got more settled into a routine, we switched over to a cloth diapers & wipes system. We do still use WaterWipes when we’re out and about. I just keep a pack in the diaper bag and don’t have to worry about remembering to grab some cloth baby wipes on the way out the door. We also still keep a few disposable diapers on hand for those times when you just can’t. deal. with. one. more. thing. 😅
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Why Cloth Baby Wipes?
It’s WAY cheaper.
In the first month home from the hospital when we were using disposable diapers and wipes. In that short time we spent around $45 just on wipes alone! Needless to say I was more than happy to switch over to cloth baby wipes. Adding together the cost of the wipes, ingredients, container, and detergent, this system pays for itself in only a couple of months.
It’s healthier for baby.
You know exactly what ingredients are used and can avoid unnecessary exposure to mysterious chemicals (Phenoxyethanol? Decyl Glucoside? Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate?). Since you make up a fresh batch every day or two, they don’t need any kind of preservatives or additives. Some commercially-available wipes even specifically say not to use them on your baby’s face. A benefit of this ultra-short and safe ingredient list is that you can use these anywhere on your baby’s body. We often use them to clean Evelyn’s face and hands throughout the day.
They work better than disposables.
A diaper change that might require five or six disposable wipes rarely requires more than one cloth wipe.
It’s better for the planet.
Cloth baby wipes are way more eco-friendly than disposables as well. You are keeping the wipes and the packaging out of the landfill, and also cutting down on emissions created by shipping the wipes. It might not seem like a big deal, but every little step we can take to conserve our Earth is a step in the right direction! You obviously do still have to use water and detergent to wash the cloth wipes. But even taking all this into consideration, cloth wipes are still more earth-friendly.
It’s super easy!
By spending just a couple of minutes every day or two making these cloth baby wipes, you get to enjoy all the benefits listed above!
Supplies Needed:
Liquid castile soap. Dr. Bronner’s unscented liquid castile soap is a staple around here. If you’re looking for more ways to use Castile soap, check out this quick & easy DIY hand soap.
Cloth wipes. These are the GroVia ones that I bought. I got the natural/white ones and haven’t had any issues with staining. We started out with three packs (36 wipes). I ended up buying two more packs and now we have 60 wipes total. We use them for more than diaper changes and go through them pretty quickly, and this seems to be the perfect amount.
Wipes container. I love this OXO one that we have. The GroVia wipes fit perfectly when folded in half.
Warm water. I just use warm tap water to help dissolve the castile soap.
Instructions:
After lots of trial and error, I have this process down to an exact science.
- Add 15 clean, dry wipes to the wipes container.
- Measure three cups of warm water into a pourable container.
- Measure out one teaspoon of unscented liquid castile soap and stir into the warm water.
- Lastly, pour the mixture slowly over the top of the wipes. Let the mixture soak evenly into the wipes for a little bit before using them. If you use a different brand of cloth wipes, you may have to adjust the amount of water slightly since absorbency will vary from one material to another. Sometimes the last couple of wipes will be a little bit too saturated, but you can just wring it out into the container first.
How to Wash Your Wipes
I wash and dry our wipes together with our cloth diapers. First is a “prewash,” to get most of the mess out of the diapers and wipes, followed by a more thorough main wash. This page from Fluff Love University will tell you exactly what settings to use on your specific washing machine for these two steps.
- Prewash – Add dirty diapers and wipes to the washing machine with a couple tablespoons of OxiClean.
- Main Wash – Add cloth diaper-safe detergent** and wash again
**We use “Charlie’s Soap” laundry powder. I started using it to wash all of our baby clothes and blankets/bedding before Evelyn was born, and I actually use it for all of our laundry now. The detergent you use is very important, as some ingredients can affect the absorbency by creating a kind of barrier on the fabric. Fabric softener must be avoided as well for the same reason.
And that’s it for these easy cloth baby wipes! They take just a few minutes to make and you can feel good knowing exactly what you’re using on your baby’s sensitive skin.