One of the best gifts I received from a friend post-birth, was the recipe and supplies for homemade baby wipes.
I loved them!
How did I NOT know about homemade baby wipes before my 4th child?!
Not only are they cheap and easy to make…they are also way better for your chubby baby’s bottom than store-bought wipes.
Supplies
- 1 roll Bounty (this b
- A very sharp knife or an electric knife works best (*UPDATE* We found a much better way by using a Miter Saw)
- 1 T. baby wash
- 1 T. coconut oil (you can use other oils but coconut has lots of good benefits so it’s a good choice)
- 1 C. water (make sure it is hot if you’re using coconut oil so it’ll melt)
- 1 container the appropriate size to house the wipes (the one pictured came from Dollar Tree)
Directions
Remove the cardboard roll inside the paper towels and cut the remaining paper towels in half. (as noted below by Amber, you can leave the roll in there and remove it as the final step…whichever works best for you)
Mix the baby wash, oil, & hot water around to make sure the wash and oil are evenly distributed.
Pour the mixture into your wipes container.
Add the cut paper towels and let them sit for about an hour until all the liquid spreads throughout the paper towels.
Pull wipes from the center.
To make them more travel-friendly, I take a chunk out and put them in a quart-size Ziploc.
It’s unbelievably easy! And I simply love this particular brand of baby wash which I bought from Target.
The best part about these…they do not contain alcohol and they are super-soothing for those delicate areas, especially if you’re dealing with a diaper rash.
Just make sure you get the right size Bounty. I bought rolls that were too big once and I couldn’t fit them in my container.
I used homemade baby wipes for the 4+ years that Rachel was in diapers 🙂 (Yes, she is finally potty trained at 4 1/2, what a kid!) I loved them!! I always bought the select-a-size Bounty towels – and yes it has to be Bounty! I never tried to take the cardboard out before making them, I always waited until it was all soggy and super easy to pull right out of the middle. Also, I would put the wipes in cut size down (it was pretty rough since I usually just used a butcher knife) and then after about 15 min. I would flip them over to soak up the rest. Worked like a charm! I love your container!!! Mine was a baby shower gift that worked pretty well but wasn’t quite as neat as yours. Thanks for sharing!
an empty similac (baby formula) can works perfectly, or an empty huggies/pampers plastic wipes box ( store the paper towels laying down, then you peel the wipes off like you normally would with a regular roll of paper towels, from outside in—no need to remove the cardboard with this approach). i’m going to decorate the similac can with some pretty paper too. i found the mitre saw to be the easiest/cleanest way of cutting the paper towels.
Thank you for the great ideas and tips Audra! I really to do like using a miter saw as well, much quicker than cutting with a knife.
Hi i have toddlers and wanted to kmow if you have to use baby wash?
Hi Vivian,
No, you don’t have to use baby wash but you would want to use some gentle soap instead.
Are you guys using regular size rolls? I have the jumbo ones and they definitely don’t fit in the wipes containers and I have to do some major squeezing for them to fit in the dollar tree container
Yes, Sondra, it has to be a regular size roll. There is one size up from regular that also works but the larger size rolls don’t fit.
Thank you! I’ll have to buy the regular size next time! For now – those big rolls are getting squeezed in tight with some major muscle! lol 🙂
Hi Amber! Maybe it’s my knife, but when I try to cut through the towels with the cardboard in the roll still it really bogs it down, I am using an electric knife though. Maybe I need to get out my butcher knife and see how it goes.
Great tip on flipping them to absorb! Thank you!
glad I could help you with this blog post!! 😉 Good to see the recipe was put to good use!!
Yes and thank you friend! The perfect baby gift that kept on giving!!
I make and use the (bounty) wipes using your recipe. I use them on adult bottoms here at home. The bounty select a size are the perfect size and are effective. We have a septic system so after using, we put them in the trash.
What part of the recipe makes these unsuitable for a septic system please
It is the paper. It does not break down very easily so it could cause issues. The actual ingredients would not harm the septic system though.
I have a day care and have used the bounty napkins for the last three years and I love them. Wal-Mart sells a plastic lidded container that works wonderful.
Great to know JaSi! I hadn’t even thought of using the Bounty napkins. That’s handy for sure, especially if you don’t want to have to cut the paper towels.
About how many napkins do you use for this recipe? I see the napkins come in 200 counts, but wasn’t sure if we should only do like maybe 50 napkins for this recipe? Thanks!
Yes, 50 is a good start. A lot of it is personal preference so if you want a more moist wipe, less napkins.
I’ve been making these for a couple years as well. I use Viva select a size and they work well too. I double your recipe though. I use 2 cups of water, 2T wash, and 2T oil. You can add a couple drops of tea tree oil too to make it a little more anti bacterial. I LOVE them and they are soooo much better for baby’s bottom. I’ve been using unscented baby oil, but I’m going to switch to coconut oil now! Glad someone else uses them too! Have fun!
I didn’t realize Viva worked too so it’s great to know that there are other options. I had previously tried the Sam’s Club brand, Member’s Mark. They were a failure. I have heard of adding the tea tree oil and it is an excellent addition! Thank you for the comment!
I just made my first batch of baby wipes, and used the viva paper towel, and they are just falling apart when I try to take them out! might have to try bounty!
Oh that stinks, Bounty is the way to go!!! Hope you have better luck next time!
I have used viva for 2 years and they work great! It HAS to be the cloth kind and not the multi surface ones.
My son breaks out with bounty so Viva has worked great for us.
Could you use these in a warmer? How would u cut them?
Hi Steph!
If you use a warmer, I’d probably add a couple drops of tea tree oil to the liquid. If the wipes are warmer there is more potential for bacteria to grow, hence the addition of tea tree oil.
JaSi mentioned that they make Bounty napkins which I have never personally tried. Rather than trying to make the paper towels work since they are such a different shape, I’d personally try the napkins. Bounty seems to be stronger so I’d stick with those brand napkins first.
I’d love to hear how it works out for you!
Most people don’t know this but coconut oil has natural antibacterial properties to it so even though the tea tress oil is a nice additions it’s not necessary it you don’t have it. 😉
You are right Michelle, thank you!
Except if you live in a high mold content enviro like we do (mntns of western north carolina). My wipes were growing pink mold still, but are now fine w/ the addition of tea tree.
So happy you found a good addition with Tea Tree oil!
Where can you find coconut oil?
Hi Marlena, you’ll find that many stores carry it now, which is so nice! If you look in the baking section it should be there, but sometimes it is in the ethnic section. I’ve seen the brand LouAnn or and Spectrum (which is a better quality).
do you use unrefined or refined coconut oil.
You can use either, but I use unrefined.
Trader Joe’s sells organic coconut oil at a very reasonable price!
We buy ours at Costco.
Costco sells coconut oil in a huge jar for $16! Great deal and great for many other uses 🙂 Cooking, hair treatment, makeup remover, moisturizer and as someone already mentioned, which I have yet to try, diaper rash cream! Very excited to try making these wipes 🙂 Great baby shower gift as well!
Hi! I will definately trying this! My kids are 4 and 6, but I find that baby wipes are amazing in all kinds of different way! One question though…teaspoon or tablespoon? or does it matter? Thanks for the post!
Hi Ashley, you’ll want to use 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of baby wash for the correct proportions. I use them for wiping up dirty faces and in the car for my older kids and they work great. Best wishes!
I’ve tried the 1:1:1 portion but it didn’t wet the ones in the middle or bottom and I ended up doing 4:4:4 for the whole roll of bounty. Will it do any harm?
No, just might be too wet.
Trader Joes now sells organic coconut oil. Its like $5.99. Not sure if yall have Traders where you live. 🙂
We don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby but oh I wish we did! I’ve never even stepped foot in one but I hear they are great! That’s another source for others to check out though. Thank you Jessica for the tip!