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.
Do you know if this would be safe for cloth diapers
This is absolutely safe for cloth diapers/wipes. We go through the paper towel wipes quickly so I don’t add tea tree oil, but you may want to if your solution is going to stay on your wipes for a while.
We also used these with cloth diapers. I used the same solution on cut up pieces of flannel so I didn’t have to pick wipes out of the wash, I just threw it all in the wash together!
Hi, Love this tip. We use the walmart baby wipes by the case but we are always trying to save money. My question is about the baby wash. Could I use Johnson & Johnson head to toe or is there a different type of baby wash I don’t know about?
You can use J&J baby wash. I posted the Shea Moisture brand but that’s just my personal preference. As long as it’s baby wash, it’s delicate enough to use for wipes.
I know this was posted nearly a year ago, but I would personally NOT use Johnson & Johnson..especially if you are trying to stay away from harmful chemicals..look them up..all sorts of bad stuff in them. Their wash dried my baby’s skin so bad..I switched to an organic wash and it’s a million times better.
The Arbonne Baby Wash is the ONLY one I’ve found that has ZERO harmful chemicals. You need to buy from a consultant, but you can look it up on http://www.arbonne.com. I will only use Arbonne on my baby.
Thank you for the tip Keli! I have a friend who does Arbonne so I have the perfect source! 🙂
I am making reusable baby wipes out of fleece material as gifts but they recommend not adding the solution until you are ready to use the wipes. Do you know if it is a problem if these sit very long? The baby shower is now but the baby is not due for a while yet. TY!
When I got the wipes as a gift from a friend, she gave me a prepared roll of wipes as well as a bottle of baby oil and baby wash, 1 roll of paper towels cut and her recipe. I changed up some of the ingredients because I wanted the added benefits of using coconut oil. So maybe you can include the ingredients and directions so she can make them once the baby is born?
That or you can also add a few drops of Tea Tree Oil to the mixture and try it, But if for some reason mold grew in the amount of time until the baby is born that would not be a good thing at all.
Personally, I wouldn’t risk letting them sit for a more than a month or 2 in the wash solution. Hopefully this helps you in making your decision.
Yes, I agree! I made that mistake and made up the wipes and gave them at a shower. Fortunately it was a good friend and when she was giving me a tour of her nursery I saw the wipes sitting out and noticed there was mold! So I quickly snatched them, apologized and replaced them with the ingredients instead before the baby was born. I will never do that again!
I’m so excited I found your post! First time mom expecting in January…I’m so excited to make my own wipes! So make enough to last and be used within a month or so?! It seems super easy! Could even have the solution mixed up prior.
You got it Lauren! 🙂 Congratulations!
I made these when my son was born (June 2012), I started having issues with them molding, did anyone else have this issue? I was tossing a bunch out, which wasn’t making it very economical, we switched to the Seventh Generation ones. I LOVED the way these smelled, worked, felt, etc, but it isn’t worth it if they are constantly molding. Any tips??
I’ve never had a batch mold in the 1 year + of using this recipe. But you’re right, it sure doesn’t make them very economical.
Were you using coconut oil Megan? Coconut oil itself is antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial so that is what makes these wipes that much better. That and the addition of a few drops of tea tree oil would be a huge benefit.
I go through a container of wipes every 2 weeks (but I think they would last mold-free much longer). Time would be the only other factor I would think would contribute to the mold problem you had. Hope this helps you.
If you boil your water first OR buy distilled water, it will help prevent the molding and prolong the shelf life!
tea tree oil is anti fungal. So is lavender and lemon grass. A splash of white vinegar works as well as bleach but is all natural. As a cleaner, we use vinegar and add a few drops of citrus essential oil. So theoretically, you could add a splash of white vinegar to your mix. A few drops of tea tree. And several drops of lavender. That would keep your baby from smelling like a pickle. And lavender is great on the skin. We make/sell a homemade face wash that has lavender in it and my wife’s skin has never looked better.
Tea tree oil is great, but be careful about it’s possible effects on boys. http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa064725
Thank you for sharing Shelley!
When we had our first son, my husband actually read up on the effects of tea tree oil on boys.
Since then, I’ve been more sparing in my use of it because I think there are valid concerns with overuse. Great information and not something we should overlook.
what do you mean?? what can happen to the boY???
do you know of any other natural antibiotics other then tea tree oil that would be safe to use in this recipe. I want to try these so bad but I only go though about two packs of wipes a month (I use seventh generation wipes now) and don’t want to make these just to have to throw them out before I can use them on my little man.
Initially, I thought Lavender oil would be a good choice since it is anti-bacterial. Here is a link I found with more information on oils you could use in place of tea tree oil.
I hope this helps you. I love these wipes and they’ve worked well for our family.
Can I use the coconut oil that I bought in the grocery store. There is nothing else in it as far as ingredients, My daughter had twins and this is one way we can save and better for them. Can’t wait to give them a try. Thanks in advance.
Yes Peggy, that will work perfectly. Congratulations!!
We are just about to run out of baby wipes and my 14 month old has been having diaper rash lately (which he has never had before). Hope this change to a more natural and savvy way of making homemade baby wipes will help him.
PS. If you find that you’re having trouble with mold, make sure you use distilled water. That might help the issue. Good luck!
Hi Maria! Thank you for the tip about using distilled water! I’ve never used distilled myself, but it may just be a solution for those who do have mold problems. (I’m leaning towards the coconut oil preventing mold – but that is just my theory)
Also, it’s funny you mention diaper rashes…my kids all had terrible diaper rashes. But since using the homemade wipes, we’ve not had any issues other then a very minor rashes with the almost 3 year old (because I didn’t realize she was dirty). I hope this helps you and your little guy!
I make homemade wipes to have in the car and I have had good luck with Dr. Bronners Magic Soap 18 in 1 Hemp Lavendar pure-Castile Soap. Haven’t used them on a baby bum, but use them on children’s hands and face along with my own use, I find them to be very gentle. Just another thought.
Thank you Merri! That is great to hear! I have some Dr. Bronner’s Castile soap but I’ve never tried it in wipes! I’ll definitely give it a try on the next batch.
Remember that Dr. Bronner’s is concentrated. I used a tablespoon and found it was too much. I’d recommend using less soap and more water. Not sure what ratio yet, I’m still experimenting.
Yes, thank you Amie!
Thank You for this post. I was able to find everything you suggested except I have not bought the bounty yet. The baby soap is expensive but I bought that and I bought myself the adult lotion as it smells awesome. I am making these wipes for my dog actually. To clean his feet and wipe his body. He has very little hair and I have been using coconut oil on him for some time now. Last year he developed a few growths and I was told frankincense will help them shrink so I am hoping this soap will be good to bathe him in too. I am also making some wipes for my exercise class so we can wipe off when we have to run errands after class. I found a very similar container in the dollar tree store only the lid was flat. I was pleased to find they were made in USA so I bought 6 of them. Well I am hopeful that Scott paper towels will work as well as that is all I have at the moment.
Hi Ca!
I have seen those flat lid containers at Dollar Tree too. They are the same size as the one I have, (I think it’s just an updated design). That particular brand, Shea Moisture, is highly addictive. I’ve loved everything of theirs that I’ve tried. As far as Scott brand, don’t be discouraged if they fall apart. They are definitely sturdy enough with Bounty, but I tried another brand before and they fell apart.
As far as your pup’s skin problems, this is totally off topic, but have you ever heard of RAW feeding? (the growths made me think of it) Our dog that we had years ago had serious allergies and skin issues. We switched him to RAW food and all of his issues cleared up. He was scratching excessively and losing patches of skin/hair. From what we read, allergies can manifest in all sorts of ways in dogs.
Anyway, just a thought you may want to consider. Best of luck to you!
These wipes are just amazing. My dog is salivating wanting to eat them. (he loves evco!) There is an article on Organic EVCO and the benefits to dogs in many ways and I assume the same for humans. I understand it is important to use EVCO. Sadly in a rush though I bought the Coconut oil in the grocery although it was labeled organic it is not extra virgin. I will research what the benefits of the extra virgin is over just coconut oil. Thank you for the recommendation for feeding raw. His skin is actually in great condition for a mostly white dog with pink skin belly. He is 7 now and the vet has been amazed with his good skin condition for breed and the fact he is white. The growths just developed recently and were tested to be benign tumor. which seems to be very common in his breed. I have been keeping close eye on them and the article on them in whole dog journal actually mentioned frankincense oil as being a magic cure. When and if he starts to have issues with his food I would switch to Raw, but it just plain grosses me out so I have not tried it. Thank You for sharing these amazing wipes! That I will be sharing with my dog forum.
There is a RAW FOOD Called ” I and Love and You” totally not gross! Its actually dehydrated you just at water… And it smells awesome! Well to me it smells like soup! It also has raw veggies in it too! Its amazing!
Great to know Jacqueline, here is the link to the RAW food for furry friends. 🙂 http://www.iandloveandyou.com/products/dog/raw/dehydrated.aspx
What is the shelf life on these? I want to make some for a friend who is due in a few weeks and I want to try them soon but i dont want them to dry out of shes late or doesnt use them right away. How long do they usually last before drying out?
Hi Heather,
I’m sorry but I honestly don’t know how long they’ll stay moist. They’ve never dried out on me and I think the longest I’ve had one prepared was a couple of months. (I use to have 2 containers and I seemed to use 1 of them more so the other lasted much longer) I’d say at least a couple of months but not too much longer because of the possibility of mold (unless you add tea tree oil – that would buy you some time).
Great to know Kristin! Thank you!