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 hope I don’t sound silly but are you cutting the paper towels in equal halves? If so, this would make two containers of wipes. I nanny for twin 8 month old girls. One has serious dairy allergies and I think is allergic to many other things yet to be discovered. This could definitely help her little bottom. Plus the girls love to grab the wipes and put them in their mouths. At least with these they wouldn’t be taking in chemicals while I get the wipes away from them!
Not silly at all Joanne. 🙂 Yes, I cut them into equal halves and one roll makes 2 wipe containers worth. I just cut the entire package all at once and make them as I need them. Hope these wipes help these two little girls. What a great thing that care so much for the little girls you nanny!
these are so wonderfu! I’ve been using this same basic recipe with flanel wipes since our son was born 2 1/2 years ago. we use a warmer, and i’ve never had a mold issue. I did want to say though, that only the cold press/expeller pressed oil has all the wonderful benifits to it. if it has been refined, like the LoAnna brand is, you’ve lost most of the benefits. I’ve still used it when it was the only brand I could get one time, but it was not as good on my sons rash prone skin.
Great feedback Lois! The LoAnna brand is okay if you’re in a pinch but not something I’d use on a regular basis. Several local stores now carry the Spectrum brand which is so much better. Glad to hear they helped with his rash. Since using these, our little ones haven’t had a rash and I can’t help but think the wipes are why.
Is the homemade baby wipes good for little girls
I started using them on my daughter and they worked great!
Just made these tonight to try for the first time. I had to double the liquid mixture though. There was no way there was going to be enough to get the towels all damp enough.
You may need to double depending on the size of the Bounty roll. My container is on the smaller side so I need to get a smaller roll of Bounty – I think “BIG”. I’m glad you found a proportion that worked for you and I hope you like them.
Love this! I have some questions though. I have everything to do this except the knife or saw to cut the cloths. Do you have any recommendations on this, because I have a Costco bundle of paper towels and I’d rather use those than buying some other ones. Also, could you put the towels & solution in those plastic wet wipes flip top style containers? Or does it need to be an air tight container? I’m really excited to try this out on my newborn! Thanks for the post!
Someone did comment that the Costco brand paper towels do work (you just may need to double the recipe as they need more moisture). The only problem I can see is getting them cut to fit a container. Hmmmmmmm. Maybe a larger container? Meaning taller? I think they’d be to large to fit into a wipes container.
One other suggestion (which goes against your desire to use your Costco paper towels) is to buy the Bounty brand napkins. Those would fit perfectly in your wipes container and you would not have to cut them. I don’t think they need to be air tight. But Huggies wipes containers have a flexible rubber inside seal at the top and those seem to keep wipes from drying out and would be a better choice. Pamper’s wipes containers have a flawed design where they are more open and prone to drying out.
Hope this helps!
Julie I am so excited to try these wipes. I use coconut oil on my skin and it helps tremendously. I also wanted to tell you how absolutely refreshing it is to see you interacting with each comment on your blog. What a wonderful hostess!! I will certainly be following more of your posts.
Thank you so much Megan! Coconut oil is so wonderful and I wish I had known about it years ago. I love the comments and really appreciate each and every one of them. Thanks for stopping by!
I can’t wait to try the wipes! I have a 3 month old and have given her daily massages with organic extra virgin coconut oil since she was 1 month old. I slather on a little extra on her bottom and I have not had to use diaper cream since! I also use it as a face moisturizer…well really an all over moisturizer!
I do love the power of coconut oil! 🙂 So glad you’ve found it useful. I also use it as a makeup remover (eye area) and have used it in my dry hair in the past. I hope you like the wipes.
I’ve had the hardest time finding a container for these. I’ve tried target, wal mart, family dollar & dollar tree! I might go to The Container Store tonight. Any suggestions anyone? I really really want to do this for my baby!
You may want to look for a flour container. I think Rubbermaid has one that is wide enough to hold a roll.
I used a “click-clack” container we were given when we were married. They are sold at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Target sells something similar in the laundry area.
Great! Thank you for the tip Amanda! Here is the link in case any of you are interested.
I got a great container fromTupperware. Not sure if its only a European thing though..
I found a container that fits a double size roll at The Container Store. It is a clear plastic canister with a white lid with a rubber gasket inside for a nice tight seal. It has a one handed operation of opening on the top if the lid that you squeeze together to remove the lid from the base. It had a clear label with a black “swoosh”, was about $12 and was with the kitchen type jars. Good luck!
Is there an expiration date? I am such a planner so i like to have everything prepared and i know that with a 2 year old runnign around it would be easier to have them made ahead of time and ready to pull out!
I’m not sure about an expiration Abigail, but I’d be careful about preparing too many ahead of time. I have to say that I admire planners like you! But I do want to encourage you in the fact that they are very quick to mix up as long as you have them cut ahead of time. Whenever I get towards the end of a roll, I pull the last remaining towels out and mix up a new batch. Then I place those stragglers at the top of the container so they are ready for the next diaper change. Best wishes!
Is Dr. Bronners soap okay to use instead of the baby wash?
I would think it is Kristen, but I’ve used Dr. Bronner’s only once (in a tooth soap of all things). From what I’ve read, it is more drying so it’s good that there is coconut oil in the wipes mixture. Maybe do 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil?
If anyone wants to add their experience with Castile and Help Kristen out…that be great. I just don’t have experience with it.
I realize I’m replying to something a few months old, but here’s a link to a baby wash recipe that uses Dr Bronner’s. I’m planning to make that this week and then use the babywash in the recipe for these wipes! http://www.agreenermama.com/2012/10/homemade-baby-shampoo-wash.html
Thank you for the link Faith. I hope it works out for you!
Would these wipes b flushable and safe,for septic?
I’m sorry Cathy, but I don’t think they will work for a septic system. The reason being is that the paper towels will not break down enough for the septic. If they are a different paper towel brand that breaks down easier, they will likely not hold together well enough to use.
If you were simply flushing them down into a sewer system, you could get away with it.