??? On Home Made Diaper Wipe Solution

You don't need a solution at all. I used cloth diapers on both of my children and just used a warm washcloth with just water on it. It would be softer if you use a baby washcloth. They can be washed out in the sink afterwards and used again. If you go out you can warm the water in the sink and then get it wet. This worked for my mother and it worked for me. I am now a grandmother so I am just suggesting what was done years ago before disposable everything.

You have many replies, but I wanted to share that I use a peri bottle (that you get sent home from the hospital with) and put either plain water, or Dr. Bronner's castile soap (1/2-1 tsp) and water in, and it works great on cheap washcloths cut in half. It gives more spray than a squirt bottle, and works quite well.

dont have any advice about solutions, but Lavender causes disruptions in boys hormones and should not be used on them. Good Luck, Jen

Hi A.,

I use Tushies natural wipes that you can get from Diapers.com or a health food store, but a friend of mine makes her own using squares of organic flannel cloth, mixed in a solution of Renew lotion, tea-tree oil, water, and something else (brain fart :-P). They don't get moldy because tea tree oil is anti-microbial, etc., and they are so gentle to baby's bottom. He's never had a diaper rash in two years! She keeps them in a glad-ware container, then puts them in the diaper pail with the dirty diapers (she also uses cloth diapers because there is chlorine residue in the bleached white disposables!). By the way, there are some studies out there showing that you shouldn't use lavender oil on boy babies, because it seems to mess up their hormones. It makes breast tissue develop in young boys, and other things like that. My friend could e-mail you her exact diaper wipe recipe if you like. Her e-mail address is ____@____.com and her name is Jana. She won't mind me giving you her info, she loves to help people.

S.

I respect your goals, but would caution you that both Tea Tree and Lavender (and many other essential oils) are very astringent and can cause harm. I would recommend consulting with an herbalist. There are two within a few blocks of each other - Mrs. Thompson's Herbs which has recently moved. She is still on fifth street, but is now near Lawrence Street. The second I think is called Mama Rose herbs. She is located on 3rd. and Lawrence in the northeast corner of the intersection underneath Stangland's offices (he's a landscape Architect)

I hope this helps - more power to you!

Try using a water bottle to wet the wipes just prior to use, or wet a small stack at the beginning of each day for use that day. That will keep them from molding.

Here are some recipies
http://naturalbabyworld.com/natural-baby-wipe.html

Have you tried looking into natural baby wipes? You may be happy with Seventh Generation Baby wipes
(Ingredients: Water, Aloe barbadensis gel (helps heal skin), Tocopherol acetate (vitamin acetate, helps heal skin), Glycerin (soothes and cleanses skin vegetable oil derived), Citric acid (provides stability and pH balance), Potassium sorbate (a natural preservative)).
You can also check out TushieWipes from Audry's All Natural Shoppe http://www.audreysallnaturalshoppe.com/store/WsDefault.as...
(INGREDIENTS: Water & Aloe Vera, Vegetable Derived Glycerin, Allantoin, Panthenol, Vitamin E, Tartaric Acid, Potassium Sorbate. )

Hi A.,
I see that you have already had 20 responses, but I have a great resource for you. There is a store called Camellia Pure Beauty on 51st and Fremont. Emily, the woman who owns it, used to work for the Environmental Working Group. Everything in the store is pthalate, paraben, sythetic fragrance-free. She carries shampoos and soaps for children as well as lotion and makeup. It's a really great store. Many of the products she carries are locally produced. I totally understand your concern as I am totally obsessed with the quality of products my family puts on their skin.

I also used cloth diapers for my daughter, and I loved them. I just put filtered water in the wipe warmer, and I used cloth wipes that I made myself. Water worked fine getting her clean, and she never had a diaper rash or any problems from soap sensitivities. I chose the wet-soak method for my diapers and double rinsed them. I found Mother Nature's to be a great store for diaper covers, etc.

Best of luck

I have made wipes from 8 inch squares that are one side flannel and one side terry...the terry to get the more messy stuff (especially after solids are introduced) and the flannel to finish the job. I keep mine in an empty disposable wipe box (haven't ever used a warmer) and when I first started I mixed up solutions using Dr Bronner's soap and/or tea tree oil, but truthfully I got lazy and didn't do anything more than wet them down with water after awhile. I haven't had any problems, but the fact that you are using a warmer might create a nicer environment for mildew so tea tree oil might be helpful. Only every now and then have I had the wipes in my diaper bag start to smell a little funky and then it has only been when they sat in there for a few days when the weather is warmer (I keep the diaper bad ones in a ziploc).

Kudos to you for going with cloth!!! :)

P.S. I was worried about the phthalates too, but then I read info on this site: www.phthalates.org Honestly, it's hard to know what to do some times!!!

Hi, A.! I am a mom of three ages 9, 4, and 2. I totally understand your fear about the phthalates news. very scary!! Have you ever heard of Melaleuca? I have used their products for four years and love, love, love them! I do make home made wipes from the tea tree oil (melalueca oil) as well as some of their other safe, natural products. Their products are much cheaper, on avearage about 30-40% than the natural things you will find in stores or boutiques. You would be good to get all of the chemicals out of your home. I did and neither of my younger children have been sick like my 9 year old was when he was a baby. Let me know if I can be of help. I can direct you to the right place to go. Take care!!

I used - water. I never got moldy wipes either. You can use water and a little lavender if you like; don't use tea tree, it can actually be quite harsh. I've heard geranium is good for the skin. I used water b/c I was lazy, and it worked fine.

(Here are the wipes I made a few years ago - they are still in great shape altho' I haven't been diapering in over a year!)

http://kelly.hogaboom.org/tutorials/2006/09/you-know-you-...

Tea tree oil is not compatible with some people's body. Teens can sometimes use it for acne but it may be too strong for a babe. Some solutions have witch hazel in them (it can dry out the skin too much sometimes). Try a little baking soda water on a fresh cloth and toss the warmer idea thingie, much too germy , I say. This is a gramma who had a cloth diaper service( 1985) bring them to our house once a week- -I did not even have to rinse them out! Our babes seemed to be sensitive to the disposables.

I used to just leave my wipes in the warmer, with a little tea tree oil. It would still get musty. Now, I just leave my clean wipes next to the bathroom sink. When it's time for a change, I run a couple dry wipes under some warm water and head to the changing table. My changing table is right across from the bathroom, so it works out well, even if I decide I need an extra wipe or two. Hope that helps.

I use home made diaper wipe solution, and I love it! I use it in a wipe warmer as well. The trick is to use distilled water or at least water that has been boiled to keep mold from growing in the wipe warmer. And it's still a good idea to clean it out every once and a while.
The measurements for the wipe solution is on www.pumpkinbutt.com. But here are the ingredients:
Distilled water
Aloe Vera Juice
Apricot oil
Tea Tree Oil
Lavendar
Calendula Oil

The Apricot oil, lavendar and calendula are optional add-ons, but I love the way they interact.

I usually mix it in a 16 oz plastic container with a lid, and am now at the point where I don't really measure anymore. I just pour the ingredients in, close the lid and shake it up. Of course, you give it a good shake before pouring it over the wipes, since the oil has a tendency to separate. But I love it! Good for you for doing cloth wipes and cloth diapers, too! I found a local Green Parenting Group in Portland that is a great resource when I can't find answers I am looking for in normal sources. You should look up a Green Parenting group around your area for general support and hanging out with like-minded parents. It's great!
~E.

I store my cloth wipes dry. When I use them, I just grab a few and run them under warm water. Seems to do the trick : )

I used cloth diapers and homemade wipes on both my kids (still do on my 2 year old!)

I made wipes out of cotton flannel and used them out of the wipe warmer. What I found is that when your baby is young and you are changing diapers all day, you use the wipes before they get a chance to get moldy. And you are washing the wipes and refilling the warmer a lot. As my kids got older and I was only changing diapers a couple of times a day (like now) the wipes would sometimes get moldy. So, now I just run the homemade wipes under hot water and ring them out. I sold my wipe warmer on craigslist.

The only time I ever used anything besides water on the wipes was when there was a really sticky poop, then I would use a little Cetaphil. It's a liquid "non"-soap that's pretty safe.

The only soap I use on my kids is California Baby or Arbonne. Both are natural and botanically based.

I always used tap water, never tried distilled. I've never used tea tree or lavender oil on their diaper areas. Seems a little strong to me.

Good luck!

I rarely use commercial wipes. This is our first baby, and as we were getting ready we purchased a huge supply of wipes. At our two week checkup, the pediatrician suggested we use cloth diapers and regular cloth wash cloths whenever possible because they are gentler on the baby and mother earth. My husband and I both laughed because it never occured to us to use a reusable things and we're very environmentally aware! Anyway, I picked up both immediately. I love 'Gdiapers.' When it comes to washing my baby's bum, I mostly just use a wash cloth that's been soaked in nice warm water. If my son has a poopy diaper, then I like using this diaper spray made by "California Baby." You can buy it at Marlene's Market, Fred Meyer, and Target stores. Its great for cuts and scrapes too. A bottle lasts for months.

When my children were little, I used cloth wipes. I bought a large supply of baby washcloths, and filled a small plastic basin with warm water. If the baby was a huge mess, I wiped first with a clean diaper, and then did the clean up with the washcloth. I reused the washcloth if I had only used it to wipe after a wet diaper. I'd hang it over the empty plastic basin to dry. Otherwise, it went into the wash. At that time, I was doing so much laundry that running out of washcloths wasn't a problem. As the babies got older, I did switch to using packaged wipes. I also used the packaged wipes when they were little, if we were not at home.

Hi A.,

We've always just run the washcloths under warm water before using them as wipes. We treat them just as we do the cloth diapers--put them in the pail awaiting washing--and we haven't had any problems with mildew (not sure why, since we have had that problem with the washcloths we use to wipe his face after meals, but there you have it). I feel best about using just water so that there is no risk of any products or oils irritating my little guy's skin--and as you said, there's no particular need to use any other products.

As for the phthalates.org web site mentioned by another mama, it's put out by companies that manufacture phthalates, so they aren't at all objective--it's very much in their interest to say that phthalates are safe. It's just particularly obnoxious that they use the dot org URL, presumably to make us think that they are a noble nonprofit.

Best of luck to you, and kudos for using cloth! We have loved using cloth for our little guy and feel really good about the choice.

There are a lot of great ideas including great recipes given already i can add that i used to run my babies bums under the tap with warm water, either the sink or the tub when they got a bit bigger. It was the best way I found to keep rashes away, lots of warm water. I also carried a damp cloth in a ziploc fro emergencies away from my sink or tub. Thank you and congratulation for using cloth diapers.

I'm not sure I have advice for you, but I will tell you what I did for all three of my kids. I went to Walmart and purchased 2-3 packs of 20-25 cheap washcloths. I washed them up and put a stack in every bathroom we had and that's what I used in place of wipes (even when away from home). I also would wet a few and keep them in my wipe warmer. I got them quite wet because the heat from the warmer would dry them. If they did have excess water when I wanted to used them I would just wring them right into the warmer, since that's what it's for. I used them on all our kids for a few reasons - one, to save money on wipes, two, kids don't need any extra chemicals applied to them (less rashes) and three, I really thought it was a treat for my kids to have a soft-warm washcloth on their bottoms. Yes, it is a lot more work because now there is even more laundry to do, but I would do it all the same again.

My doctor recommended just damp wash cloths in my wipes warmer. I don't use any soap, I just wet them and wring them out, fold them and put them in the warmer. I have not had any mold, but I go through a batch of wash cloths every other day. It's been a great solution for us. Hope this helps!

Hi A., I know this sounds strange but my daughter was allergic to baby wipes and most brands of diapers so I was told about Viva paper towels. They are very soft and I would just use those on her. I would wet them under warm water and then wipe her up. It was so much better than a baby wipe and she didn't get so may rashes with them. They run about 87 cents a roll so I thought they were pretty compatable to wipes. When we went anywhere I just folded some up and put them in a clean baby wipe box and away we went. Hope this helps

Hi A.,
Check out the advice on this blog on a cloth toilet paper solution. It sounds like just what you are looking for...

She says:

"Basically, we have dry and wet wipes. Dry for pee, wet for poop. The wet wipes are in a wipes warmer on the back of the toilet. I put them in there every day with a solution of water, apricot oil, Dr. Bronner’s soap, tea tree oil, and lavender oil. It’s a lovely smell…much more fun than plain ‘ol scratchy toilet paper!"

The complete link is: http://walkslowlylivewildly.com/category/cloth-toilet-paper/

C. G

For dirty diapers, we used toilet paper then a warm wet washcloth. Washcloths can go into a covered diaper pail.

Hi A.,

There is a great website called Skin Deep it's a Cosmetic Safety database. They list products you can purchase that are pthalate free! It's a wonderful resource :) As for homemade wipes you should not put tea tree oil in the water if you are using them on a boy. There is something about tea tree oil that increases estrogen levels in males. If you just take some paper towels and put them in a wipe container with some distilled water you should be fine. I would add a touch of apple cider vinegar to the water. Keeps the mold away and cleanses nicely! Otherwise just pour some warm water from the tap and use with a wash cloth when you clean him. Good luck!

A., in the 'olden' days we used washclothes. Since you are using cloth diapers (yeah for you) using wash clothes are easy. I use to go to s place like WalMart or K-Mart and buy the cheapest possible. Even when you go out,just put them in a ziplock bag. You can carry them wet or dry..whatever works for you. I am the Mom of 6 and used cloth myself for most of the kids....Good luck and enjoy your little boy!

We use cloth too and I found a good recipie online for home made solution. Take a gallon of distilled water, boil it, mix in 2 tbs of Aloe Vera Gel, 4 drops of Tea Tree Oil, and 4 tbs of Shea Oil or other quality oil that you like. Keep it in the refrigerator for storage. If you are using a wipes warmer you could put a day or two worth of wipes in the solution, squeeze out the excess and put those in the warmer.
ETA: there is a smaller version using a 12oz spray bottel, 1/s tsp of aloe vera gel and 1 drop of TTO. MIx in bottle and spray on babies butt.

HTH

There are some great products that are phalates free, sodium laurel sulfate free for babies (Burt's bees and California baby are just a few brand names)....another route to try something like "Bootycubes" http://www.bootycubes.com/ (unfortunately she had to bring her site down recently-but she makes her own homemade soap bars and cuts them down to be disolved in water). The soap can help cut the urine and other bacteria from the baby's body that water can do alone. Castile soap is another great alternative.

I have been using her wipes (they are made from bamboo fabric) without any molding issues but I haven't used them with a wipe warmer. I usually go through 2 or 3 wipes a changing and then throw them in with my cloth diapers...

Good luck!

Witch Hazel is great for the skin! Try that.

We cut up nonpill fleece into squares and when my son is wet we can sort of pat him dry and when he's dirty we wet the wipes in the sink with hot water and wipe him off and then throw them in the bucket with the diapers.
P.S. If you're new to cloth diaper we love using a "snappi" to hold them in place rather than pins...and we love them.

Hi A.: I can see there is an abundance of advice below. I can't scan through them all, so I will just tell you what I did. My daughter had terrible diaper rash and therefore we could not use standard wipes, or even "sensitive" ones. Our pediatrician recommended warm water with baking soda. It is so very mild, cleansing and also neutralizes urine while soothing the skin. We just purchased the large packet at Costco and would add 1 spoonfool into a small bowl of water and then use 100% cotton wipes (the thin inexpensive kind work best). After washing quickly by hand, spread them out to dry between uses to prevent/minimize mold issue. For #2, we just washed her in the utility sink with CALIFORNIA BABY body wash. No sulfates, DHAs, etc. Great stuff and well worth the cost. If you buy 1/2 gallon or gallon size, you don't pay shipping either. Hope this adds to your arsenal of options!

I use cloth diapers and have a wonderful solution that I use. It is 1/4 cup Aloe Vera juice from the fillet ( a gallon from New Seasons is 23.00), 3/4 cup filtered or previously boiled water, 3 drops tea tree oil, 3 drops of lavender oil. My babies have never had an issue with the solution and I have used it since they were born. Oh and you are so much nicer since you have a warmer, I don't they get it cold out of the box. Good luck!

S.

Teatree oil seems a little harsh for a tiny baby, you should be able to have him smelling clean with just warm water wash, plus warm water rinse. also if you wash your cloth wipes in vinigar and water, that should deter the mold!

HI A.- I used cloth diapers too. Have you tried the natural, organic type wipes from places like Whole Foods, New Seasons, etc? They are made with better ingredients and no propylen glycol, etc toxic stuff like the other wipes. I had good luck with them and both my kids have sensitive skin. Good luck!

I would keep the wipes dry until you are ready to use them . Wet wipes sitting in a warmer seems like it would be a great breading ground for bacteria.
The thin little baby washcloths would work great and then just run them under warm water. You dont need to use any soap or baby wash though. I am a labor and delivery nurse and in the hopsital I work in we use plain dry (disposible though) wipes and we just run them under water...no soap necessary.

Hi, I never made my own wipes but I thought about it. I used 7th generation wipes (they are a cloth material, not flushable) which are good without nasty chemicals. I don't remember any of the recipes I saw or was given (my kid is 6 now). I do remember getting some Aloe juice for making the wipes. Aloe might be a good liquid medium and you could just make up your own cloth wipes each day or few days so that they don't get funky. I would probably not use Tea Tree oil, it is antibiotic, but it could dry out his skin. Good luck! A.

Hi A.. I used cloth diapers with my twins for 18 months but only when we were home (just too hard when going out). Anyway, I really LOVED the cloth and I applaud you for using them. As far as wipes go, we always used the Seventh Generation wipes because they were the purest I could find on the market and I think they work just great. I usually buy a case of them through Amazon and I get free shipping. I also bought a case through diapers.com recently and goto $10 off my order which made it really nice. I do have a friend that is a consultant with Daisy Blue Naturals and she showed me her homemade wipes and they were fantastic! She makes a solution using lavendar and tea tree essential oils and some other things (can't quite remember). The coolest part though is that she takes a roll of paper towels and cuts them in half and puts them in a container with the solution. Take the cardboard tube out. The oils and everything soak into the paper towels and then she just pulls from the center and they come out really nicely and smell fantastic. Here is her webiste and I'm sure she could tell you more about how she does it.

http://3367.daisybluenaturals.com/Pages/HomePage.aspx

I know in their booklet, they have the instructions written up on how to make your own wipes, I just couldn't find it on her page. Maybe she can email it to you.

Best of luck to you. Also, if you ever get to the point where you need some disposable diapers, we now use the Whole Foods 365 brand diapers and I really like them. No chlorine or fragrance. They do have the gel, but I think that is better than the chlorine or fragrances. They WORK well though and that is helpful for us. We tried g-diapers and didn't stick with them although I love the concept. We do use their small inserts as nightime diaper doublers since my boys are 2 now and pee a lot at night. Those have totally solved the problem and they are flushable.

-B. S.

Hi A., my sister simply uses the baby washcloths on her little guy. She keeps a basket in the kitchen, and runs them under warm water before changing her son's diaper, then tosses them in the laundry hamper. Maybe not as convenient, but surely safe for tushies everywhere! Just an idea!

I have been using cloth diapers and wipes on my son for two years. I do not have a wipes warmer, so I can't comment as to a good solution that will not mold in there. Heat and moisture are a good breading ground. Every time I needed to change my son I would simply grab a few wipes and run them under nice hot water and then walk to the changing table. By the time I used them they were just warm. As you said, you don't need soap to get them clean. If he had a particularly bad diaper I had a spray bottle of Kiss-a-luvs Diaper Lotion Potion and would give his little bum a spray. It is basically a mixture of Tea tree, lavender, and a few other oils. It was naturally antibacterial and soothing. It made him nice and fresh again. Just remember tea tree oil alone can be very drying so don't use it all the time. Hope that helps.

Hi, A.! I've used cloth on my daughter since the beginning and we just use plain water! Works great. For extra sticky stuff, just use extra water. Old fashioned and good. We also use a hair dryer (on super low) to dry her bottom to make sure there's no residual moisture before diapering. We've never had problems with diaper rash or anything else in that vein...good luck! Let me know if you need any more advice on cd's or anything else!
blessings

We have never used wipes, except in emergencies. We keep a bowl of water and a stack of cotton balls handy and that's always worked perfectly. I have also seen a spray bottle (set to mist) and facial tissues. For real messes we keep a stack of washcloths on hand, but most of the time cotton balls are just fine.

I have been using cloth diapers for 9 months now and have also been using cloth wipes. I use regular tap water and add 5 drops Tea Tree oil and 5 dorps Lavender Oil. I mix the water and oil together in a 2 cup spay bottle and then I pour it into the wipe container as needed. You can also just spray each cloth as needed if you prefer. Then I just throw the wipes in with the diapers. It is really a great way to go!

Use plain water or use a natural soap...there are lots on the market. California Baby is one that I've heard many people say they like.

yes you've got it! It's easier to prevent musty, moldy funky wipes by simply keeping a sqeeze bottle of your favorite blend and squirting onto whatever washcloth you are using at the time of use. It only takes a second and the moisture level can be adjusted on the spot for a custom mess clean up! I prefer a blend that includes witchhazel as well as a few drops of neem oil. A neem is much like tea tree regarding medicinal properties, neem smells more musky and is less invigorating. The teatree is great when wiping a really stuffy nose.

Keep up the mindful mothering! It's very much worth the extra effort.

I used the small baby wash cloths and kept a bowl of water near the diaper table. I still have a couple dozen now she is three and they make good hankies, and are easy to pop in my purse for a clean up dipped in my drinking water.
They work great and are really earth and baby friendly.
They wash clean easily esp if you are doing loads of diapers anyway.
My daughter wasn't bothered by the room temp water,
good luck!

What is phthalates? I don't know about that information regarding wipes. We have made our own wipes too. We used Burt's Bees soap and apricot oil. Now we use the Costco wipes because they are cheaper. But, do tell me about this phthalates...or how I can find out about them. Thanks!