I have been making my own baby wipes for a long time. I initially did this to save money, but I also discovered that I like my product better. Here it is:
Ingredients:
- Container
- Paper towel roll
- Coconut oil
- Water
- Castile Soap
- Essential oils (optional)
*I don't measure anything precisely as it really doesn't affect the outcome very much.
*Ignore the eggs and the cookie jar in the background. We have limited counter space in our kitchen.
First, you will need a container.
When I made these wipes for my other children, the commercially available wipes would come in a hard case. I simply reused these hard cases for my homemade versions. I discovered with my newest child that I couldn't find commercial baby wipes in hard cases. Instead, you can purchase the baby wipe dispensers as a separate entity. Sneaky, Sneaky, baby wipe companies!
I chose not to purchase a different container and use one that I had at home.
Then, you need to cut the paper towel roll to fit the size of your container. Some containers will hold a half of a roll, but my container only holds a third of a paper towel roll. In all honesty, I prefer the half-size but not enough to purchase a new container.
Place the cut paper towel roll inside the container with the roll located in the center. Then, set it aside for the moment.
Next, heat the water.
I use my electric kettle because it is an easy set-it-and-leave-it, but any method of heating water will work for this purpose. The heated water helps to kill any bacteria on the paper towel, container, etc.
While the water is heating, I add the coconut oil and essential oils into a large measuring cup. I use the measuring cup not for its measuring capabilities but for its spout that allows for easier pouring.
The coconut oil is used to soften the skin.
I use lavender essential oil because of its skin healing properties and the tea tree oil for its ability to fight off fungal infections (diaper rash).
Some people do not like using essential oils in plastic containers, but I found the benefit outweighs the risk for me. Please do your own research on this topic and make that decision for yourself.
Pour the hot water into the measuring cup and stir. The hot water will melt the coconut oil and it will only take a second to mix.
Add a squirt of the castile soap. I add this after the coconut oil has dissolved as the soap can cause the water to be cloudy, but you don't have to make these separate steps. (I forgot the picture. Sorry!)
Pour the finished liquid over the paper towels in the container.
When the center is wet, you can remove the paper towel holder.
Pull the wipes from the center. The wipes will stay connected until you pull them apart for your cleaning needs.
After the water has cooled, place the container near your baby changing station and use as needed!
You can decorate it with a pretty label and date it if you wish. We simply use these wipes quickly enough that we don't feel the need to do so.
Pros
1. It is considerably cheaper than other baby wipes on the market when you purchase the ingredients in bulk. These savings decrease if you do not use the products in other ways, so your numbers may be different than mine.
-- Container - Already owned and can be returned to the cereal container rotation when no longer needed = free
-- Coconut oil ~$0.02 per batch.
-- Lavender and Tea Tree oil ~$0.01 total per batch
-- Castile soap ~$0.20 per batch (this is a complete guess to the amount used)
-- Paper towels = ~$0.64 per batch.
-- Total ~$0.87 per batch compared to ~$1.50 to $4 per container if purchased at the store.
2. We tend to have fewer issues with diaper rash and skin irritation with our formula versus those times when we have used a lot of commercially manufactured wipes.
3. It is customizable. You can decide if you want to add essential oils or not. You can decide how much water that you want to use for the best results. You can decide the best size for your needs. You simply do not get these options with purchased wipes.
4. Our formula contains more water. The amount of water can be adjusted to your preference, but I like it on the "soaked" side. This allows for easier clean-up of those really messy diapers.
Cons
1. It does not travel well. I discovered the hard way that when packed in a diaper bag, these containers will leak. I suggest simply purchasing wipes for the diaper bag. You will still have most of the benefits listed above but will not have to deal with a wet diaper bag.
2. It takes time. It doesn't take a considerable amount of time to complete this activity, but you do NOT want to discover that you are completely out of wipes at 3am. Keep a spare package of wipes available for those emergency situations and this will provide peace of mind in those moments when you simply forgot to make another batch.
There are some homemade items that we have used in the past that we decided simply wasn't worth the effort. This is NOT one of them. We love the results from this simple activity. I hope that you find this information useful for all of your baby butt cleaning needs!