Cloth Wipes & How to wet them

If you’re using cloth diapers, you’re going to want to use cloth wipes. I’ve heard some people say they use disposable wipes, but I really can’t figure out why. First, you’d have to throw them away separately. Second, they stink at wiping up poo! If I’m at home & using a (rare, I promise it’s rare!!) disposable diaper, I still use a cloth wipe even though i’ll have to ‘dispose’ of it separately, b/c I really hate the inefficiency of disposable wipes. However, i do use them in my diaper bag for on the go. I don’t carry around a spray bottle, so it’s a necessary evil.

There are tons of places to buy cloth wipes. The only reason i could fathom for buying “cloth wipes” are that they are probably very soft. If you really care about that sort of thing, by all means, buy some fancy wipes. However, I have been using baby washcloths I bought from the dollar store (6packs!) with much success. If i come upon an instance where I would normally need to use more pressure to get baby clean, since my wipes aren’t super soft, I typically just get them sopping wet & let the water do the job instead. Therefore, when my kids get a poopy diaper change, they’re also getting a little sponge-bath on the booty.

So how do you get the wipes wet? There are (as usual) a myriad of possibilities. Some just use a bowl of plain water (I did this with diaper boy, and the water was absolutely FRIGID and I rarely thought to get warm water before setting him on the changing table. Much colder than a room-temperature disposable wipe) Some put water or their “solution” into a spray bottle & spray either the booty or the wipe as needed. This was going to be my plan of action, but then I decided on a whim to register for a wipes warmer for diaper girl.

I heard a lot of people talk (or type..) about how much they loved keeping water/solution in a wipes warmer, but i wasn’t convinced it was spectacular enough to buy one. However, I did sort of want one, so I registered & lo & behold, someone bought it for me! I started using it immediately with diaper boy & was instantly hooked. No more dealing with near freezing water (perhaps my house is just cold?) and with the water being warm, i discovered it actually made poo-cleanup easier. You can easily get the perfect amount of wetness. I’m about to spend a week at my parents house & i’m absolutely packing that monstrosity b/c i hate to think of a week of diapering without it.  If you’re really not into spending $20 for yet another gizmo, I have seen wipes warmers on Craigslist in two different states on a very regular basis for around $5.

Here’s my “recipe” for my wipes solution: 2 cups water, 1TBS Dr. Bronner’s liquid castile soap (I use either baby mild or lavender), 15 drops tea-tree oil (or you can use lavender, both work as an anti-fungal to keep mold at bay). If you prefer to not use the essential oil, just change your water more frequently.

Related Articles You Might Enjoy:

• Odds & ends…do you need them?
• Sisterhood of the Traveling Diapers
• The Cloth Diaper Rant
• Cloth Diapering for the Fashion Concious