Making your own re-usable baby wipes is an easy way to cut down on waste in your nursery. Baby wipes are simple to make, and can be created very inexpensively. Look for coupons and sales at your local fabric shop to save on flannel and terrycloth, or shop online for bargains. If you’d like your wipes to be as green as possible, consider using organic cotton flannel and terrycloth to make them.
Fabric baby wipes need to be moistened before use. You can use plain water for this purpose, or whip up a batch of all-natural Diapering Spray. Our recipe is made with gentle Hydrosols that can help soothe and protect baby’s delicate rear end. Keep in mind that since Hydrosols are naturally a little fragile, this spray should be made in small batches, and used up within a few weeks every time. Be careful to keep the bottle clean, and the spray free from contamination. If you’d like to make a larger batch, consider storing the extra in your refrigerator. You can re-fill your sprayer bottle as needed.
Natural Diapering Spray
Makes 4 ounces
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Witch Hazel Hydrosol
- 1 ounce Yarrow Hydrosol
- 1 ounce Lavender Hydrosol
Directions
Mix the Hydrosols together in a spray bottle. Shake well.
Usage & Packaging
This spray is best packaged in a Glass or Aluminum Sprayer Bottle. Keep a spray bottle handy on your changing table or in your diaper bag. This recipe can be doubled or tripled, but a larger amount should be kept in the refrigerator for long-term storage.
To use, spritz your homemade wipes lightly with the spray. Use the moistened wipes to gently cleanse your baby’s bottom. Follow with a light coating of natural baby oil or natural baby balm.
How to Make Re-Usable Baby Wipes
Makes about 20 to 28 wipes wipes
You’ll need:
- 1 yard of flannel
- 1 yard of terrycloth
- Matching thread
- Scissors or a rotary cutter with mat
- Rulers
- Sewing machine or serger (for finishing)
Directions
This process is very easy, even more so with the help of a serger.
- Start out by cutting eight-inch squares from both your flannel and terrycloth fabrics.
- Lay one square of flannel on top of one square of terrycloth, wrong sides in, right sides out.
- Using a tight zig-zag stitch, machine sew around the entire outer edge of each square, or use a serger to finish the edges.
- Snip of any dangling fabric or thread with a pair of scissors.
- Wash the finished wipes in hot water, then dry them on a normal setting with no fabric softener or dryer sheets.
Usage & Laundering
Spritz the wipes with plain water, or with a natural diapering spray, like the one shown above. Gently wipe baby’s bum clean, then discard the wipe into your laundry pile.
Wipes should be washed at high heat with your preferred baby laundry detergent. Never use fabric softener or dryer sheets when laundering your wipes, as the residue will make them less absorbent.Â
More Resources
Check out the following tutorials from other blogs for more ideas on how to create your own cloth wipes:
- Flannel Baby Wipes Tutorial | Sew Much 2 Love
- Handmade Cloth Wipes | Like a Bird
- DIY Cloth Wipe Tutorial | Modern Alternative Mama
- Homemade Cloth Baby Wipes No-Sew Tutorial | My Merry Messy Life
- Make Your Cloth Wipes Pop-Up | Dirty Diaper Laundry
- Re-Usable Baby Wipes from Recycled T-Shirts | Instructables
