GETTING STARTED

You can make your own baby wipes using items you probably already have on hand—baby wash, baby oil, pure clean water and fabric scraps or recycled paper napkins or paper towels.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 20-25 fabric scraps that have been cut into 6”x6” squares OR 80-85 recycled paper napkins OR 1 roll recycled paper towels (We used a recycled flannel sheet.)
• 2 ¼ cups water
• 2 tablespoons natural baby oil, such as Baby Bee Apricot Oil by Burt’s Bees
• 2 tablespoons natural baby shampoo or baby wash
• 1-2 drops essential oil, such as lavender or tea tree (optional)
• Resealable airtight container, approximately 3” tall by 4” deep by 7” wide

Step 1

Bring 2 ¼ cups water to a boil, remove from heat, and gently stir in 2 tablespoons baby oil and 2 tablespoons biodegradable baby shampoo or baby wash. Add 1-2 drops essential oil, if desired. Let cool.

Step 2

If using cloth, cut fabric into 6”x6” squares and fold them in half. Or, if using recycled paper napkins, fold each napkin in half. If using recycled paper towels, tear individual towels from the roll and fold to fit your container. (Paper towels vary in size depending on the manufacturer.)

Tip — If you’re buying new fabric to make diaper wipes, flannel made of 100 percent cotton is a good choice because of its softness. Or, consider recycling worn-out sheets, towels or T-shirts instead. If you plan on washing and re-using cloth wipes, you can prevent fraying by machine stitching the edges of your 4”x8” fabric pieces before using them, or you could sew two pieces together for added durability.

Step 3

Stack fabric scraps or recycled paper napkins or recycled paper towels in the resealable airtight container.

Tip — If you have previously purchased commercially made baby wipes, you can wash and reuse the container for your homemade eco-friendly wipes.

Step 4

Slowly pour the cooled mixture of soap, water, and oil over the wipes that have been stacked in the resealable container.

Step 5

Close the lid of your resealable container and let the liquid mixture soak in overnight. The next morning, your wipes will be uniformly moistened and ready to use.

Suggestion — If you’re using cloth diapers as well as cloth baby wipes, you can soak the used wipes in your diaper pail along with the diapers.