Converting to cloth baby wipes

Although I’ve been using cloth nappies since our daughter was born we’ve still been using disposable wipes. When Baby T was born, I decided to ditch the disposables and convert to cloth wipes, almost exclusively.

My main issue with cloth wipes was the convenience. The disposable wipes were pre-moistened and worked really efficiently to wipe up the icky stuff. I thought that cloth wipes were dry and required you to wet them when required. I recently discovered a solution, and I’m pretty chuffed.

I bought these Grovia cloth wipes because they fold to fit the Huggies container – the one with the rubber opening. They worked out at about $1 for each wipe. The wipes I was using cost about 5 cents each. If you bought really cheap ones on special they might be as cheap at 2 cents each. I wash them in a load with nappies that I would be running anyway, so it won’t take too long before I’m in front.

To fold the wipes I place one wipe down, then another along the halfway point.

I then fold the bottom one over the top at the same middle point.

Then another wipe is placed on top

And again, the previous folded above that.

Continue the process until you have folded 16 wipes

Then you move onto making up the solution. I put about one and a half cups of hot water in the wipes container, mixed with  a tablespoon of vegetable oil, a squirt of baby wash and a few drops of an essential oil blend for fragrance. I love the smell of Perfect Potion’s Beautiful Baby Hush Blend, so I use that, but fragrance isn’t necessary.

I whisk the solution up quickly, then put the wipes in before the mix separates. I’ve found that the best method is to put one end in until half the liquid is absorbed then the other end until it is all absorbed. If you just put the wipes in horizontally then the bottom ones get sopping wet while the top ones stay dry.

Once they are in there, they pop up nicely through the rubber baffle, just like the disposable wipes.

I have about 60 wipes and I’ve found that to be about the right number so that we never run out. Other people probably don’t require that many, but we have 2 kids in nappies and they are frequent pooers.

This system has passed the cynical husband test. Early on, his reaction was (and I quote) “Can’t we just be normal people and use disposables?”. Now he acknowledges that they genuinely work better than the Huggies. I still buy disposables for the nappy bag because they are more compact, but around the house I am very happy with the cloth.