Before Grant was born, I knew I wanted to use cloth diapers. Not only would we be cutting down on waste, and saving money, but I felt it was the healthier option for a product he would spend so much time in. And yet, I knew the newborn weeks would likely be hard as we transitioned into parenthood.
So while I had a few varieties of cloth diapers on hand to try out, purchased secondhand on Craigslist, I also had some backup disposable diapers made of compostable bamboo. It was definitely helpful to have both options, though we quickly grew to prefer the cloth diapers.
From the very start, we used cloth baby wipes. At first, we just ran the wipes underwater when we needed to do a change. Then, as diaper changes became more frequent, I pre-wet the wipes and rolled them up in a latch-top jar. However, water alone seemed to irritate his bottom as I had to rub harder to get his bum clean.
After some research, I found that to be both effective and gentle, baby wipes need three ingredients: a gentle soap cleanser, oil and essential oil. The essential oil is really optional, but I’ve found that certain oils can help with skin irritation, like baby rash.
My recipe is super simple, and I make the wipes every 2-3 days and place them in a wipe warmer.
3-Ingredient Zero Waste Baby Wipes
INGREDIENTS
- Castile Soap ( I used this bar, but you could also use liquid or another gentle cleanser)
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 5-10 drops of Tea Tree Oil (anti-fungal properties help with diaper rash)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place wipes in large bowl.
- Place soap bar on top of wipes and run hot water over the soap and wipes, or pump 1-2 tbsp of liquid soap over the wipes while water is running.
- Remove soap bar (if using).
- Pour about 1 tbsp of olive oil into bowl.
- Add a 5-10 drops on tea tree oil into bowl.
- Squeeze and roll each wipe to remove water.
- Place in wipes warmer of glass latch top jar.
The wipes last me about 2-3 days. I wouldn't go longer than three days, as wipes will start to smell musty.