I’ve done my fair share of cloth diaper changes over the years. Like any concerned mom I opted for baby wipes I thought were safe and healthy for little ones. It turns out many baby wipes aren’t what they seem. So instead I came up with these DIY baby wipes with natural ingredients (plus they’re much cheaper!).

What’s Wrong With Diaper Wipes?

Ever checked the ingredients on your baby wipes? Yeah, I hadn’t either. Terms like “Fresh Scent,” “natural”,” and “sensitive skin” made me think I was choosing a healthy option. Instead many of these wipes are hiding ingredients like artificial fragrances (yep, even the unscented wipes). Then there are the harsh preservatives and parabens that can cause diaper rash on baby’s skin.

Even my favorite Huggies Cucumber and Green Tea wipes weren’t much better. At the time their ingredients were linked with issues including cancer risk, allergies, and developmental problems. I used these wipes for years, figuring that if they were made for a baby’s bum, they must be safe. Apparently not!

Since then many brands, including the big players have come a long way in cleaning up their ingredient lists. But there are still plenty of baby wipes out there with sketchy ingredients.

Non-Toxic Baby Wipes

After finding out what was actually in baby wipes I searched for healthier alternatives. There are some good ones, especially with the growing demand for better, healthier products. A lot of these options are more expensive than the typical baby wipes though.

If you’re too busy to make your own baby wipes, thankfully there’s a growing list of good options! Here are some different brands that meet my healthy mama standards.

Make Homemade Baby Wipes

I stumbled on some recipes for homemade baby wipes, but they suggested baby oil, baby shampoo, and baby lotion. Baby oil may sound gentle, but it’s mineral oil, a byproduct of the gasoline industry. Baby wash and the other ingredients in these products have their own health concerns.

I figured if you could make your own with those ingredients, you could make a healthy version too!

Homemade Baby Wipes Recipe

After much trial and error (mainly error), I finally have a great baby wipes solution recipe. After using it on several kids for years, I haven’t had any issues with skin irritation.

A side benefit to my wipe making experiment is that homemade wipes are much cheaper. When I buy ingredients in bulk, the wipes end up costing way less. This saved us a ton when I had several in diapers. Healthier and cheaper- I’ll take it!

There are several ways to make your own homemade baby wipes. When I first started I used a plastic storage container and paper towels. Later on, I switched to cloth wipes for a reusable wipes version. The homemade wipes solution works with either option. It just depends on what you have and what you want to use.

I’ve included directions for the healthy (but less eco-friendly) version below too in case you want disposable wipes.

Reusable DIY Baby Wipes

There are several different reusable wipe options – no sewing required! You can cut up old receiving blankets and t-shirts into 9×9 (or larger) squares. Old baby washcloths work too. Fold them into an old baby wipes container and pour the wipes mixture onto them. You can also spray it on each wipe with a spray bottle before using.

If you want to buy premade fabric wipes, there are lots of options on Amazon and online. These organic flannel wipes are super soft.

Double Duty Wipes

This has been one of my most fun homemade discoveries. These wipes are definitely kid approved. My kids loved smelling them whenever I pulled them out to clean the baby. And then they’d try to steal one and use it to clean things. Guess I’ve instilled this a little too well. We’ve discovered these wipes also clean tile, counters, leather, and flooring. They leave a residue on stainless steel though.

I also make a lavender essential oil or tea tree oil version. These are great for all-purpose disinfecting when we’re traveling and as reusable makeup removal wipes for me.

This tutorial takes very little time and is a great alternative to store-bought wipes.

Homemade Baby Wipe Ingredients and Materials

I use either distilled water or water that’s been boiled and then cooled in these. Tap water will work, but it can quickly grow microbes. If you use your wipes within several days then boiled and cooled regular water can work.

A plastic container works well to store the wipes. My preferred option was the red Rubbermaid round container, but you can also use an old plastic coffee container or gallon ice cream bucket. When I first made these I used paper towels and the round, plastic containers fit them best. Since then we’ve switched away from using plastic.

If you’re using reusable cloth wipes, then a repurposed diaper wipes container or silicone bag does the job. These are nice for storing a few wipes at a time in the diaper bag for quick clean-up jobs. And if you’re using the spray bottle and cloth wipes option, then you can just keep the wipes in a basket on the changing table.

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