….and breathe… school finished for Summer, babysitting day done, baby fed! As promised, here is my guide to cloth baby wipes. They are basically re-usable wipes that you wash instead of throw away. If you’re using cloth nappies they’re the perfect accompaniment, or if you can’t go the whole hog, every little helps.
So, what’s the point of using cloth wipes and what are the benefits?
- Saves money
- Less impact on the environment through landfill reduction, manufacturing and fuel impact from distribution
- Can be softer and less cold for baby
- No chemicals
Any drawbacks to using cloth wipes?
- Mess! Especially if using religiously for poos as well
- A slight increase in washing
There are lots of different cloth wipes you can buy – gender-specific, cute patterns, plain white, rainbow colours (I love a rainbow) and to suit all budgets. You can buy cloth wipes from Amazon very reasonably, Ebay and baby stores. Any soft cotton flannel will do the job.
You can also make your own if you’re handy with a sewing machine – there are lots of online tutorials, especially on Pinterest – or just buy a load of small soft flannels. It’s a good idea to have some for the face and some for the bottom and keep them separate!
Do I need any equipment to start?
Just keep it simple. You’ll need a couple of small wet bags, a spray bottle and your favourite essential oil if you want a perfume to your cloth wipes. Some essential oils are good for their soothing properties for nappy rash too.
You can buy kits like the Cheeky wipes kit or their Mini Kit, which include all you might need including the essential oil. You can also make your own up as I did. Mine consists of a small wet bag which I got from Little Sunshine Hut on eBay, a reasonably priced UK company, but there are plenty out there.
I got my wipes from Tiny Nippers, I can’t find the company anymore but these ones are very similar. The bamboo side I use to wipe and the patterned fleece side to dry. I bought a spray bottle for water – you could just run the wipes under a tap when you’re going to use them but there may not always be a handy tap especially out and about! Some people pre-soak the wipes in a water/essential oil solution before leaving the house and carry them in the wet bag or a Tupperware box, but I found that this can leave them smelling a bit musty when you come to use them.
I experimented with the essential oil blend to use in the water and in the end, I went for a blend of
- Lavender for it’s soothing and calming properties
- Sweet Orange for the aroma
- Bergamot for the uplifting quality
It makes a lovely smell and I just spray some on to my wipe and some directly on his bottom (which he loves!), it makes nappy changing more pleasant!
It all fits in the wet bag and then once I’ve used any wipes they can go in my nappy wet bag. If you’re just using cloth wipes then you’ll need another wet bag or a carrier bag for the used wipes.
I’d love to hear from any cloth nappy/wipe users, what do you use?
