I love that its way better for the environment and we literally aren't throwing away money! I started cloth wipes because regular baby wipes were irritating Jaxons yeast rash that I have been trying to get rid of.
I have been doing it for a couple weeks and I have it down to a routine that is great for me.
When I first started cloth wipes I just went to Wal-Mart and bought a $4 fleece baby blanket and cut it up into wipes and got about 25 of them. I thought that was working ok.. I wasn't really diggin the fleece fabric though. It was kind of thick.
So my mom found a 10 pack of Gerber wash cloths and sent them to me and they are PERFECT!
Here is my Wash Routine
There are SO MANY details when it comes to washing cloth diapers. Even though this is my cloth wipe routine it is very similar or exactly how I will wash my cloth diapers (and I will be washing the wipes and dipes together) when I can start using them again (my baby has a yeast rash right now and we are back in sposies until this rash is completely gone for at least a week)
I have spent many hours researching all of my information. I really recommend you do the same because not all washers and dryers are created equal and there are very specific detergents you should and shouldn't use. Just for my sanity, I am going to explain exactly how I do my wash routine without all the details of exactly why. Google is your friend. I have a frontload which isn't ideal for cloth diapers but you can make it work. Once again, just do your research.. If your are interested in Cloth diapers, start here.. Cloth 101
- Dirty wipes in the Wetbag. After I use a wipe this is where it goes..
- I empty the wipes into the washer and throw in my wetbag also. Yep, those are poopy wipes right into my washer.. I do a wash every two days or when my wipes run out. That is about how long 10 wipes will last me and you don't want the dirty wipes sitting too long due to bacteria growing.
- I use Tide for my cloth diapers and wipes. Make sure you research which detergents are safe for cloth diapers before you wash them at all. I don't use a lot of detergent at all. I didn't even use all the detergent in this cup.
- I have really hard water so I need to use Calgon water softener. (There is a reason to use water softener for the diapers definitely figure out if you would need to)
- High efficiency front loading machines are great because they don’t use much water, but they can cause a big problem because of that too. Not using enough water to wash and rinse your diapers and/or cloth wipes can cause serious residue problems. So I start the washer and let it run for a minute and I go fill up this bucket, I have to add water to the cycle. I fill it up twice.
- I add a few drops of Tea Tree Oil to one of my buckets of water before I pour it in the washer. Just a few drops! And you probably don't have to add this to every single wash.. Maybe once a week
- Pause your cycle and pour the water in.
- Start your cycle and your good to go!
- Don't forget to check on baby ;) He was facing the completely other way when I started. He is starting to spin around and move so much!
Ok back to laundry :)
- I grab my wipe warmer and take it to the kitchen. I give it a good wipe with a dry cloth. Inside and out.
- Washer is done. I line dry my wipes outside. The sun is GREAT for naturally bleaching any stains out. And its cute and its save energy from not using the dryer!
How I make my Cloth Wipe Solution
The first time I made my wipes I just used super hot tap water plus my 'ingredients'. After the first day the clean wipes would leave a musty smell on your hands after you used it. So the next time I decided to boil my water first and the smell that was there last time was gone!
I have scoured the internet looking for wipe solutions (and there are TONS trust me) and and I feel like mine is super easy compared to some.. I don't use hard to find oils etc.
Everything I have you can find at Wal-Mart. This brand of coconut oil isn't my first choice but its what I could find at Wal-Mart right where the vitamins are. I found the Tea Tree Oil over where the gauze wraps are and the Lotrimin creams are right in front of the pharmacy. And the Burts Bees Baby wash is in the baby section.
For my solution I use:
- Boiled water
- Extra virgin Coconut Oil Unrefined
- Tea Tree Oil
- Burts Bees BABY wash
- 10 Gerber baby washcloths
- Wipe Warmer
- Boil a little over a cup of water and then let it sit on the stove and cool down to just hot water. Needs to be hot/cool enough to be able to put your hand in it without your hand burning off. Common sense....
- Pour your hot water in your Tupperware container.
- Use a spoon (teaspoon) and scoop out a heaping spoonful of coconut oil.
- Stir in your coconut oil until it is dissolved
- Pour in a few DROPS of Tea Tree Oil. You don't need much of this stuff its potent.
- I do about 5 quick squirts of the Burts Bees baby wash onto the spoon. Give your solution a good mixing with the spoon.
- Soak your cloth completely in the solution
- Give your cloth one good squeeze... throw it into the wipe warmer.
- I usually have just a tiny bit of solution left over so I pour a bit on top of the wipes and pour the rest underneath all the wipes in the warmer.
- I go plug my warmer back in on my changing table and that's it!
I hope I might have convinced just at least one person to switch to cloth wipes and was able to show how easy it really is! My solution is simple and quick and nothing to be intimidated by :) Trust me, once you start you will love it!
I also have to add that what I can clean up with ONE cloth wipe would take me at least three regular baby wipes!
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