If you cloth diaper, then you might as well use cloth wipes too! You can purchase cloth wipes almost anywhere that sells cloth diapers, use washcloths or even cut up a few of those receiving blankets that are way too small to do anything else with. But you can’t clean a baby’s bottom very well with a dry wipe, so what do you do?
There are many great sprays and solutions you can use with cloth wipes, from store bought sprays to plain old water, and everything in-between. My personal favorite is homemade cloth wipe solutions, they can be easily made with just a few simple ingredients and customized to meet your baby’s individual needs. I’ve been using homemade cloth wipe solutions since our first baby was born over 12 years ago, even longer than we’ve been using cloth diapers! All of our children had sensitivities to the chemicals in commercial baby wipes, so over the years I’ve collected and created many different homemade wipe solutions.
Below you’ll find a variety of cloth wipe solution recipes, along with some tips I think you’ll find helpful as you experiment with the different solutions and find a cloth wipe regimen that works for you.
Photo Credit: Our Little Monkeys
Storing & Applying Cloth Wipe Solutions
There are several different ways to store and apply cloth wipe solutions. I personally prefer to use a spray bottle to apply the solution directly on to baby’s bum, and then simply wipe it dry with a cloth wipe. Here are some of the other ways people choose to use cloth wipes, the best thing to do is experiment a bit and find which method works best for you…
- Use a spray bottle to apply the solution directly on to baby’s bum & then wipe dry (as I mentioned above). Or alternatively, you can use the spray bottle to moisten a dry wipe, and then use the wipe to clean baby’s bum just as you would with disposables.
- Use a bottle with a pull-up spout (see picture below) to dribble the solution onto your cloth wipe just before each use.
- Place the solution into a traditional baby wipe container and dip cloth wipes into the solution.
- Place cloth wipes in a traditional baby wipe container and pour solution over wipes so they are already damp and ready to go. If you choose this method I suggest adding a small amount of tea tree oil to your solution to prevent bacteria growth & mildew.
- For on-the-go, I put a few pre-moistened cloth wipes into a reusable sandwich bag or mini wetbag and toss them in the diaper bag. (You could also use a zip-lock bag, but I prefer the eco-friendly route.)
- Oil- Helps the wipe slide across baby’s skin and also helps keep the skin nice and soft. (I recommend Badger Organic Baby Oil)
- Soap- Cleanses the skin, helping remove both “liquid and solid matter”.
- Essential Oils: Offer both antibacterial & aromatherapy properties. (Only use pure essential oils, never synthetic) Bramble Berry, Essential Aura, Eden Botanicals, Aura Cacia, Alchemilla, The Ananda Apothecary & The Organic Witch are all great places to purchase pure, organic essential oils online. You can also find a good variety of quality essential oils at your local health food store.
- Water: Is the base of every cloth wipe solution, and helps dilute the other ingredients so they aren’t too harsh on baby’s delicate skin. (I recommend distilled water, but any will work)
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/2 cup soap or baby wash
- 2 cups water
Chamomile Tea & Lavender Solution
- 2 chamomile tea bags (steep in two cups of boiling water)
- 2 teaspoons Lavender Oil
- 1 tablespoon baby wash
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon calendula oil
- 5 drops lavender oil
- 5 drops tea tree oil
- 1/4 cup 100% aloe vera gel
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon calendula oil
- 5 drops lavender oil
- 5 drops tea tree oil
- 1/4 cup 100% aloe vera gel
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups (16 oz) water
- 2-5 drops Tea Tree oil
- 2-5 drops Lavender oil
- 1 teaspoon of your favorite baby wash (optional)
- 1 tablespoon apricot oil
- 1 tablespoon Dr Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap
- 2 drops tea tree oil
- 1 drop lavender oil
- 1 cup water
- 1/8 cup olive oil or baby oil
- 1 tablespoon lavender or regular baby wash
- 5 drops tea tree oil
- 10 drops lavender oil
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon baby oil
- 1 tablespoon baby soap
- 1 tablespoon baby lotion
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon baby oil
- 2 teaspoons baby wash (or baby shampoo)
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons baby wash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or 1 tablespoon calendula oil
- 2 drops tea tree oil
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup witch hazel
- 4 tablespoons aloe vera juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vinegar (White works best)
- 1 tablespoon baby oil
- 1 tablespoon lavender scented baby wash
- 2-3 drops lavender oil
- 3 cups water
- 2 drops tea tree oil
- 2 drops lavender oil
- 2 drops chamomile oil
- 2 Cups Water
- 1/4 teaspoon vitamin E oil or 2 vitamin E capsules emptied into solution
- 3 tablespoon jojoba oil
- 1 teaspoon tea tree oil
- 1 teaspoon chamomile oil
- 1 teaspoon lavender oil
- 1 teaspoon gernanium oil
- 3/4 cup witch hazel
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons baby shampoo or baby wash
- 1/4 cup aloe vera gel
- 1 tablespoon calendula oil
- 3 drops tea tree oil
- 3 drops rosemary oil
- 2 drops eucalyptus oil
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons Dr. Bronners (Castile Soap)
- 10 Drops argan oil
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 tablespoons baby wash or shampoo
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or mineral oil
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 1 cup of water
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon Dr. Bronners Liquid Castile Soap
- 2 cups hot water
- 1 teaspoon organic shea butter
- 1 tablespoon Dr. Bronners Liquid Castile Soap
- 3 drops tea tree oil
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash
- 1 tablespoon Badger Organic Baby Oil
- 5 drops lavender (or your favorite aromatic pure essential oil)
I buy all of my essential oils from Mountain Rose Herbs!
Using cloth wipes are a great way to further your efforts in living a sustainable lifestyle, and reduce your little one’s exposure to chemicals.
If you have any questions about getting started, or making any of the cloth wipe solution recipes please leave a comment & I’ll get back to you right away!
If you have a favorite cloth wipe solution you don’t see listed above, please leave a comment, or email your recipe to ecocrazymom@gmail.com and I would love to add it to the list!
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Hi….thanks for the natural recipes. I only use chemical free! By chance do you know how to make a good natural shampoo & conditioner? I am really having trouble finding a product that will work. I have very thick curly hair.
Thanks … love your blog
Have you heard of “Going Green Crafters and Artist” it is a blog dedicated to being “Green” it is an open blog where if you belong you can post. I am a member – your info would be great for the blog! I have a button on my blog – also I am always looking for GREEN bloggers! If you have a GREEN giveaway or know about one – please let me know. I only make GREEN items all of my art is recycled!
I have been Alexa Hopping on She Promotes all week – reading your blog – thought it was time I said Hello!
I left you a comment on your blog, I look forward to keeping in touch
~Terri
Dust are the one who can trigger our allergies so basically we set to it that the whole house is totally free from it and that anyone can’t touches real dusty material. It is my primarily rule as a mommy of an asthmatic child to get rid of dust and secure the whole place just to be able to have an assurance that my child won’t inhale it. Very tormenting but I guess it’s what I ought to do for the rest of my life.:)
Myrna recently posted..onion juice for hair regrowth
Hey Terri do you make your own cloth diaper detergent? What do you think of borax in these recipes? On wikipedia it says that borax may be toxic and lead to developmental problems in the testes especially in infants.
I only have a daughter as of now but want to know if this is true so I know if it is okay to try making my own. Thanks for any help.
To be honest, I have never heard that before! I’m will do some research, consult with some of my trusted fellow green bloggers and get back to you.
~Terri
Did you guys ever find out about this? I used borax to wash my (soon to be) newborns clothes.
I thought it was all natural
I would really like to know this as well.
Just out of curiosity…When you use any of the recipes with baby oil does it get onto the diapers and cause repelling issues over time? Do you have to strip more often then? I know most of the oils in your other recipes are CD safe; I was thinking of making the really simple baby oil/baby wash/water recipe. Thanks!
I had the same question about oils. Some websites I’ve visited say that essential oils can cause repelling issues, but they seem to be in most wipe recipes. I am pretty new to cloth diapering and have been looking for good wipe recipes to try out but am worried about repelling!
Have you all found a solution? If so, please share!
I use essential oils in my homemade diaper rash cream for my daughter and we have no repelling issues.
Thanks for this I haven’t see such a comprehensive list. I bookmarked it. I would also like to know about the oils and possible repellant/stripping needs. Thanks.
When I was cloth diapering my second (didn’t with my first) I did a slow transition into full time cding but used cloth wipes the whole time. I used a liquid cloth wipe solution that was concentrated (sold by Buddha Bunz) but chose the unscented version.
I started out using cloth just at home and during the day. Then started using them at night with a doubled hemp insert. Then started using them out of the home too. I don’t cd any more but still use cloth wipes as family cloth, but just for pee since I am no longer washing diapers.
Many powdered cd safe detergents use EO (or fragrance oil) as an additive to scent if requested by the customer.
I have a question for any families that use synthetic fiber diapers (bum genius). I’d like to start making my own wipe solution but understand that oil can negatively effect the absorbancy. To was the wipes with the diapers for ease of use I need a bum genius friendly solution. Suggestions?
I am not an expert but I can share my experience. I used cloth diapers (bum genius and other brands) and made my own cloth wipes too. My diapers were used a little over a year and will still be good for baby number 2 so I assume it did not dammage them too badly if it did!
My recipe (for about 24 cloth wipes) used a little less oil though:
2 teaspoons oil (grapeseed, coconut, olive…. what you like!)
2 teaspoons soap (what you use to wash the baby)
3-4 drops of essential oils (lavender or orange are good)
3 cups of boiled water.
Every so often, about twice a year, I washed the cleaned diapers in a cycle of hot water only.
It got rid of some excess soap that might have built up in there over time (which also reduces absobancy). I also used inserts most of the time after 7-8 months of age to catch the poo more easily. Maybe that also limited the contact with the oil?
Good luck!
I just started using cloth diaper wipes with my third baby (even though baby #2 is a toddler still in cloth diapers!) I’ve been using just water with the occasional spritz of BumGenius Bum Cleaner, but I’m quite interested in making my own wipe solution. Thanks for the recipes!
Suzi Satterfield (@ClothAddicts) recently posted..Making the Conversion to Cloth Wipes
Hey, I am new to cloth diapering and want to use cloth wipes as well. We use Fuzzibunz and I was curious if any of these recipes would work with those diapers? I think it may be the repelling that you all are mentioning above. Thanks so much!
Also, when you say baby wash, do you mean as in a Bert’s Bees baby wash? Thanks
Dear Heather,
We use Fuzzibunz in our house too (love them!) and any of the recipes should work just fine with them. Burts Bees baby wash is perfect to use! If you have any more questions please feel free to ask
~Terri
I’ve use Northern Essence wipes solution for 3 years and I love it. It comes in a concentrate and I mix it with water in a foaming bottle. It lasts us a long time that way. My LO love the foaming solution and ask to be squirt again.
We are new to CD. What can I use instead of Dr. Bronners Liquid Castile Soap? I would like to use the coconut oil solution. And will it have an affect on the cloth diapers? Thanks
Hi. I am a first time mom and deciding which wipe solution I would like to make. My concern is my sons circumcision. Is there a recommendation you would suggest until his circ heals? I am just concerned about the oils being an irritant.
Thanks so much!
Dear Rebecca,
I’d suggest just using plain water until he heals- just to be on the safe side!
~Terri
Rebecca,
Thanks for stopping bu Eco-Crazy Mom, we’re always happy to lend a hand! I’d suggest using plain water until your little guy heals- just to be on the safe side!
Smiles,
Terri