DIY baby wipes

[Heaven]

I don't like all the chemicals in baby wipes and want to stop using them, help!
I was thinking of buying some cheap chux wipes from aldi and chopping them in half as suggested in another thread (thanks Ali) and using them. Just putting them in the huggies container I already have with something (water and what?). Then I can just chuck them coz they're cheap or wash if i really want.

So what do I put in with the water?

[Pandora]

Do you need to put anything in with the water? Id try water on its own first and see how that goes?

Im making some flannel/velour cloth ones and was just planning to use them with water..

[Lady-bug]

I just use a really small amount of baby wash-the same as we use in the bath. You can also use camomile (sp) tea which is really good to heal nappy rash.

[Heaven]

Yeah I was just thinking water but was wondering if it was better with something else, or something that smells good. Which probably means its bad for them anyway, lol.

[Pandora]

you could put some oil in with it (olive etc. or nut oils if you have tested them out to make sure theres no allergy)
I couldnt use washes or anything with DS because he had dry sensitive skin.

[sneakysparkle]

before the girls were on solids I just used cotton wool balls and water
water works great!

[Heaven]

Thanks guys!
I may as well just use water then I think, definitely nothing bad in there! lol.
I tried cotton buds but they were too small and I got poo on me!! pmsl.

Now all I have to worry me is the chemicals in the disposables

[Shanti]

Sara - simple! Go to MCNs

As for the wipes, DH and I made our own... we sewed some flannel cloth (terry flats cut up!) and fleece material and sewed them together... simple and easy and I'm not that good on the sewing machine either!

We only use wipes on her butt when she does a poo... if it's a wee we don't use anything or we just use a tissue and no nappy rash here....

We use huggies wipes and yeah.... I feel bad using them at times but they are so handy when out and about!!!

[Arimeh]

I cut up a bit of old flanelette sheet and a shirt of DH's and got some better ones from people that know what they are doing.

SO I scrap off the bulk of the poo with my crappy homemade ones - and then finish off with the nice soft stuff.

And I only use water

[Shanti]

Mel - what do you use when you're out and about???

[Arimeh]

Sorry Ren, didn't see this last night.

I have a little huggies container (you know the travel ones?) but now I have an Oi Oi one from the bag that a beautiful BB Member sent me.

Anyhoo - if I'm going somewhere that has water - like a friends place or shopping centre - I'll just take a few wipes. If I'm going somewhere where I'm not sure about water (which is RARE) I'll add a bit of water to the wipes before putting them in the container. Or take a bottle of water with me.

Mind you, I've only just started doing it out and about cos we had disposable wipes here that we used just for that reason (well until DH brought some the other day and decided to use them for poos instead, so I used them for poos just to get rid of them.. LOL)

[Maruschke]

Sara, wanna try some mcn's? I have one or two that are going to be too big for my newborn for quite a while.

I'm prepared with some home made wipes too, cut up terry squares, and I'll cut up the flannel when she stops using them to make more. I also bought a few cute double sided ones off ebay (can't for the life of me remember what fabric is on what side). I have bought enough huggies wipes to go with the two boxes of newborn nappies that we have, and will use the empty containers to carry around the cloth wipes.

I have heaps of terry nappies that I won't use. If you want them to cut up into wipes just let me know and I'll do a delivery .

[Sammiejane]

i boil up some calandula flower tea and some chamomile tea (antiseptic and soothing combination) and add that to the water.
As wipes i just buy a metre of fleece from spotlight (about $9) and cut it up. they wash really well - i actually bought 2 metre, in 2 diff colours, one for liners and one for wipes.
Fantastic buy,, so cheap and never had a problem

[Heaven]

Ooh....thanks for all the tips everyone!!

oscaroscar- Thankyou! I was thinking about MCNs but I don't think I could do it when she's this little, she goes through so many a day it would drive me mental. Am thinking I might give it a try when she's a bit older. I would never keep up with the washing, lol.

[Maruschke]

No worries Sara .

[Kazbah]

Spotlight & BigW both have packs of 10 washers quite cheap, I prefer the spotters washers, they are more like traditional washers for $5, the bigW washers are more like single-sided terry which isn't as "grabby" as the towel washers.

I just use water most of the time, if I go out I have a small water bottle (pop-top kids one, got it off a plane flight) that I take with me, or I'll dampen the washers at home and put it in a ziplock bag. Used wipes go into the nappy bag to wash.

TBH, I found the chux great as liners, but not as wipes, the poop squishes through them onto your hands too easily, specially if its not-particularly solid poo.