Wipes solutions are so easy to make and can save you money too! Use them to clean sticky hands and dirty faces, as well as dirty bottoms. Unlike commercial wipes, these recipes do not contain alcohol or chemicals and they smell good. Use these recipes on wet wipes or make your own disposable wipes and save even more money! To make disposable wipes, cut high-quality paper towels in half or leave them whole for full-size wipes.
Common Ingredients of Cloth Wipes Solution:
Many wet wipe recipes contain similar main ingredients, which are used for the same reason in each recipe. These are the common ingredients and why they are included:
- Oil: Helps the wipe glide on the baby’s skin and keeps it soft.
- Soap: Cleanses removing all traces of urine and feces.
- EO: (Essential Oil) Added for antibacterial and / or aromatherapy purposes.
- Water: The main ingredient in each recipe, cleans the diaper area and dilutes the other ingredients.
The type and amounts of oil, soap, EC and water included in a recipe is what gives each cloth solution its own distinctive “personality”. Have fun trying different recipes until you find the one you like best!
How to use wet wipe solutions
When mixing solutions, it is best to start with oil and finish with water. The oil will coat your measuring tools so the soap drains off right away. Make sure to add the water slowly or you’ll end up with a ton of bubbles! Most of the time it is easiest to gently mix the wipes solution in a bottle with a lid and then pour it into the storage container.
There are many different ways to store and apply wipe solutions to your wipes, try some of the following ideas to find the one that works best for your family. You may find that one system works very well at home and another works very well outside the home. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Use a spray bottle to spray the baby’s bottom or wipes. (For the baby’s comfort, we prefer to spray the wipes)
- Use a bottle with a removable spout (like bottled water bottles) to drip the solution onto the wipes.
- Heat the solution and place it in an insulated container to provide warm baby wipes.
- Place the solution in a commercial baby wipe container and dip the wipes in the solution.
- Place cloth wipes in a commercial baby wipe container and pour the wipe solution over the wipes.
- A commercial container of baby wipes can be placed in a wipe warmer to provide warm and cozy wipes for the baby.
Do not store the solution or wet wipes for a long time because they can get moldy and the wet wipes can even develop mold, ewww! Check your solution and wipes daily, and mix smaller batches of solution frequently rather than large batches less frequently to avoid moisture. We mix fresh solution once a week, store it in a bottled water bottle, and haven’t had any moisture problems.
Cloth Wipes Solution Recipes
Chamomile and almond
Soak the tea bags in the hot water and then add the oil.
2 chamomile tea bags
2 teaspoons of almond oil
2 cups of hot water
Antifungal
Skip the vinegar if the baby has a skin rash.
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon calendula oil
A few drops of lavender oil
A few drops of tea tree oil.
1/4 cup 100% aloe vera gel
1 cup of water
Also antifungal
Similar to the other anti-fungal recipe, but less vinegar and water.
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon calendula oil
A few drops of lavender oil
A few drops of tea tree oil.
1/4 cup 100% aloe vera gel
1/2 cup of water
Basic cleaning solution
This basic recipe can be adapted by changing the type of soap or oil.
1/2 cup baby oil
1/2 cup baby soap
2 cups of water
Castile solution
Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap comes in several delicious scents!
1 tablespoon almond, apricot, or other oil
1 tablespoon Dr Bronner’s Castile Liquid Soap
2 drops of tea tree oil
1 drop of lavender oil
1 cup of water
Chamomile and honey
Make the tea, add the honey, and drink the leftovers!
1 chamomile tea bag
1 teaspoon of honey
1 cup of boiling water
Easy peasy
Just three simple ingredients …
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons baby soap
1 1/2 cups of water
Eight is great
Ingredients similar to other recipes, but in different amounts.
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1/8 cup liquid baby soap
8 drops of lavender oil
4 drops of tea tree oil
2 cups of water
Fruit and vegetable
Dr. Bronner’s soaps can often be found in organic markets.
1 teaspoon fruit or vegetable oil (apricot, olive, grape seed, etc.)
1 tablespoon vegetable soap (such as Dr. Bronner’s liquid castile)
1 teaspoon of 100% aloe vera gel
1 cup of water
Only one
Only one “something” of each ingredient for this recipe.
1 chamomile tea bag
1 teaspoon of oil
1 teaspoon baby shampoo or bath
1 drop of lavender oil
1 cup of hot water
Lavender and tea tree
Lavender and tea tree are popular AE choices for wipe solutions.
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon baby shampoo
4 drops of tea tree oil
8 drops of lavender oil
3 cups of water
Lanolin and glycerin
Lanolin and glycerin hydrate without oil.
1 tablespoon of liquid glycerin
1/4 teaspoon liquid lanolin (100% pure)
1 tablespoon baby soap
1-3 drops of EO
4 cups of water
Lotion potion
Baby lotion adds more softening power to this solution.
1 tablespoon of baby oil
1 tablespoon baby soap
1 tablespoon baby lotion
1 cup of water
Magic baby
Baby Magic products are usually easy to find in local stores.
1/2 cup Baby Magic oil
1/2 cup Baby Magic wash
2 cups of water
Without measuring
Don’t measure for this one, just calculate the quantities.
2 jets of baby oil
2 baby wash jets
1 drop of EO
1 cup of water (approximately)
Olive tree and tea
A great natural wipes solution.
1/4 cup olive oil (extra virgin not necessary)
1/8 cup soft baby bath
A few drops of tea tree oil.
4 cups of water
Shampoo style
Baby shampoo works just as well as baby soap.
1 tablespoon of baby oil
2 teaspoons baby shampoo
2 1/2 cups of water
No soap
This recipe relies on EO to clean, rather than using soap.
1-2 drops of tea tree oil
1-2 drops of lavender oil
1 cup of water
Crazy Apricot Solution
One of our favorites, apricot oil smells divine!
1 tablespoon apricot oil
1 tablespoon unscented baby soap
3 cups of water
Wacky Lavender Solution
Our other favorite, lavender soothes us and our son.
1 tablespoon of baby oil
1 tablespoon lavender scented baby soap
2-3 drops of lavender oil
3 cups of water
