{A natural companion}

Alright...

So, as a follow up to my {Yeah}{I cloth Diaper} and {Plus}{All the cool kids are doing it} posts from earlier this month, a few of you have shown interest in trying out cloth, and I have been asked to write a post about, what is to me, the most natural companion to cloth diapering --- cloth wipes.

Just like with cloth diapering, there are a MULTITUDE of benefits for using cloth wipes. It will not only save you money, but it really is a healthier option for that precious little bum you love so much. I'm not saying that using store bought disposable diapers and wipes are THE WORST THINGS you could do for your child, but the benefits of switching to cloth far out-weigh the mere convenience of disposables, and honestly in our world which is saturated with toxicity, it's refreshing to take control and make healthier choices when possible --- So, if you're interested in giving it a try, this is what you need to know ---it's my cloth ONE-TWO-PUNCH to help you get started...

THE WIPE...

You can either buy cloth wipes like this or this, which are made out of materials that are soft, absorbent (like you only need 1 wipe per mess... NO JOKE), and durable enough to withstand wash-after-wash. You can find cloth wipes in a variety of fabrics that range from cotton to hemp to fleece to bamboo fiber, or, if you're crafty, you can make your own wipes from things like old receiving blankets.

THE SOLUTION...

Truthfully, you can just use water --- Lots of moms do --- but if you want some kind of solution to help cleanse, soothe, etc., there are endless possibilities. I make Brontë's wipe solution, and have tried out different recipes, and enjoy tweaking them in different ways for curiosities sake. There are really simple recipes, and very elaborate time consuming recipes... but the first step is trying to figure out what you want out of your solution.

Do you want it to be as easy as possible? As natural as possible? Do you want it to smell like your little one just got back from a baby day spa everytime you change their messy little diapee? Do they have sensitive skin? Do you want a soapless or oil-free solution? This is where the beauty is in making your own solution --- you, as the alpha mom you are, get to have the final say of what's ok and what's not ok for YOUR baby.

THE GUIDELINES...

By combing the web, you'll find there are a few quidelines you will want to keep in mind... basic building blocks to making your own solution usually include 1) a cleansing agent --- ie baby wash, shampoo, etc. 2) oil --- baby oil, grapeseed oil, olive oil, etc. 3) and water.

Other ingredients that can be utilized are: essential oils such as Lavender, Tea Tree, Grapefruit extract etc. which are great because they help make your solution smell heavenly, and they have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties; Aloe Vera, chamomile and green teas, and even honey.

THE RECIPE...

Here's a recipe you can try with me. For this solution, I am using Aveeno Baby wash, Aloe Vera, Vitamin E, Tea Tree and Lavender essential oils. I'm making a large batch {12 cups} but the proportions are 1 TBSP of Baby wash, 1 TBSP of Aloe Vera, 1 Capsule of Vitamin E, 2 drops of tea tree and 2 drops of Lavender per every 2 cups of water.

I usually boil water for my solution to minimize any germs or bacteria that may have, by chance, found their way into our tap.

Pre-soaking your wipes in the solution is not necessary, but I personally prefer to pre-soak, because I use a wipe warmer, and think Brontë prefers this extra step {who wouldn't prefer a warm - wet - fleece - wipe for their tooshie --- RIGHT???} But, you could very easily keep your solution in a spray bottle on your changing station, right next to a stack of dry cloth wipes and just spray each before use.

After soaking the wipes, I put them in a warmer, and fold them to "pop" up like disposables do. However, this is totally not necessary... You could roll them, fold them or even just scrunch them into little balls --- it's really about what will be most practical for you, but if you think the pop up method will be most practical, you can click here for a video I found showing how to do it --- it's really easy, and DOES NOT take very long at all.

This is really the perfect way to take cloth wipes on the go --- you could moisten the wipes ahead of time, but they may get mildewed if you're not using them everyday. I definitely do not use my on the go wipes everyday, so the spray bottle works best for me.

I usually make way more solution than I need, and then refrigerate the left overs to use next time --- the next time --- and the next time ;-)

Have fun giving it a try! Let me know what you think!

Additional F.Y.I.

Click here and here for some great wipe solution recipes, give a few a try and then try some improvisations... just keep in mind what you want out of your solution, and make sure the ingredients you pick reflect that.


To find out about some of the heath concerns related to chemicals used in conventional baby wipes and other commonly used products, please click here