Wipe Solution and Baby Wipes
Whenever possible, use all-natural ingredients. Most ingredients in are available at health food stores. It’s fun to experiment and come up with your own recipe, too, by mixing & matching ingredients from the different recipes, or adding your own special touch.
MAIN INGREDIENTS:
- Water: Best to use distilled. Tap water goes moldy quickly.
- Soap: liquid soap (like Castile) are also recommended like burts baby bees soap or weleda baby soap or kiss my face
- Oil: A good non mineral oil so; vitamin E oil, weleda baby oil, etc. vegetable oil (apricot or sunflower)
- Fragrance & Other: Essential oils 2 drops are used both for their fragrance and other intrinsic properties specific to each oil – (i.e. tea tree oil-antibacterial). Vinegar is said to help slow down mold growth.
- Wipe materials: Use a high quality paper towels such as Viva or Bounty towels. Use an electric knife to cut the roll in half (2 short rolls) Some mothers use Scott shop towels which are more durable, (if you use the shop towels cut them into quarters) and place them in a recycled baby wipe container.
- I have a squirt bottle filled with our wipe solution. Squirt baby’s bottom then wipe with the dry tissues. Facial tissues are softer and much less expensive than paper towels (Puffs – 300 for $1.25) and you don’t have to bother with cutting the paper towels in half (which can get quite bothersome).
- Other moms may use old and stained diaper liners and/or diapers as bum-wipes. Store damp cut-up pieces in an old commercial wipe box or a Tupperware container We then toss them in the pail and wash with the diapers. The general size of cloth or flannel wipes is 8 inches by 6 inches. Simply a piece of cloth that has been serged or zigzag stitched around the edges.
GENERAL METHODS:
- For dry wipes: Simply mix the ingredients into a spray bottle, and use with flannel wipes or washcloths. I have even used fleece, though the cheaper kind will get pilly. The solution could be kept in a jar and cloth towels dipped in it.
- For wet wipes: You can use an empty commercial wipes container or any plastic lidded container. Mix the ingredients in a separate container. Place the wipes in the container, then add the solution, and invert a few times to make sure the wipes all get sufficiently moistened. Use just enough solution to moisten. Extra solution can generally be kept refrigerated. Use flannel wipes or heavy-duty paper towels for disposable wipes.( i.e. Bounty-cheaper ones will fall apart)
- For upright containers: To prepare a roll of paper towels to become baby wipes, cut it in half so you have two short rolls and remove the cardboard center. Place one short roll in airtight, water-proof container (like an old baby wipe box or 3qt. cylinder Rubbermaid/Tupperware container). Put the lid back on the box and turn it upside down so the solution is absorbed (10-15 min). If the container has a hole in the lid, thread the first towel from the *interior* of the roll up through the hole.
- For box type containers: Fold flannel wipes to fit or cut a roll of paper towels down the center with a knife. Tear the paper towels off and stack them up, folding to fit, ideally with a flap to make picking up each one easier. Place the stack of wipes or towels into the container, then add the solution and invert to moisten (10-15 min).
Variations for Wipe Solutions
The Original Recipe for Wipes
1/2 roll of paper towels (cut in half to make short rolls)
1/8 c. baby shampoo
1/8-c. non mineral oil
2 cups warm water
1 plastic container that the rolls fit in
Mix liquid ingredients gently. Pour mixture over one half of paper towel roll in container. Dispense wipes from center of roll.
Basic Wipes #1
1 ½ – 3 cups water
1/8 cup olive oil (apricot or sunflower too)
3-5 drops tea tree oil
8 drops lavender oil
Shake gently with 1 T (1/8 cup) baby shampoo (I like Mustela!)
Pour over either cloth wipes or 1/2 paper towel roll, or can be kept in a spray bottle near changing station.
Antifungal Baby Wipes
1/2 c. distilled water
1 tsp. vinegar
1/4 c. aloe vera gel
1 TBS. calendula oil
1 drop lavender essential oil
1 drop tea tree essential oil
I made these wipes because I wanted something to gently discourage yeast diaper rashes. The vinegar and essential oils discourage yeast growth which means you shouldn’t have too much trouble with these wipes getting moldy. To prepare, use a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Pour all your ingredients in, cover the jar and shake to blend the ingredients. Place your wipes in a container and pour on enough solution to moisten them. Store any extra solution in the fridge. It should stay fresh for a long time especially if you used distilled water. If a baby had a really red, raw diaper rash you might not want to use these wipes as vinegar may cause a burning sensation.
Basic Wipes #2
2 cups water
2 T. oil (I use baby oil or half baby oil and half calendula oil)
1 T. baby bath
1-2 drops Tea Tree oil
1-2 drops Lavender oil
Mix all ingredients together in a 3qt. cylinder Rubbermaid container. Then I place 1/2 roll of Bounty paper-towels (which I cut in half horizontally ahead of time with a sharp straight edge knife) down in mixture. Let sit a couple minutes, then pull out middle cardboard tube from paper-towel roll. Then flip paper-towels over in container and place lid on and within 10-15 min., the mixture is easily distributed and wipes will be ready for use!
Herbal Wipes
2 cups water
2 tsp. baby shampoo
1/4 cup aloe vera gel
1 tbsp. calendula oil
3 drops tea tree essential oil
3 drops lavender essential oil
Calendula Wipes
2 cups water
2 tsp. baby shampoo
1/4 cup aloe vera gel
1 tbsp. calendula oil
5 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops tea tree essential oil
Lanolin Wipes
4 cups water
1 tbsp baby shampoo, baby wash, or liquid soap
1-3 drops essential oil
1/4 tsp pure liquid lanolin
1 tbsp. liquid glycerin
Castile Wipes
1 cup water
1 tbsp. Baby Dr. Bronner’s liquid castile
1 tbsp. apricot oil or almond oil
2 drops tea tree essential oil
5 drops lavender essential oil
Aloe Vera Wipes
1 cup distilled water
1/2 cup aloe vera gel
2 tbsp. calendula oil
2 drops tea tree essential oil
2 drops lavender essential oil
2 tbsp. Witch Hazel
Make your own Teething gel
Teething gel ointment
1 ounce pure vegetable glycerin or vegetable oil
2 drops essential oil of clove
Add one drop of clove to your glycerin and shake it until it is well blended. Test it on yourself to make sure it is not too strong before adding another drop. For a young baby I use 2 drops. You could use vegetable oil instead of glycerin if you want. Glycerin is very sweet so it makes the remedy a bit more appealing.
Make your own Baby Oil
Basic Recipe #1
Mix together:
¼ Cup Cooking Grade Almond oil
10-15 drops lavender essential oil
Bottle in small squirt bottle
Heavenly Baby Massage Oil
4 ounces of oil (olive, almond, apricot, or sunflower)
5 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops orange essential oil
Pour your ingredients right into the bottle you’re going to use to dispense the massage oils. Just give a good shake to blend the oils and you’re all set. For a different scent, use rose essential oil in place of lavender and orange.
Calendula Baby Oil
8 ounces of oil (olive, almond, apricot, or sunflower)
1 ounce calendula flowers
Place the oil and calendula flowers in a crock pot on low temperature for about 4 hours to extract the beneficial properties of the calendula into the oil. Check very carefully that your oil is not getting too hot! Allow the oil to cool and then strain it using cheese cloth or a gauze diaper. You can add a few drops of essential oils if you like. Try 5-10 drops each of orange and lavender or chamomile. For the ultimate luxury use rose essential oil Calendula is healing and soothing to the skin. It is excellent for massaging your babies! Calendula oil is also good for helping prevent the over-growth of yeast in the diaper area.
Make Your Own Herbal Diaper Salve
Directions for Making Salve
To make salve, we extract the beneficial properties of our herbs in oil, then add beeswax to harden the oil.
These recipes are based on the Simplers’ Method of calculating proportions. These recipes require you to use parts rather than a specific volume of each herb. This technique allows you to easily adapt the recipe. If you want a small amount of salve you can choose one tablespoon as your part, if you want a large amount of salve you might choose 1/2 – 1 cup as your part. The amount of oil needed is enough to completely cover the herbs, plus an inch of oil above the level of the herbs. The tricky part of this is determining exactly how much beeswax is needed to harden the salve. You can approximate the proportions based on the following equivalents. One pint of oil will need about 1 1/2 ounces of beeswax, or one ounce of oil will need about 1/2 teaspoon of beeswax. There are about 5 teaspoons of beeswax in an ounce.
If you intend to make your salve using freshly collected plants, you will want to clean them. Do this by shaking them to remove dirt then spread the herbs out to allow them to air dry for several hours ( until wilted ) to reduce the moisture content. Fresh chickweed, for example, contains a lot of moisture and this water content could cause your salve to spoil quickly.
To begin your salve, measure the desired amount of herbs into an enamel or stainless steel pan, or into a crock pot.
Cover the herbs with oil. Use enough oil to cover the herbs plus another inch of oil above the level of herbs.
Heat the herbs and oil over a low heat for several hours ( about 3 hours). If you are using roots you should heat the oil longer( about 5 hours). I strongly encourage you to use a crock pot for heating your oil because it operates at a controlled low temperature which is less likely to be a fire hazard. If you don’t use a crock pot then use a double boiler.
After heating, cool your oil for awhile. Set up a strainer lined with cheesecloth then pour the oil through to strain. When most of the oil has filtered through the cheesecloth, pick up the cheesecloth, keeping the herbs enclosed, and squeeze as much oil as possible from the herbs and cloth.
Add beeswax to the oil and heat it until all the wax is melted. To test to see if your salve is hard enough, put some on a spoon and set it in a cool place for a few minutes. If your salve is too soft, add more beeswax.
If you are using essential oils or Vitamin E you can blend them in now. Finally, pour your salve into containers and label.
Salve Recipe #1
Heat 1 cup olive oil and 3/4 cup chopped herbs in a stainless steel, enameled or ceramic pan. Simmer at low for 30 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon occasionally. This helps to extract the herb essences and keeps it from burning. Cool slightly, strain out any chunks of herbs remaining. Return oil to pan and add 1/4 cup of grated beeswax. Stir gently to melt wax (you may need a bit of gentle heat to do this). Place a drop on a plate and freeze for a few minutes to see if it hardens. If it doesn’t, add more beeswax; if it’s too hard to spread on your skin easily, just add a bit more oil. After you remove it from the stove add in 1/4 c. boric acid. Store in a jar, labeled with ingredients and date.
Suggested wild herbs to gather: cottonwood buds (late-fall or winter), pussy willow bark (early spring), chickweed, yarrow and plantain (look in your garden or lawn!).
Additional Uses: chapped lips and hands, scrapes from fall, minor burns, sunburn and bug bites
Salve Recipe #2
1 cup Olive oil
1/3 cup beeswax
6-10 fresh comfrey leaves (if you keep a plant around you’ll have an endless supply!)
You can also use fresh aloe vera – scrape the gel from 2-3 leaves.
To Make:
Cook this in a double boiler – a glass bowl or jar in a pot of *gently* simmering water works great. Start by mixing the beeswax into the olive oil, and letting it melt fully, before adding the comfrey. Add comfrey and let the mixture cook gently for about 1 1/2 hours. It must never get really hot, but just warm. Strain, using 3-4 layers of cheesecloth. Decant into dark glass jars, and refrigerate most of it. Some can be kept in your diaper bag, and some by the change table, of course. It will last for months in the fridge.
If you want to add aloe, do so just before the mixture is strained. Essential oils are added after straining.
Herbal Salve Recipe
1 part St. John’s Wort
2 part Calendula
1 part Comfrey leaf
1 part Comfrey root
1 part Plantain
Olive Oil
Beeswax
Vitamin E
Make your own Deodorant Disks for the Diaper Pail
First find yourself a mold – I use one of those trays for putting big tempera discs in I got it at the toy store. It’s slightly flexible and has just the right sided compartments but you could use Paper muffin cups in muffin tins, candy molds, plasticine, whatever you want.
Start by mixing:
2 cups baking soda
some essential oil from the “antibacterials” (I use lavender or pine or cypress, or citrus oils for mine)
Mix in enough distilled or boiled water to make a thick frosting like paste.
Pour or pat into the mold (Press about One-half inch of paste into each muffin paper) and let dry 24 hours. It only takes a day or so as long as you don’t add too much water.
Wrap them well and store away until you need one. Tear the paper off before use. After you have use each disk for a month or so, (or however long you find it effective), crumble the disk into the diaper wash. then pop into your compartment.
They smell MUCH better than DeoDisks are dirt cheap and I’m sure, better for the environment. When the pail gets a bit smelly I take the old disc and drop it into the bottom of the pail and put a new one in the top. the old disc helps clean out the pail too I find as well as deodorizing and softening the diapers.