Save money using this homemade baby wipes recipe. Baby wipes can get expensive but they’re easy and cheap to make and work just as well!
I will be honest I haven’t really made homemade baby wipes a lot. When we had kids in diapers we used a baby wipe container and just put some wet rags in there with a wipey warmer. Since I used cloth diapers I just threw them in with the cloth diapers and washed them.
One way people use homemade baby wipe solution is to put the solution in the wipe container and then just dip the wipes in the solution. This keeps the wipes from smelling musty if you don’t use them fast enough.
- You can also put your homemade baby wipe solution in a spray bottle and just spray their bottom before wiping.
- If you travel a lot then just put a few wipes in a baby wipe travel case or a plastic ziptop bag and you have them ready to go!
- Make sure to always keep your container closed tightly so the baby wipes don’t dry out.
- Don’t forget if you aren’t use a baby wipe warmer you can always decorate the outside of your container to match your nursery!
Homemade Baby Wipes
1 1/2 cups water
2 Tbsp. baby bath or shampoo
1 Tbsp. baby oil
1 roll paper towels
Mix the water, baby bath and baby oil in an empty round baby wipe container. Cut the paper towels in half using an electric knife. Remove core from the center. Place paper towels in wipe container. Let the paper towels soak up the water solution. Turn every few minutes to allow the solution to reach the middle of the paper towels. If there is still a dry spot in the middle, add a little more water and turn until soaked through. Pull the wipes from the middle of the roll through the top of the wipe container.
*An even cheaper way to make homemade baby wipes is to use wash cloths and wash with your cloth diapers.
For more easy recipes like this to make your life easier, check out our Dining On A Dime Cookbook.
Most of your ideas work very well but I tried this many years ago and ended up with a big mess and wasted paper towels. I even bought the expensive stronger towels. Several of my friends have since tried it and have had similar results. Maybe we did something wrong but we had no success.
Tawna, without more details I can’t tell what happen. Tawra and others have made them okay but it is hard telling. Some things work for her and not me and visa versa I’m not sure why that is. For example I don’t like making homemade laundry detergent but she and others have had lots of success. She did say she tore all the towels off of the roll and put them in there individually then poured the stuff on them. I don’t know it that makes a difference or not.
Personally I don’t like using any kind of wipes at all; boughten or homemade. I am from the generation before wipes. I just would keep a separate pile of baby wash rags and toilet paper to use. I would dampen a wash rag, wipe as much off with toilet paper as I could and then wipe with the wash rag. They would then go in with the diapers or things I used clorox on.It really isn’t as hard as it sounds. Using a little toilet paper and wash rag is way cheaper then wipes.
More then that though I find the wash rags grip more and wipe better then the slick wipes. I have trouble with any wipes, baby ones or cleaning ones. They seem just to slide over the mess and I find myself wiping several times and using a bunch. You could just keep a few for your diaper bag or for traveling but I didn’t even do that. I just put a damp wash rag in a bagging in my diaper before I left or if you always carry water just keep a dry wash rag in a baggie.
We use the cheap baby wash clothes and toilet paper. We would put the wash clothes in a zip lock bag and wash them every other day. No diaper rash either. We saved alot of money.
I made these wipes when my son was small, but found I didn’t need near the amount of water listed on the recipe. If memory serves me correctly I think I used close to 1 cup of water.
I have had great success with this but I have NEVER cut the whole roll in half with an electric knife. I individually tore them off and folded them in half in a container. You just smash them down as you go and pour on the mixture little by little. I was unable to ever use commercial wipes because I can not touch aloe or caster oil. Anyway, this was a great way to have wipes for my son.
However, I am definitely going the wash cloth route with my next baby. I’ll just make up a batch of these for traveling.
Also, I always used Viva or Bounty paper towels. I waited for the “choose a size” ones to go on sale. I saved more money that way because I could make due with smaller sheets.
I have 5 children and used this idea/recipe with all 5 of them. I have to say at times my budget was even to tight for this so I would make the same recipes using rags I had made out of old t-shirts and would rinse them out after each use and wash them like cloth dipers. I would cut them the size of store bought baby wipes , fold them in half and layer them in a baby wipe box , follow with the ingredients for hm baby wipes.
For those of you whose budgets are really tight remember you don’t need to use wipes for babies. They didn’t even have wipes when my kids were babies. You just use toilet paper to clean their little bottoms and then I had a stack of wash rags special for that which I would wet and wipe them with. They would then be tossed in with my diapers or things which I bleached. I to this day will use a wash rag for my grandkids even though Tawra has wipes just because they have more texture and grip when it comes to rubbing things off and work so much faster and easier for me.
So if you don’t have money to buy wipes you don’t really need too.
Jill I totally agree with the no wipes solution.
I hate the feel of the wipes on my hands so I prefer the wash cloth.
I really wonder how the powers that be say recycle reuse don’t pollute
and then in the next breath they say use wipes, use disposables.
Is there any logic in that.
I used wash cloths with warm water and if a bit of red showed a rash starting a tiny bit of vinegar went with the water.
corn starch for powder.
mineral oil for baby oil.
I am allergic to baby smells so I couldn’t use them but the doctor said corn starch was better since it didn’t fill the air and the baby didn’t breathe in the dust which could cause breathing problems.
Never used the baby powder or cornstarch because of possibility of causing breathing problems even if you put it on your hand first. Petroleum jelly always worked after drying the baby. Never, and I mean never, had diaper rash. Of course you don’t put it on if there was already a rash, just make it worse.
I know this has nothing to with wipes but I do have a doosey. Now I need to give the thanks and appreation to our daughters old ped Shelly Klein. My husband and I had taken our youngest daughter to the doctor for a very I mean very severe diaper rash. The child doctor gave us this remendy. Malox,AD oinment,(or something with zinx oxide) vaseline and then just mix all together just eye ball the mix very easy If you have a child with severe diaper owies. THEN THIS WORKS. GOOD LUCK! @-{}—
Pre warning do not put malox on the child all by it’s self(OWIE) Oh yeah and wipie subject the blue shop towls that you find at walmart are awsome and I have washed them on accedent and I was able to wash them twice. So I got a wonderful idea I cut them all in half and was able to get a really long use out of them. good luck to all and thank you for my chicken scratching lol
When my son had major diaper rash (casused by atomic poop from the super antibiotics given to him for his chronic ear infections) it was actually my dad who told me about a similar “recipe” from my nephew’s ped: equal parts malox, vasaline and hydrocortizone cream. As soon as I smoothed it on my son’s bum he felt better.
Also, I have tried this wipe recipe using pieces of cut-up receiving blanket as the wipe and it worked great. Except if you cut up a receiving blanket be sure to sew the edges. I didn’t and ended up with a HUGE mess in the laundry every time I washed them. I took the extra time and folded them inside each ohter and put them in an old Huggies wipe box. They poppped up easily every time I needed a wipe and I definitely needed to use less of the homemade ones than I did of the store bought ones.
we made our own wipes, only because our bathroom didn’t have enough space to change a baby in – preparing cloths becomes a bit of a pain when you don’t know how many you will need! My daughter is almost 2 and we have only bought maybe 3 or 4 packages of Bounty and it’s been wonderful. The recipes we used also calls for the paper towels to be cut in half with the cardboard removed. We added 1 cup boiling water + 1 Tbsp baby oil + 3/4 Tbsp Baby wash. That’s it. Super easy and very effective. We stored it in an old 2L ice cream container with an X cut in the top…super easy to grab the end of the roll from the middle and just pull up as you go.
I use a similar recipe for my baby wipes (1 tsp of rubbing alcohol and no baby oil). I love them!!!!! I just cut a roll of paper towels in half and put them in a container with the mixture. The roll soaks up the solution and I pull the cardboard center out when I use them. I buy bounty basic paper towels and they have never fallen apart. You can make about 100 wipes for 7 cents if you get your paper towels on sale. I recommend this to anyone with a baby, and is also safe to use with cloth diapers if you do not put baby oil in the mixture.
Some people soak a few day’s worth of reusable washcloths (or rags) in this type of mix, which is as handy as the disposable pre-prepped cloths.
Hi..for my first son I used to clean his bottom with the least amount of wipes (1 and sometimes 2) then I would wash his bum. This is the best way to keep a baby rash free. I would allow his bum to air dry for a minute or two and then put the diaper back on. This saved me from using all those unnecessary diaper rash creams, etc. This could save you money. Remember, to take the wipe out and close the lid, so you won’t be tempted to reach for more ;)
HI! Can I still make the wipes without baby oil, or do I need the baby oil?
You should be able to. The baby oil is just to add a little protective coating and softeness to baby’s skin but if you leave it out it will clean and do it’s job just fine.
Thanks Jill. I went ahead and made the baby wipes without the baby oil. I tore the taper towels individually, and added the water and baby soap gradually, as needed. It turned out great! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I am so happy that I don’t have to buy baby wipes at the store anymore. I just orderd you book, Dining On a Dime. I can’t wait to get it so I can learn more about how to save money on food and other household items. Every little bit I save adds up
I will add the baby oil when I get some
I heard u can use a dab of olive oil too for you baby wipes instead of baby oil.
I’m going to do this soon , I use baby wipes for my face and the ones in store dry it out. Going to make this soon…
The reason we use baby oil is it is less expensive and it doesn’t go rancid like some oils do.
I currently live in a rv with only power. I buy the wipes to wash hands and face, but I only have an income of $194 a month. Do these really clean the skin like they should?
Yes they do and because of the oil in it it really gets things off like make up better than just soap and water.
Thank you for sharing! This will help me in so many ways!
We do appreciate you taking the time to let us know. Holler if you have any questions.