How to Make Homemade Baby Wipes
Making homemade baby wipes is not only easy, it’s fun! This homemade DIY version costs just pennies, which is much less than store-bought wipes. You can save even more by using coupons for the paper towels, but don’t skimp on quality. If you purchase flimsy paper towels they will disintegrate and not hold up to daily use. Look for the Subscribe & Save option for the Bounty Paper Towels and get them shipped to your home directly, and at a discount.
These wipes are much gentler on your baby’s skin as well, because you control the ingredients. If your baby has sensitive skin, use the gentle soaps and oils you know won’t irritate.
Another idea is to use the liquid baby wipes solution with fabric baby wipes instead of paper towel. Use a soft old t-shirt cut into 8×8 squares for your baby wipes, then they can be used over and over again. Fold them in fourths, then pour the solution over the top just as you would with the paper towel baby wipes. Or, you can keep the solution in a spray bottle near the folded fabric squares too, if that’s easier for you.
I adhered the instructions on how to make homemade baby wipes to the front of my wipes container so it would be easy to find when I made them again. These aren’t just for babies, either. They are great to keep in the car for wiping messy hands on-the-go.
Don’t skip the step on boiling or purifying your water, either. If you don’t use your wipes within a week or so, and you have impure water, they will start to get moldy, which is pretty gross.
Homemade Baby Wipes Supplies:
- 1 roll of Bounty Paper Towels (or another thick, quality brand) paper towels
- 2-1/4 cups of distilled or boiled water
- 2 Tbsp. gentle baby bath or baby shampoo
- 1 Tbsp. baby oil or another oil like almond oil or olive oil
- A few drops essential oils for fragrance, such as lavender oil or tea tree oil
- A container like a plastic coffee can or Rubbermaid container to hold your baby wipes
Homemade Baby Wipes Instructions:
- Cut the roll of paper towels in half. I use an electric knife, which works really well.
- Place the roll of paper towels in a container (a large plastic coffee can or a Rubbermaid container works well).
- Mix all the liquid ingredients for the baby wipes together, and pour over top of the towels.
- When ready to use, remove the cardboard center of the paper toweling, and pull the paper towels up from the middle.
There you go: Homemade baby wipes, fast, inexpensive and easy!
Video Instructions on Making Your Own Baby Wipes:
Do you have any advice on how to make homemade baby wipes? What has worked for you? Leave your reply below!
I’ve made these before but found that the paper towels got moldy if not used fast enough. Anybody else have that problem??
I’ve never had mold issues, but it’s easy to see how that could happen if you live in an area with high humidity. You could also add a tsp. of vinegar to prevent that from happening next time.
Wish I’d come across this sooner. Perhaps using a “regular” roll instead of the “mega” rolls would help avoid mold as well (smaller rolls instead of larger).
I loved these and made them all the time after my son was born! Someone gave me a container of them w/ the “recipe” attached to it as part of a shower gift. They were much gentler on my son’s skin than commercial wipes. I never had a problem w/ them getting moldy or even musty smelling.
What a great gift idea!
I think this is actually more expensive than buying generic.
I make these all the time and have for the last 2 years! I use Viva papertowels as they are the softest and I put 5 eyedrops of Tea Tree oil in for smells…
Love the idea of tea tree oil!
For my cloth wipes, I add a little bit of tea tree oil to prevent mold.
This same thing can be done with baby wash cloths to make cloth wipes (which is what I do).
I thought this was a wodnerful idea. I am having my first son in March and In was trying to find a cheaper way to get wipes and someone on parents posted this, and bot am I glad she did. Thanks to everyone for there ideas to make them better. =)
I have also made these and had problems with mold. Thanks for the advice on trying tea tree oil &/or vinegar!
Just wanted to let everyone know…I made these for my 14 year old!! and she NEVER had a diaper rash:) And I loved the scent ..of course I had travel wipes too but I used these for home. Thanks for the memory and I will make them for the next shower.
I use cloth diapers and use 6×12″ strips of old t-shirt fabric for diaper liners (easier than rinsing out a whole diaper), and I also use them for wipes. Since we may have to rinse something, we change diapers in the bathroom. I keep the wipes next to the sink and wet them just before using them. If I need extra cleaning help, I use a spray bottle with mild cleaning agents and spritz her bum before a final wipe. Then the whole pile of diaper stuff goes into the pail for wash day.
Great idea!!
MOMtrepreneur Tip of the Day: DIY How to make homemade baby wipes
http://barbarasbeat.blogspot.com/2011/11/momtrepreneur-tip-of-day-diy-how-to.html
sounds like a good idea im gonna have to try it
You might try using distilled water instead of tap water. Sometimes the minerals in regular water causes some funk. Besides tea tree oil you can also try lavender (with or instead).
For the car (as we like to have them on hand, but don’t use them regularly), I like to store the wipes dry and use a small spray bottle with the solution in it to moisten each one as I need it.
This is absolutely not cheaper than just buying wipes in the first place. And more work!