Cloth Diaper Wipes
Cloth diaper wipes are the simplest way to keep your baby’s bottom clean and dry. When you use cloth diapers, using disposable diaper wipes are actually a lot more trouble. Disposable wipes must be separated from the cloth diapers before putting in the diaper pail, and when you are cleaning up a messy diaper you can just fold any used cloth diaper wipes into the diaper. If you are using disposable diaper wipes with cloth diapers, then you need to find a place to put those messy wipes – and that can be a lot of extra trouble and lead to a stinky trash can in addition to needing a diaper pail.
Cloth diaper wipes will also save you a lot of money. The average family spends $400 on wipes for just one baby in two years. Cloth diaper wipes, even really nice ones, will cost you anywhere from $20-80 for all the wipes you’ll need. When your baby potty trains, you can either pass them along to someone else who needs them or use them as cleaning rags.
Cloth diaper wipes can also help prevent and treat diaper rash. The best cure for diaper rash, according to the Mayo clinic, is to keep the baby’s bottom clean and dry. They say that disposable diapers and wipes can contribute to rashes, as can some additives used to wash cloth diapers (avoid bleach and fabric softener on diapers!).
Cloth wipes come in many different styles and fabrics, but they are basically all squares or rectangles of fabric. Cloth wipes may be single or double-layered. Thirsties wipes, for instance, are made from microfleece and cotton velour. Hemp cloth wipes are usually a single layer, as hemp fleece is fairly thick on its own. Flannel wipes can be single sided, or paired with another layer of flannel, bamboo velour, cotton sherpa or other materials.
You can use cloth wipes with just plain warm water (some people keep a pump thermos full of warm water near the changing table). I usually wet a few wipes at the sink before changing my baby. You can also use a spray bottle of wipes solution. Another option is to keep wipes wet and ready to use in a recycled wipes container or wipes warmer. If you choose this option, be sure to use distilled water or boil the water first so your wipes won’t grow nasty things.
You can use tea tree oil or grapefruit seed extract in the water to help keep anything yucky from growing, but you will need to change the wipes and solution regularly as neither of these things is truly a preservative. Yes, I know there are all kinds of rumors about what tea tree oil and grapefruit seed extract can do, but there is very little real evidence and I much prefer to be safe than sorry when it comes to a baby’s health.
No matter what kind of cloth diaper wipes you choose, you will save big money and make cloth diapering easier.
