Make It Monday: Baby Wipes

This week was double the fun for Make It Monday. We made Christmas ornaments as seen in the previous post. We also desperately needed baby wipes. I stock up on all essentials whenever I can get the best price. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get any good deals on baby wipes or diapers recently. I was very happy months ago when I got 4 tubs for free after a sale and coupons! As any parent knows though, wipes don't last long, especially when you have a baby as well as a 2-year-old who is obsessed with them. I think we've finally broken her of the habit, but Alyssa loved getting wipes to clean her face or shoes or toys or face or mirrors or face . . . you get the idea. Running to the store and paying full price just because we needed them did not sound like a good plan to me. I'd thought about making them in the past. Why not? We've always made baby food as seen here and laundry detergent as seen here. This project was perfect for me.

You will need 2 cups water, 2 tbsp olive (or baby) oil, 2 tbsp baby soap, 1 roll paper towels.

Boil water and let cool to room temperature.

Add the oil and soap to the water.

Cut the paper towels in half using a serrated knife. Remove the cardboard tube.

Add the mixture and the towels to an airtight container. Close the lid and turn upside down for 10 minutes.

Pull your wipes from the center of the roll.

It was very easy to make the baby wipes. I think the hardest part was trying to get the cardboard tube out of the paper towels, until I realized that I could just squish the tube and pull it right out. Go figure. For some reason, I was trying to keep the roll intact. Also, I found that these wipes don't pull out as easily as the store-bought ones. I'm hoping that it gets better as the roll gets smaller. They work great so far, but are a little wetter than I'd like. They smell good and are gentle on Zachy's little bottom. I'm not sure yet if I would completely replace store-bought wipes with homemade, but it was fun making them. The best part? Not having to pack the kids up, run to the store, and pay full price for something I could easily make at home. That makes me a happy mommy.


* Update*
I have made these wipes consistently since this post. I dropped the water back to 1 3/4 cups which makes them the proper wetness. I stopped boiling the water and just use purified. I've tried them with baby oil, but prefer the olive because the baby oil leaves the skin too greasy. Also, I used different baby washes/shampoos, but definitely prefer the milder, less scented ones. I don't usually pull the wipes through the top, but instead open the container and pull from there. Sometimes it's easier to grab a wipe from the end of the roll instead of the middle. And most importantly, always use quality paper towels! Trust me, I've tried many different brands. The cheaper ones fall apart and tear, requiring you to use more, and thus defeating the purpose of saving money. With these changes, I'm very pleased with how they work and love making my own wipes!