I know what you're thinking. Why MAKE baby wipes? When every grocery, department, and convenience store under the sun carries them? Not to mention they're cheap. I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear that they too are filled with chemicals. As I said in an earlier post the first ingredient in baby R's wipes - propylene glycol. This chemical has been proven in scientific studies to cause liver damage, kidney problems, and skin problems (rashes, etc). There is also alcohol in most wipes. Fragrance is another big one. Fragrances can have up to 1000 individual chemicals in them and they don't have to disclose what they are using because of the trade secret laws. There are so many other chemicals with so many other possible side effects. Check out cosmeticdatabase.com . You can look up each individual ingredient in your wipes, even cosmetic wipes, and see just how dangerous they are. For our babies, who are even more susceptible to these chemicals, I suggest making your own wipes! These can also be used for taking off make up! And don't forget, I'm all about cheap and easy!!
You will need-
1. Paper towels. A good brand with nice thick towels. (I know, not exactly eco friendly, but most of us are too lazy for cloth wipes)
2. A container- I used an empty coffee tub, but Tupperware would work nicely.
3. Castile soap
4. Coconut oil
5. A sharp knife
First you need to cut your paper towel roll in half. Use a sharp knife but not a serrated one. It will cause all kinds of fuzzies on your roll. After you cut it pick off any fuzz you see. Now find your container. These will smoosh into much smaller containers then you would think. But you can use anything you have handy. Now in your container mix 2 cups of warm water, a couple of squirts of castile soap ( I used Dr. Bronners baby mild), and a spoon full (aprox. 1 tablespoon) of coconut oil. If your oil is solid the warm water should melt it down. You could also use jojoba, olive, grape seed, or another light oil. Give it a little stir. Place your paper towel, cut side down, in your container and put the lid on. Flip the container upside down and let it sit at least 5 minutes.
Do not try this before the 5 minutes is up, waiting longer will help this next step. Flip it back over and take off the lid. Carefully take out the center cardboard roll, do not do this before this step! The roll holds the towels together and keeps the start in place. After you have the roll out grab the first paper towel on the inside and pull it up, this is the start of your wipes. It's that simple! Keep them covered. These should last a few weeks to a month, but each person will have individual results depending on environment. You could also add some vitamin e (1-2 capsules) to help slow deterioration. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and acts as a preservative. I wouldn't make up to many tubs ahead of time. Also, you can throw some in a baggie or travel wipes case for your diaper bag!
Cost break down-
Paper towels- $3 for a pack of 2. (makes 4 wipes rolls)
Container- re purposed, free
Castile soap- 1 squirt per tub- aprox. 50 cents (Big exaggeration)
Coconut oil- 1 tbs. per tub- aprox. 50 cents (another big exaggeration)
Total Cost of 4 packs of wipes- $4 or $1 each.
Cost of chemical laden, harsh, commercial baby wipes - $5 for a pack of 3 store brand wipes or or $1.67 each.
You can save money and give yourself some peace of mind, your baby isn't getting wiped down with a slew of chemicals.
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