sweet homemade wipes

Before I get started, I just want to ask you guys to pray for Jonah. He's having a tough time eating, and Patrice is starting to have to seriously consider a gtube. Not only is he not drinking formula well, but he's also not ever really gotten the hang of eating solid food. I can't even imagine how scared Patrice must be right now, so please pray with me that Jonah will miraculously start downing his milk like never before. I know many of you don't know Matt, Patrice, and Jonah personally, but thank you so much for praying for and caring about a family that Shawn and I love so much.

Throughout the course of my pregnancy, I set about trying to eliminate as many of the recurring costs of babyhood as possible. I knew we'd be trying to do this whole thing on a minister's salary, and I knew my eventual dream would be to be a stay at home Mom, so the frugalista in me went into overdrive. In my experience, two of the biggest recurring expenses are 1) diapers and 2) wipes. I knew we'd cloth diaper, but Shawn and I both had a gut reaction of "ew. gross." to the thought of using cloth wipes.

Now that I've cloth diapered for almost a year, the idea of cloth wipes doesn't gross me out any longer (I actually think it'd be pretty easy). However, it still grosses out Shawn - so out of respect for him, I make my wipes out of paper towels.

This serves three purposes that I love 1) It's significantly cheaper than buying wipes, 2) We don't have to go to the store when we're running low on wipes. We buy our paper towels in 12 packs, so we typically have plenty available when I need to make more wipes, and 3) I know exactly what is in the wipe solution

So how on earth do I turn a very regular roll of paper towel into wipes suitable for the most adorable Judeabutt in the world? Well first, I gather my supplies. 1. Roll of paper towel (we like select-a-size. you just need a small one for the pees but can use a couple for the rest) 2. Baby Oil 3. Baby Shampoo 4. 1 Tbsp. measuring spoon 5. Measuring Cup 6. Sharp Knife 7. Cutting Board 8. Butter Knife 9. An empty plastic wipes container


Cut the paper towel roll in half - width wise.
Beautiful. I take the extra one and set it aside for the next round of wipes I'll need to make.

I use the butter knife to help separate the adhesive that's between the paper towel and the cardboard middle. Then I pull out the cardboard middle.

Voila! I tend to give the cardboard piece to my son to play with 'cause I'm just that fun. Keep an eye on your kiddo if you do the same - the cardboard will most likely go in his mouth where it'll become soggy and the perfect consistency for getting stuck in his throat. Just take it away when it starts getting mushy.

This is what the paper towel roll will look like in the wipes container - now all that's left is making the solution!

I then put about 1 and 1/3 cups of water in the measuring cup (riveting pictures, huh?)

And then add 1 Tablespoon of baby oil:

And then 1 Tablespoon of baby shampoo (seriously, I'm totally going to win a photojournalism award for this stuff):

Then I shake it all about...

After it's thoroughly mixed (or unthoroughly - there's really no wrong way to do this), I pour the solution onto the wipes. A couple of tips for this part -

1. Keep the paper towel roll in your wipes container so that the excess solution falls into the container.

2. Start from the inside. I found when I poured from the outside that the inside didn't get nearly wet enough.

Then I just pour the rest of the solution on the paper towel roll - rotating the roll as I go:

Pull away the first "wipe" (because they can stick together pretty easily and it's a pain to try and find the first wipe when you have a very impatient naked kiddo on the table), close the lid, and you're all set!
Homemade wipes that don't require you having to launder them!