How to Make Baby Wipes

Three Parts:Choosing a SolutionAssembling the WipesUsing the Baby WipesCommunity Q&A

Babies go through a lot of baby wipes, which means that the cost of store-bought baby wipes can add up. If you want to save money, you might want to make your own baby wipes. The process is fast and simple, and the ingredients are inexpensive. You may even have most of them at home!

Steps

Part 1

Choosing a Solution

1. 1

   Use water, oil, and baby wash if you want a simple solution.

   Pour 1½ cups (350 mL) of distilled or filtered water into a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of food-grade oil and 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of liquid soap or baby wash. Stir everything together with a whisk until the ingredients combine.

   ^[1]

   • You can also use plain water, but be sure to boil it for 2 minutes first, then let it cool.^[2]
   • Great types of oil include: coconut oil (melted), grapeseed oil, olive oil, and sunflower oil.^[3]
   • If you don't have any food-grade oil, you can use baby oil instead.^[4]

2. 2

   Make a simple antibacterial solution with lavender and tea tree oils.

   Pour 1½ cups (350 mL) of distilled or filtered water into a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of baby shampoo. Stir in 4 drops of lavender essential oil and 2 drops of tea tree oil.

   ^[5]

   • You can use plain water as long as you boil it for 2 minutes first. Let it cool before using it.
   • If you don't have any olive oil, you can try another food-grade oil, such as melted coconut oil or sweet almond oil. You can also try baby oil.
   • If you don't have baby shampoo on hand, try another mild liquid soap, such as castile soap or baby soap.
   • The lavender essential oil will help make the solution soothing while the tea tree essential oil will make it antibacterial.

3. 3

   Use aloe vera, witch hazel, and essential oil to make a soothing solution.

   Pour 1½ cups (350mL) of distilled or filtered water into a bowl. Stir in the following: 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of liquid soap, 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of aloe vera gel, 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of witch hazel, 1/2 tablespoon (7.5 mL) of food-grade oil, and 10 to 15 drops of lavender or tea tree essential oil.

   ^[6]

   • You can also use plain water, but boil it for 2 minutes first, then let it cool.
   • Liquid castile soap will work the best, but you can use a different kind of liquid soap too. Make sure that it is natural and mild.
   • Great types of oil for this recipe include coconut oil (melted), olive oil, and sweet almond oil.
   • Lavender essential oil has soothing properties while tea tree oil has antibacterial properties. You can use one or the other, or a combination of the two.

4. 4

   Use white vinegar and essential oil to make an anti-fungal solution.

   Pour ½ cup (120 mL) of distilled or filtered water into a bowl. Add 4 tablespoons (60 mL) of aloe vera gel, 1 teaspoon of white vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of calendula oil. Stir in 5 drops of lavender essential oil and 5 drops of tea tree essential oil.

   ^[7]

   • If you don't have distilled or filter water, boil plain water for 2 minutes, then let it cool.
   • Skip the white vinegar if your baby has sensitive or raw skin. The tea tree oil will help make it anti-fungal to a small extent.

Part 2

Assembling the Wipes

1. 1

   Cut a roll of paper towels in half widthwise.

   Get out a brand-new roll of paper towels and set it down on a clean surface. Use a sharp, non-serrated knife to cut the roll in half to create 2 equal-sized mini rolls. Do not use toilet paper. Even though it's the right width, it's too soft and will turn to mush.

   ^[8]

   • The type of paper towels that you use does not matter, but heavy-duty will work the best.
   • Keep 1 of the paper towel roll halves out; set the other roll aside for another project.

2. 2

   Fan-fold the paper towel if you are using an old baby-wipes container.

   Unravel the paper towels and fold them back-and-forth like a fan or accordion until you reach the cardboard tube. How wide you fold the paper towels depends on the width of your container. They need to be narrow enough to fit inside.

   ^[9]

   • You are using just 1 of paper towel roll halves, not both.
   • Discard the cardboard tube when you reach the last paper towel.
   • Skip this step if you are using a tall, cylindrical container.

3. 3

   Place the paper towel roll into your desired container.

   If you folded your paper towels like an accordion, tuck them into an old baby wipes container. If you did not fold your paper towels, tuck the entire tube into a tall, cylindrical container. Make sure that the container is clean. Wash the container with hot, soapy water, then dry it off, if needed.

   • Use just 1 of the paper towel roll halves, not both.
   • You can use another plastic container too, like an ice cream tub. Make sure it's clean!
   • The cylindrical container should be big enough to fit the paper towel roll inside it. Something that originally housed wipes would work the best.

4. 4

   Pour your desired solution over the paper towels. The solution may have settled while you prepared the paper towels, so give it a quick stir. Pour the entire solution over the paper towels. Don't worry if it looks like it's too much; the paper towels should soak up most of it.

5. 5

   Let the solution soak for 5 to 10 minutes.

   If the paper towels near the top of the container are still dry, take them out and flip them over. You can also close the container tightly, flip it over, and wait another 5 to 10 minutes.

   ^[10]

   • If your container starts to leak when you flip it over, turn it right-side-up again and flip the paper towels over instead.

6. 6

   Take the cardboard tube out if you left it in.

   By now, the paper towels should be thoroughly soaked. Stick your fingers into the middle of the paper towels and separate the cardboard tube from the paper towels. Pull the cardboard tube out and discard it. The first baby wipe should come out with the cardboard tube.

   ^[11]

   • You don't need to do this each time you want to use the baby wipes. Once you discard the cardboard tube, you are all set.
   • Skip this step if you are using an old baby wipes container. You already removed the cardboard tube earlier.

7. 7

   Cut an X-shaped in the lid, if needed. Most baby wipes containers already have a hole in the lid. If you are using a different container, however, it may not have a hole in it. Use a craft blade to cut a large X-shape in the middle of the lid.

8. 8

   Put the lid back on and pull the baby wipes out through the hole.

   Feed the first paper towel up through the hole, then put the lid on the container. Tug the paper towel until it tears off.

   ^[12]

Part 3

Using the Baby Wipes

1. 1

   Pull the baby wipes out of the container 1 at a time.

   The baby wipes should feed through the hole on their own as you pull them out. If they don't feed on their own, simply take the lid off and re-feed them through the hole.

   • The baby wipes should tear naturally along the perforated lines in the paper towels. This won't always happen, which is fine.

2. 2

   Keep the lid on your container whenever you are not using it.

   If your container does

   not

   have a secondary lid, cover the hole or slit with a piece of duct tape or packaging tape. Peel the tape back to expose the hole or slit whenever you want to use the baby wipes.

   • Fold the end of the tape back by ¹⁄₄ to ¹⁄₂ inch (0.64 to 1.27 cm) to make it easier to peel back.

3. 3

   Rehydrate the baby wipes with boiled water if they start to dry.

   Boil some water for 2 minutes, let it cool to room temperature, then pour it into the container. How much water you use depends on how dry the baby wipes are and how many you have left.

   ^[13]

   • Use enough water to dampen the baby wipes.

4. 4

   Use the baby wipes within 3 or 4 months.

   Some baby wipes will last only a week, but if you added tea tree oil to the solution, they should last up to 3 or 4 months. If the baby wipes start to grow moldy before then, however, toss them immediately.

   ^[14]

Community Q&A

Add New Question

• Question

  Why should I make homemade wipes? Do I look like I have nothing better to do?

  wikiHow Contributor

  Community Answer

  You might wish to use them because you'll know what's being used on your baby's skin. As a parent, you know what your child can and can't have and the type of skin the baby has, so using the homemade wipes may be safer and in alignment with your preferences.

• Question

  Do I have to use an ice cream container?

  wikiHow Contributor

  Community Answer

  Not at all. You can recycle the container the store-bought wipes came in, or use a Ziploc bag.

Ask a Question

Tips

• If your baby wipes grow moldy before you finish using them, discard them immediately. Make a smaller batch next time.^[15]
• You can use this tutorial with re-useable cloth baby wipes. Simply soak the baby wipes, then fold them up and put them into an old baby wipe container.^[16]
• If you are using cloth baby wipes, wash them with cloth diapers.
• It is better to make a small batch of baby wipes rather than a big batch. If you make a big batch, it may dry out or mold before you use it.^[17]
• Wipe solution can be stored in a spray bottle and sprayed on individual cloth wipes to prevent mold. No sew cloth wipes can be cut from old t-shirts.

Warnings

• Do not use fragrance oils or oils meant for soap-making or candle-making. They are not the same thing. Use pure, organic essential oils only.^[18]
• Some babies are sensitive to essential oils, especially tea tree oil. If your baby develops a rash, stop using the baby wipes immediately.
• Never use unfiltered water. Unfiltered water is full of chemicals and bacteria that may lead to mold.^[19]

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