Make your own cleaning solution
Cleaning solutions are very easy to make and can save you money too! Use them to clean sticky hands and dirty faces as well as dirty butts. Unlike commercial wipes, these recipes are alcohol and chemical free and smell great. Use these recipes in cloth wipes or make your own disposable wipes and save even more money! To make disposable wipes, cut high quality paper towels in half or leave them whole for full size wipes.
Common Cloth Wipe Solution Ingredients:
Many wipe solution recipes contain similar main ingredients, used for the same reason in each recipe. These are the common ingredients and why they are included:
- Oil – helps the wipe glide across baby’s skin and keeps it soft
- Soap: Cleans removing all traces of urine and feces.
- EO: (Essential Oil) Added for antibacterial and/or aromatherapy purposes.
- Water: The main ingredient in each recipe, cleans the diaper area and dilutes the other ingredients
The type and amounts of oil, soap, EO and water that are included in a recipe is what gives each cloth solution its own “personality”. Have fun trying different recipes until you find the one you like best!
How to use cloth wipe solutions
When mixing solutions, it is best to start with oil and end with water. The oil will coat your measuring tools so the soap slides right off. Make sure you add the water slowly or you’ll end up with a lot of bubbles! Most of the time it is easier to gently mix the cleaning solution in a bottle with a lid and then pour it into the storage container.
There are many different ways to store and apply wipe solutions to your wipes, try some of the ideas below to find the one that works best for your family. You may find that one system works great at home and another works great on the go. Here are some ideas to get started:
- Use a spray bottle to spray the baby’s bottom or wipes. (For baby’s comfort we prefer to spray the wipes)
- Use a bottle with a pop-up spout (like on bottled water bottles) to pour the solution onto the wipes.
- Heat the solution and place it in an insulated container to provide warm wipes for the baby.
- Place the solution in a commercial baby wipes container and submerge the wipes in the solution.
- Place cloth wipes in a commercial baby wipes container and pour the wipes solution over the wipes.
- A commercial container of baby wipes can be placed in a wipes warmer to provide warm and cozy wipes for baby.
Don’t store the solution or wipes for a long time because they can get moldy and the wipes can even grow moldy – ewww! Check your solution and wipes daily, and mix smaller batches of solution frequently rather than larger batches less frequently to avoid moisture. We mix fresh solution once a week, store it in a bottled water bottle and haven’t had any problems with moisture.
Wet Wipes Solution Recipes
almond and chamomile
Soak the tea bags in the hot water, then add the oil.
2 chamomile tea bags
2 teaspoons of almond oil
2 cups of hot water
anti fungal
Skip the vinegar if the baby has a raw rash.
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon calendula oil
A few drops of lavender oil
A few drops of tea tree oil
1/4 cup 100% aloe vera gel
1 cup of water
anti fungal too
Similar to the other antifungal recipe, but with less vinegar and water.
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon calendula oil
A few drops of lavender oil
A few drops of tea tree oil
1/4 cup 100% aloe vera gel
1/2 cup of water
Basic cleaning solution
This basic recipe can be adapted by changing the type of soap or oil.
1/2 cup baby oil
1/2 cup baby wash
2 cups of water
Castile Answers
Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap comes in several delicious scents!
1 tablespoon almond, apricot or other oil
1 tablespoon of Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap
2 drops of tea tree oil
1 drop of lavender oil
1 cup of water
chamomile and honey
Brew the tea, add the honey, and drink the leftovers!
1 chamomile tea bag
1 teaspoon of honey
1 cup of boiling water
Easy peasy
Just three simple ingredients…
2 tablespoons of oil
2 tablespoons liquid baby soap
1 1/2 cups of water
eight is cool
Similar ingredients to other recipes, but in different quantities.
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1/8 cup baby wash
8 drops of lavender oil
4 drops of tea tree oil
2 cups of water
Fruit and vegetable
Dr. Bronner’s soaps can often be found at organic markets.
1 teaspoon fruit or vegetable-based oil (apricot, olive, grapeseed, etc.)
1 tablespoon vegetable-based soap (such as Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile)
1 teaspoon of 100% aloe vera gel
1 cup of water
Only one
Just a “some” of each ingredient for this recipe.
1 chamomile tea bag
1 teaspoon of oil
1 teaspoon bath or baby shampoo
1 drop of lavender oil
1 cup of hot water
lavender and tea tree
Lavender and tea tree are popular EO choices for wipe solutions.
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon of baby shampoo
4 drops of tea tree oil
8 drops of lavender oil
3 cups of water
lanolin and glycerin
Lanolin and glycerin moisturize without oil.
1 tablespoon liquid glycerin
1/4 teaspoon liquid lanolin (100% pure)
1 tablespoon baby wash
1-3 drops of EO
4 cups of water
lotion potion
Baby lotion adds more softening power to this solution.
1 tablespoon of baby oil
1 tablespoon baby soap
1 tablespoon baby lotion
1 cup of water
magical baby
Baby Magic products are usually easy to find at local stores.
1/2 cup Baby Magic oil
1/2 cup baby magic wash
2 cups of water
without measuring
Don’t measure for this one, just calculate the amounts.
2 squirts of baby oil
2 baby wash jets
1 drop of olive oil
1 cup of water (approximately)
olive and tea tree
A great natural wipes solution.
1/4 cup olive oil (extra virgin is not necessary)
1/8 cup soft baby bath
A few drops of tea tree oil
4 cups of water
shampoo style
Baby shampoo works just as well as baby wash.
1 tablespoon of baby oil
2 teaspoons of baby shampoo
2 1/2 cups of water
no soap
This recipe relies on EO to clean, rather than using soap.
1-2 drops of tea tree oil
1-2 drops of lavender oil
1 cup of water
Zany Apricot Answers
One of our favorites, apricot kernel oil smells heavenly!
1 tablespoon apricot oil
1 tablespoon unscented liquid baby soap
3 cups of water
Zany Lavender Answers
Our other favorite, lavender calms us and our son.
1 tablespoon of baby oil
1 tablespoon lavender-scented liquid baby soap
2-3 drops of lavender oil
3 cups of water
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