Homemade baby wipes are easy to make, save money, and are the most natural and gentle option for your baby. I’ve been using these homemade wipes for a few years now and they are durable, effective, and have been used over and over on both my babies.
Currently I’m sitting next to my newborn baby, Matthew, who was just born a few days ago.
I decided to make new baby wipes for him because our toddler, Allison, who is 2 years old, is still using her stash of baby wipes. At first I thought they could share cloth diapers and wipes, but I quickly realized I needed to make more.
After I posted my homemade baby wipe solution a couple years ago, I’ve gotten a lot of requests for a homemade baby wipe tutorial. These are so simple to make that they hardly need a tutorial!
So I got out my serger and whipped up 30 new baby wipes. After all, I wanted fresh and new for baby Matthew 🙂 And this time, I took pictures and video so I could share with you all on the blog. Enjoy!
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Why I Chose Homemade Baby Wipes
When I was pregnant with my first baby 3 years ago, I knew right away I would want to do cloth diapering. My mom did that for my brother and me, and there are so many benefits.
First, you save a lot of money. There is an upfront cost with cloth diapers and homemade wipes, but once you own them, you’re done. If you take good care of your diaper and wipe stash you can also use the same diapers and wipes with multiple children.
Second, the amount of trash created with disposable diapers and wipes is disgusting to me. I hated the idea of having to constantly throw out dirty diapers and wipes, and having them smell up my house. With cloth diapers and homemade wipes, you just put them all in one bag, and put the entire bag in the wash. It’s so easy! Not to mention, so much better for the environment. It takes a disposable diaper 500 years to decompose in the dump. How scary is that?
Third, homemade baby wipes are healthier for baby. These wipes are made of only one ingredients: fleece. Store-bought baby wipes are made with chemicals, dyes, or even fragrances that can be harmful to your sensitive baby.
Tools Needed
A serger (you can also use a standard sewing machine)
Materials Needed
1 yard fleece fabric – I used a white micro fleece from Natures Fabrics
A Note on the Measurements
The final wipes after serging will be about 6” wide and 8 1/2” long. The measurements are just what I have found to be best to use with cloth diapering but of course, you may choose differently. Exact measurements are not very important here. I leave about 1/2” of room on all sides for the serged edge (and you would do the same for the seam if using a sewing machine).
As a general tip, it’s better to make the wipes too big than too small.
How many fleece wipes do you need for a baby?
In this tutorial I made 30 homemade baby wipes for our newborn baby. I use 1 wipe when cleaning up a potty diaper, and 3 wipes if cleaning up a dirty diaper. So I go through 10-20 wipes per day depending on the day. And I wash the diapers and wipes every 1-2 days for a newborn.
For my toddler who is 2 years old, she goes through probably 5-10 wipes per day now, and I wash her diapers and wipes much less frequently.
How many wipes you want to have on hand will depend on how often you want to do diaper laundry. Starting with 30 wipes is a good plan, but if you are worried about having enough on hand you could double it and you would have more than enough for a few days at a time.
Measurements:
Final wipes: 6” wide and 8 1/2” long after serging (but this is not a rigid dimension. You can make these however big or small you like. I would go with bigger though, because if they’re too small they don’t work well as your baby grows and you need to clean more area).
Cut wipes: 7” wide, 9 1/2” long
Cut strips: 7” wide, 28 1/2” long
How to Make Homemade Baby Wipes with Fleece
Makes 30 homemade baby wipes
First, wash your fabric with gentle detergent and hot water. Then, dry the fabric on low heat.
Take the 1 yard fleece fabric and cut it into 10 strips that are 7” wide and 28 1/2” long.
Take each strip and cut it into thirds, so each piece is 7” wide by 9 1/2“ long.
Use a serger to serge around the edge of each wipe piece. If using a sewing machine, use a tight zig zag stitch to sew a seam around the edges.
Store in a basket with homemade baby wipe solution and fractionated coconut oil for a natural, gentle diaper changing experience for your baby. Enjoy!
How do you use homemade baby wipes?
To use fleece baby wipes for a newborn baby, simply run a couple of them under warm water, squeeze most the water out, and wipe your baby clean. Eventually I will whip up some homemade baby wipe solution with gentle soap, coconut oil, aloe vera, witch hazel, and a few other moisturizing ingredients. I avoid using any soap when the baby is newborn though, because their skin is so sensitive.
For the homemade diaper wipe solution, simply spray it either on the wipes directly or on the baby’s bottom during changing.
You also have the option of placing the wipes in a reusable dispenser and filling that with water and a gentle solution. I don’t prefer this way, but I have done it and it works just fine. You want to make sure the wipes aren’t sitting in water for a long period of time because they could grow bacteria.
FAQs:
Is it safe to make homemade baby wipes?
Absolutely, it is safe to make homemade baby wipes. In fact, I would argue it is safer to use homemade baby wipes than store-bought disposable ones. The benefit of using homemade wipes is you can control the ingredients: that means no additives, fragrances, or preservatives, which you often find in commercial baby wipes.
How long do homemade baby wipes last?
Homemade baby wipes last for years. In fact, when made properly using fleece fabric, and with a proper washing routine, there is no reason to ever throw them out.
Is it cheaper to make your own baby wipes?
It is way, way cheaper to make your own baby wipes than to buy them from the store. When you go through 10 or more wipes per day for a newborn baby, you can quickly see how the cost of disposable wipes would add up. For homemade wipes, you just buy the fabric and spend a couple hours making them and you’re done – for years to come.
What is the best type of fabric for homemade baby wipes?
The best fabric for homemade baby wipes is fleece. Fleece is soft and cozy on the baby’s skin. To use fleece baby wipes for a newborn baby, simply run a couple of them under warm water, squeeze most the water out, and wipe your baby clean. Alternatively, you could whip up a homemade baby wipe solution with gentle soap, coconut oil, aloe vera, witch hazel, and a few other moisturizing ingredients.
Fleece is also moisture-wicking, so cleaning dirty wipes is very easy. Simply throw the wipes in the washing machine with your other cloth diapers. I’ve never had an issue with wipes staining or not getting clean when using fleece because it doesn’t absorb well.
One more big benefit of fleece wipes is they can also be used as stay-dry liners in your cloth diapers as well. So basically that means putting a clean wipe in between your baby and the diaper, so that the wet content of the diaper goes through the wipe and into the liner, and the wipe stays dry. This prevents your baby’s skin from touching the wet diaper for long periods of time, which prevents diaper rash.
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Best Homemade Baby Wipes
Homemade baby wipes are easy to make, save money, and are the most natural and gentle option for your baby. I’ve been using these homemade wipes for a few years now and they are durable, effective, and have been used over and over on both my babies.
Materials
- 1 yard fleece fabric - I used a white micro fleece from Natures Fabrics
Instructions
- First, wash your fabric with gentle detergent and hot water. Then, dry the fabric on low heat.
- Take the 1 yard fleece fabric and cut it into 10 strips that are 7” wide and 28 1/2” long.
- Take each strip and cut it into thirds, so each piece is 7” wide by 9 1/2“ long.
- Use a serger to serge around the edge of each wipe piece. If using a sewing machine, use a tight zig zag stitch to sew a seam around the edges.
- Store in a basket with homemade baby wipe solution and fractionated coconut oil for a natural, gentle diaper changing experience for your baby. Enjoy!
Notes
- The final wipes after serging will be about 6” wide and 8 1/2” long. The measurements are just what I have found to be best to use with cloth diapering but of course, you may choose differently. Exact measurements are not very important here. I leave about 1/2” of room on all sides for the serged edge (and you would do the same for the seam if using a sewing machine).
- As a general tip, it’s better to make the wipes too big than too small.
- To use fleece baby wipes for a newborn baby, simply run a couple of them under warm water, squeeze most the water out, and wipe your baby clean. Eventually I will whip up some homemade baby wipe solution with gentle soap, coconut oil, aloe vera, witch hazel, and a few other moisturizing ingredients. I avoid using any soap when the baby is newborn though, because their skin is so sensitive.
- For the homemade diaper wipe solution, simply spray it either on the wipes directly or on the baby’s bottom during changing.
- You also have the option of placing the wipes in a reusable dispenser and filling that with water and a gentle solution. I don’t prefer this way, but I have done it and it works just fine. You want to make sure the wipes aren’t sitting in water for a long period of time because they could grow bacteria.
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