DIY Baby Wipe Solution (Cloth Diapers Optional!)

This DIY baby wipe solution is so simple to make. And making your own wipe solution can be a major money saver over time! But perhaps more importantly, it keeps the chemicals found in commercial wipes away from your baby’s sensitive skin. We’ve used cloth wipes and homemade wipe solution for all four of our babies. I love saving money while also getting a better product! 

Pin This Post for Later!

This post contains affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can view our full disclosure here.

Why Make Your Own Homemade Baby Wipe Solution?

When I had my first baby, I wanted to try using cloth diapers. I thought it would be a great way to save money! After a few weeks, however, I realized that the time it took might not be worth it to me when I could buy diapers for less than $0.10 each. 

I decided to put cloth diapers on the back burner and consider coming back to them with the next baby (somehow I thought I might have more time? Ha!). Four babies in, I haven’t found the time to go back to cloth diapers, but I have stuck with cloth wipes! 

Did you know that for less than $20, you can buy cloth wipes that you can use over and over and over? (Or, even better, you can totally make your own wipes out of some flannel fabric if you want!) And when you make your own wipes solution, you can save so much money leaving the store-bought wipes behind! 

Here are four reasons why I love making my own homemade wipes solution:

diy baby wipe solution
  1. Saves money. Below, I calculated just how much money I’ve saved by using cloth wipes and DIY wipe solution. (Spoiler alert: they’re significantly less expensive, even if you buy your cloth wipes and only use them for one child. If you make your own cloth wipes and/or use them for more than one child, they’re a TON cheaper!)
  2. Avoids harmful chemicals. Most brands of disposable wipes are full of artificial fragrances and harmful chemicals such as parabens and formaldehyde. Some of the chemicals in baby wipes have even been linked to potential cancer risks. When you use your own cloth wipes with homemade cloth wipe solution, you don’t have to worry about any of that! 
  3. Gentle on baby skin. This wipe solution is made of just a few simple ingredients that are gentle on your baby’s delicate skin. We’ve noticed that using our own baby wipes has cut down on problems with diaper rash for some of our babies. 
  4. Reduces waste. In addition to all of the personal benefits of making your own wipe solution, using cloth wipes is a great option if you want to cut down on waste. When you have dozens of diaper changes every week, having reusable baby wipes on hand can make a big difference! 

How Does the Cost of Cloth Baby Wipes Compare to Buying Commercial Baby Wipes?

I would probably make by own DIY wipe solution even if it didn’t save money – it’s so easy and it’s totally worth knowing that I’m putting safe products on my baby’s skin! But just out of curiosity, I wanted to see how the cost of using cloth wipes and wipe solution compares to buying commercial baby wipes.

I use cloth wipes almost exclusively for the first 6 months (although we do keep some disposable wipes in the diaper bag for when we’re out). Once they start eating solids, I also use disposable wipes sometimes as needed.

Here’s what I found about how much I’ve saved in those first 6 months.

How Much Do Disposable Wipes Cost?

  • In the first 6 months, the average baby needs about 8-10 diaper changes per day. 
  • At 8 per day, that’s 1440 total changes in 6 months, or about 240 per month.
  • The Aldi wipes we buy come in packs of 216 wipes. That averages to about one pack per month, if you use only one wipe or less per change.
  • At $5.19 per pack, Aldi’s wipes would cost $31.14 total over 6 months.

How Much Do Cloth Wipes Cost?

How Much Does Homemade Wipe Solution Cost?

  • 1 cups distilled water – $0.08
  • 1 tablespoons castile soap – $0.26
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil – $0.09
  • Total per batch – $0.43

Each batch of wipe solution lasts me about 2.5 weeks. That means that in 6 months, I’ll go through about 11 batches, for total of $4.73. 

That means in 6 months, the cost of the cloth wipes plus the solution equals less than $23, compared to spending $31 on disposable wipes.

In addition, each set of cloth wipes lasts for multiple children. I strip the wipes after a child is done with them, and can easily get through three children on one set (probably more – they don’t really wear out!). If you have multiple children, the cost goes down significantly! 

And if you want to save even more, you can make your own washable wipes using flannel, or (cleaned) old t-shirts

You can even make DIY baby wipes out of a roll of paper towels (which aren’t so reusable, but can save money and allows you to create your own, non-toxic wipe spray!).

Ingredients and Supplies You’ll Need

For this recipe, you’ll need:

ingredients for making diy baby wipe solution
  • 1 cup distilled water. Distilled water can help to prevent bacterial growth in your wipe spray. You could also boil tap water before adding it to your wipe spray.
  • 1 tablespoon pure castile soap. Castile soap (like Dr. Bronner’s), is one of our favorite cleaners and natural baby products. A little bit goes a long way! We also use this as baby shampoo and baby soap, as well as in other cleaning products.
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil or baby oil. Olive oil is soothing on your baby’s bum and helps keep it from becoming rashy or dry.
  • Optional: 1-2 drops of lavender essential oil (for calming scent). You could also add a bit of tea tree oil, which has antimicrobial properties – excellent for destroying bacteria. A drop of essential oil or two is plenty for this recipe.
  • Funnel, for adding your ingredients.
  • Clean spray bottle. An amber bottle can block UV rays and help preserve your ingredients if your bottle will be kept in a sunny area. But pretty much any type of little spray bottle or even a peri bottle can work for holding your spray.
  • Wipes container. An old commercial wipes container or any other plastic container that fits will work well for keeping your wipes neat on the changing table. I use an old lunch meat container for holding our cloth wipes. 
cloth wipes in an old tupperware container

How to Make DIY Baby Wipe Solution

It takes less than 5 minutes to make this wipe solution! Here’s how to do it:

  1. In a clean spray bottle, combine your water, castile soap, olive oil, and essential oils.
    adding essential oil through a funnel
  2. Swirl your bottle gently to combine.
  3. Spray 2-5 sprays on each cloth wipe before using. 

How to Wash Cloth Wipes

Washing cloth wipes is easy – just throw them in with your regular laundry! Wash on cold using mild detergent. 

Every once in awhile, it will take a couple of washes to get the wipes looking really clean, but I don’t worry too much about it. Since I primarily use cloth wipes during the time my babies are exclusively breastfed, I’ve never had problems with them being super gross or getting the other laundry dirty. 

I usually try to wipe the baby’s bottom with the diaper first to get the majority of the poop off. You can also rinse a wipe in the sink briefly before throwing in the wash if it has a lot on it. 

Tips for Making and Using Your Homemade Wipe Solution

  • Test on a small patch of skin first. I have not had a problem using DIY wipe spray with my babies (in fact, I find it much gentler than commercial products), but it doesn’t hurt to test a little bit first in case they have sensitive skin. 
  • Store in a cool, dark place.
  • Use within 1-2 weeks for maximum freshness.
  • You can also use this baby wipe recipe on baby washcloths during bath time or for wiping sticky fingers. It’s a wonderful all-around gentle, non-toxic cleanser!  
  • If you don’t want to make your own wipe spray, I’ve also used Baby Bits. They work great, but I do find that they take about the same amount of time to prepare as just making my own spray.
diy baby wipe solution

DIY Baby Wipe Solution

Yield: 9 oz
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Using distilled water, castile soap, olive oil, and essentail oil, you can whip up this simple recipe in just minutes - while saving money and using safe products on your baby's sensitive skin.

One batch typically lasts about 2.5 weeks.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup distilled water
  • 1 tablespoon castile soap
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1-2 drops lavender or tea tree essential oil
  • Funnel
  • Clean spray bottle

Instructions

  1. In a clean spray bottle, combine your water, castile soap, olive oil, and essential oils.
  2. Swirl your bottle gently to combine.
  3. Spray 2-5 sprays on each cloth wipe before using. 

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *