Rags to Riches: Learn to Make Your Own Cloth Wipes

I used to know EVERYTHING about being a perfect mom, but then…

I HAD A BABY!!!

(This is actually my sister’s baby. Isn’t he adorable?)

I quickly realized I knew nothing and continue to know less each day ;) Not only are babies a TON of work, but they are EXPENSIVE too! By the time you buy formula, diapers, wipes, and baby food you’re broke (or feel close to it)!

I couldn’t be more excited because my sister just had her 1st baby and unlike me, she is actually figuring out ways to cut costs and make all of her own baby stuff! I love that she can’t say “No” to her big sister and has agreed to share all the things she has learned with you. 

This 1st post is all about making your own cloth wipes, which is easier than you think & requires NO sewing! You could also use this method to make some emergency poo wipes for yourself!

I’ll go ahead and let Brittani take it from here…

Living within one’s means is a characteristic of a wealthy person. This is a goal of mine so I’m constantly looking for ways I can cut costs. One way I have been able to save some money is to use rags and cloth wipes instead of disposable wipes, paper towels and cotton balls. The cost of these latter items continue to increase, so I find it exciting when I am not having to constantly go to the store to buy them.

I got into cloth wipes after having a baby and seeing how many disposable wipes I was going through. My friend shared with me this easy and inexpensive way to make cloth wipes, so I hope you will find it helpful too!

Supplies to Make Cloth Wipes:

• One yard of fabric
  • I recommend Velour Fabric, color: Papyrus, because it does not require sewing. (It’s soooo soft you’ll want to wipe with them too ;)
  • These wipes can cost between $0.13-$0.22. The material I used costs $12.99 but I used 40% coupon so it was about $8.
• Fabric scissors or rotary cutter
• Measuring tape
• Washable Highlighter/Marker
• Container for wipes (you can reuse a disposable wipe container)

Steps for Making Cloth Wipes:

1. Lay out the fabric and mark a small line every 6 inches with a highlighter (don’t worry, it will wash out).
2. Then turn the fabric 90 degrees and once again mark a small line every 6 inches .
3. Use the measuring tape  to draw lines and connect all the marks so it makes 6 inch squares.
4. Use the fabric scissors (or a rotary cutter if your fancy like that) to cut along the highlighted marks.
5. Congrats! You now have poo & pee wipes!

Storing the Wipes: If you want you can fold the wipes to pop-up and dispense like disposable wipes. Here’s a 2 minute YouTube video that demonstrates exactly how to do that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUTPIY6dDgc

Using the Cloth Wipes: Have a spray bottle handy with water and a little bit of baby soap, and when you’re ready to use the cloth wipes squirt them down. You may need more or less depending on the mess ;)

Uses for Cloth Wipes

You can stop throwing away money in multiple areas and use these cloth wipes instead! You can use them to:

• Remove make up
• Clean face with astringent
• Clean mirrors with glass cleaner
• Wipe dusty shelves
• Use as baby wipes instead of disposable baby wipes
• Use as poo wipes instead of toilet paper

***I recommend not mixing the uses of the cloth wipes. I have a box for my baby’s wipes, a box for my face wipes and a box for my cleaning wipes.

Cleaning the Cloth Wipes

Wipes can be cleaned with other linen UNLESS used as baby wipes (see directions below). They dry fast, so I usually hang dry mine, but you can also dry on low heat.

Cleaning Cloth Wipes used as Baby Wipes

I wash my cloth wipes with my cloth diapers, so this method of washing cloth wipes is the same for cloth diapers. The cloth wipes need to be washed about every 2-3 days, or you risk the growth of bacteria. Do not use detergents that leave residue behind, softeners or scents (check out the sites for recommended detergents below).

It’s good to use the same soap for all laundry so remnants of the non-cloth diaper-safe detergent are not left in the washer. Once a month use ¼ cup of bleach when washing to prevent ammonia buildup.

Washing Process:

COLD pre-wash/rinse
HOT wash (Add soap at this point. Heat is what kills the bacteria.)
COLD rinse
EXTRA rinse (This step is to make sure all detergent is washed out.)

*Here are sites that rate the different detergents:

• http://www.diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html
• http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoices.htm

Paper Towel Challenge

My husband and I noticed we used a lot of paper towels, so we decided to challenge ourselves to see if we could cut back. We placed our paper towel holder in a shelf under the cabinet instead of on our countertop hoping that once it was out of sight, it would be out of mind. When we would reach for a paper towel, we would remember that we needed to think of an alternative medium. We started to use rags and towels more and we’ve now had the same paper towel role for almost a month (that is a record for us)!

Making my own cloth wipes has been a great way to become more prepared, self-reliant, eco-friendly, and save some money in the process.

Take the challenge too! What areas in your home can you ditch the paper products and replace them with cloth wipes, rags or towels instead?

Author Bio: Brittani is a super-mom of one adorable 6 month old and when he’s not keeping her busy she works as a RN. She is also my amazing sister who does whatever I ask, and maybe one day she’ll learn how to spell my name ;) Brittani is one of the most creative people I know and can turn anything she touches into a beautiful masterpiece.

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