With the recent COVID-19 crisis, shoppers have been grabbing many personal care items off the shelves to stay stocked for a few months while practicing social distancing. And that includes—you guessed it—baby wipes.
If you are a young child’s parent in diapers(1), those empty wipe shelves mean you might have to get a little imaginative with your diaper changes until stores are restocked. The good news? You can prepare your own baby wipes with things you probably already have in your pantry. Here’s what you need to know:
If you plan to prepare DIY baby wipes, then the first option you may consider is making cloth wipes for your baby. The best thing about preparing cloth wipes is that they are washable, which means you reuse them.
However, these are not the same as the paper wipes that you are familiar with. This is because cloth wipes are needed to be used with a wipe solution. Here’s how you can prepare homemade cloth baby wipes:
It is essential to remember that when you are using natural ingredients and no preservatives to prepare a wipe solution, then they have a very brief shelf life. You can store the wipes in a plastic bag or container. When the requirement arises, take out a cloth wipe and spray a little solution for use on your baby.
If you find using and making cloth wipes too much of a task, you can make paper towel baby wipes. These wipes are very simple to make and comfortable to use. Here’s how to make:
You can store these wipes in a homemade baby wipe container or any clean plastic bag. Whenever you need a wipe, gently take out a wipe from the box, and use it for your baby.
You can surely use these wipes for a couple of weeks. However, refrain from storing it for prolonged periods as there are no preservatives used to make them durable.
[Also Read: Home Remedies for Diaper Rash]
You can easily prepare the baby wipes solution by using various natural ingredients available at your home. These are not only simple to make but extremely safe for your baby’s sensitive skin.
Here are some commonly used recipes and ingredients for preparing
DIY baby wipes:
Oil is one of the finest ingredients for preparing baby wipes as it will not only make your baby’s skin supple but soft, but it is ideal for conveniently wiping your baby’s skin.
Soap is an excellent cleaning agent and useful for cleaning the poop and urine traces.
Essential oil is a brilliant choice for baby wipes, and as they come with some additional benefits. Lavender oil for its antibacterial properties, can be used for calming and soothing and benefits and even tea tree oil can be used.
Water is an essential ingredient for preparing baby wipes. It helps in blending all the ingredients and also makes it easier for the ingredients to spread fastly.
These are a few of the ingredients that you can use to prepare baby wipes. You may follow some of the recipes that are mentioned below.
If you are thinking about how to use the ingredients mentioned above to make wipes effectively worry not, as here we have some simple to prepare homemade baby wipes recipes:
Your baby pees and poops a lot in the early months after birth, and thus his private parts become the preferred place for various kinds of bacteria to survive and grow. This antibacterial baby wipe solution can help in keeping bacterial infections at bay. Here what you need:
Avoid vinegar in case your baby has a skin rash or a skin allergy. Some babies are sensitive to tea tree oil, too; you should avoid it if your baby is sensitive to tea tree oil.
This one is straightforward and simple to make. Here what you require:
These are ideal homemade wipes for allergic skin, and you may include any essential oil for some additional benefits.
You can use these DIY baby wipes for diaper rash as they are very gentle on your baby’s skin. Here’s what all you need for preparing these wipes:
There is no doubt that DIY baby wipes are perfect for your baby, but sometimes your baby may have an allergic reaction due to the presence of certain substances. Therefore, keep your baby’s allergy at the back of your mind before using any ingredients for preparing wipes.
Homemade wipes have a very brief shelf-life; therefore, keep throwing away the unused old wipes and make fresh ones for your baby every 2 to 3 weeks. However, if you notice that your baby develops a rash or an allergy due to homemade baby wipes, you should seek urgent medical assistance.