As busy parents we use baby wipes for everything don’t we? Wiping down mucky high chairs, cleaning sticky face and hands, mopping up spills and perhaps even keeping a pack in our cars for emergencies.
The list is endless.
Right now, in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, you might find it difficult to get hold of baby wipes as well as other family essentials.
I can’t help you with making pasta or sourcing toilet rolls but I can help you with baby wipes.
If you have little ones at home and you are struggling to find baby wipes in the shop then please do not panic. Washable wipes are a really easy solution and don’t have to be expensive or fancy.
I have been making reusable wipes for years and have written this blog post to guide you through some tips and hints if you are thinking that switching to reusable wipes might be right for your family at this time.
You can use what you already have at home or things that are perhaps more readily available in supermarkets or pound shops.
Here are my top tips to getting started with reusable wipes…
Do I have to buy an expensive kit?
The simple answer is no you don’t. The cheapest way you can make wipes is from things you probably have lying around at home.
The easiest thing to do is to cut old t-shirts or towels you might have at home up into squares and keep in a tub. Or you could buy some flannels from a cheap shop and use them.
Ask friends and family if they have anything you could use if you don’t have anything yourself.
They might fray a bit, and you could finish them on a sewing machine if you have one, but a little fraying won’t really affect them much.
How Many Wipes Do I Need?
I reckon you need about 30 wipes if you going to use them full time. This allows you to use them for everything that you would usually use a wipe for – plus have some in the dirty tub, some in the washing machine and some drying on the line!
How Do I Use My Washable Wipes?
If using them for mucky hands and faces just run them under a tap and use as you would a flannel, wipe down you mucky child or highchair and then throw straight into the washing machine after you have used them.
If you are going to be using them for nappy changes then the best thing to do it store them in a Tupperware tub near your changing area. Fill the tub with water – and a drop or two of an essential oil to keep them smelling nice if you want – and pop the wipes in there. Keep your tub by your changing area and whenever you need one just take it out, squeeze out the excess water, and away you go!
Wipes that have been used for nappy changes can be popped into a second tub with a lid when you are done with them. Just empty the tub into the washing machine and washed on a normal 30 degree wash. Washing them every other day is fine. You might want to put them in one of those mesh washing bags to stop them getting lost in the washing machine but this isn’t essential.
Can I use my Washable Wipes When Out and About?
Yes, you can!
If you are using your wipes for mucky face and hands just run a few wipes under the tap before you head out, squeeze out the excess water and store in a small tub in your nappy bag or a ziplock bag. Then when you need a wipe you have some already wet to hand – simple!
You can do a similar thing for nappy changes but take a second ziplock bag with you to store the dirty and used wipes away from the clean ones.
I hope that this blog post has proved useful to you – and that using reusable wipes is no longer a daunting prospect!
Let me know in the comments if you need any help with making the switch to reusable wipes!
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