Homemade Wipe Solution

Okay, so this isn't exactly food (although you could eat it if you wanted to, but I'm not sure what would compel someone to do such a thing), but it is a recipe. My family cloth diapers and we also use cloth wipes. When we were in the NICU the nurses didn't use any kind of solution on their wipes, just water, and that's what we've been using since. However, a few weeks ago their poops started changing (over share?) and I decided it was time for something a little... cleaner. Enter the wipe solution. I researched various recipes and created my own based on what I found, so I thought I'd share it with you.

What you'll need:

1 tablespoon Coconut, Almond, Apricot, or some other fruit/nut oil (I used Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil)

1 tablespoon Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap (They have multiple fragrances, but I just used the unscented)

4 drops Organic Tea Tree Essential oil

4 drops Organic Lavender Essential oil

1 teaspoon White vinegar (Omit this is your baby has a rash!)

2 1/2 cups water

Add all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until fully combined (not too much though, to avoid foaming the soap)

At this point you can do a couple things; you can put the solution into a bottle and spray your wipes as you use them, or you can wet the wipes and store them. We have a Prince Lionheart Cloth Wipes Warmer that we were lovingly and generously given by a sweet friend at our baby shower, so I apply the solution and put my wipes in that. I used a squirt bottle and arranged my wipes on a clean surface, then I applied the solution over the wipes evenly (both sides).

And done! This made enough for about 40 wipes, which will last us about 4 days. You could very easily double the recipe and store the remaining solution in a larger bottle, but it only took about 5 minutes to make from start to finish. Much cheaper and "greener" than buying disposable wipes every week!


Tips and side-notes:
- You can use different essential oils based on your preferences. I chose lavender for it's antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiseptic, aromatic, and sedative properties, and Tea Tree oil for it's antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiseptic, and antiviral properties. Just make sure that whatever oils you choose are organic and truly essential. Read the fine print!

- The use of vinegar is also for anti-fungal purposes.

- You can also add more or less soap. I prefer not to have that filmy feeling left over, and I think it tends to dry out skin, so I use less than some recipes call for.