Sunday, April 27, 2014

All About Cloth Wipes!

 

 
Ever since we started using cloth diapers, I thought it would be best to start using cloth wipes as well. We just toss them into our diaper pail and wash them along with the diapers; this makes diapering that much easier! No need for a second pail for disposable wipes or having to use twice as many disposable wipes for one change.




Cloth wipes are so sturdy and clean up messes SO much better than a disposable wipe, so you don't need as many. I highly recommend using cloth wipes if you already use cloth diapers!


There are a lot of options for using cloth wipes!
Let's talk about a few:

Baby wash cloths:

Baby wash cloths from Target or Walmart make super inexpensive cloth wipes and get the job done!

Receiving blankets or other fabric:

If you have old receiving blankets or some other fabric like flannel or terry, cut it up into pieces and these will make nice cloth wipes also.

Brand Name Wipes:

Cloth diaper brands such as Grovia, Thirsties, Charlie Banana, Bumgenius, and Planetwise sell their own cloth wipes along with their popular diapers and accessories. You can find flannel, organic cotton, and baby terry fabric among these brands. Below are some direct links to these brand name wipes. You can find most of these wipes on Amazon.com which is awesome, but I love supporting companies like Abbyslane, Sweetbottoms, and Jack Be Natural.

Charlie Banana Wipes (LOVE their Organic Cotton Wipes!)
Grovia Wipes (These are SO soft! We haven't used them yet but I was able to find them really cheap on my favorite new/used site Spot's Corner)
Bumgenius Wipes
Thirsties Wipes
Planetwise Wipes (These are great flannel wipes!)

Etsy Wipes/Washcloths:

Probably my favorite site to shop for cloth wipes is Etsy! There are SO many beautiful options to choose from and I love supporting other moms. Some shops sell "baby washcloths" that can easily be used as super sturdy cloth wipes. There is a wide range of materials and thickness when choosing wipes on Etsy. Some sell single-ply flannel or cotton wipes, and others sell thick chenille or two-ply flannel wipes. Here are my favorite shops to buy cloth wipes:

KBExquisites (first picture below)
dezignzbyliz (middle picture below)
TurtlesRUs

These are all wipes that I have purchased on Etsy. The first two sets of wipes are made with a minky backing. That is a popular fabric that Etsy sellers use for wipes.
(I have also bought some chenille washcloths that I love from a seller who no longer sells them [bottom picture], but SO many other shops sell the same thing!)



Here is a direct link to a "cloth wipes" search
to help you start browsing!
CLOTH WIPES ON ETSY





Now that you have a little bit more information about cloth wipes, find what works for you and your little one!

Depending on the size and thickness of the cloth wipe that you like best, you can still use a disposable wipe container for storage. I
have found that the Charlie Banana wipes and baby washcloths fit
perfectly in a container and you can fold them so they dispense the same way too. Here is a tutorial on how to fold them:




1. Lay your first wipe on a flat surface
 2. Lay a second wipe on top of your first, overlapping.






 3. Fold over the first wipe onto the second wipe.






 4. Repeat the process on either side until you have made a stack big enough to fit in your container. Lay your wipes in your container and pull the top wipe through the dispenser hole.




Organic Charlie Banana wipes and
baby washcloths from Target


 Check out my post on how to makeover your wipe container so you can use your cloth wipes in style
 
CLOTH WIPE SOLUTION SPRAY:
 
This is not totally necessary when using cloth wipes. We just use water in a spray bottle and wet the wipe before wiping the bum. Some people like a wipe solution to submerge or spray their wipes before using. Something as simple as Dr. Bronners Mild Baby Soap diluted in water is a great wipe solution. Also, there are a lot of brands that sell their own solutions ready to go, or concentrated. Etsy is a great place to find wipe solution cubes that you melt into water and you are ready to go!
 
We found that simple water spray with a cloth wipe followed by a smear of and a cloth diaper safe bum cream like coconut oil, Grovia Magic Stick, Grandma El's diaper cream, or CJ's Butter work great!
 

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Potty Training & Other Exciting News!!

Theresa is officially potty trained! Both girls only wear diapers at naptime and night time. Rachel will be four in September and I am thinking that she will be completely out of diapers by then. I am leaving it up to her to make that decision since she went to panties so soon (the month she turned two). Theresa will turn two in June, so I see her in a nighttime diaper for a while as well.

Diaper loads and diapering in general is not super exciting over here anymore, but not to worry because we are EXPECTING BABY #3!!! And IT'S A GIRL!!

I am in full nesting, cleaning, and diapering mode right now prepping for this sweet baby! I still have a ton of things cloth diaper and baby related that I want to post and talk about. Keep an eye out for new things!