The last container of disposable wipes I purchased nearly four years ago contained ethyl alcohol, ethoxylated lauryl alcohol, propylene glycol, ethoxylated lanolin, fragrance, benzalkonium chloride, diazolidinyl urea, tetra sodium E.D.T.A. and citric acid. Frankly I can't understand how it can be legal to have that many chemicals in a product designed for contact with babies most sensitive skin - and reading the ingredients was certainly enough to convince me not to use disposable wipes on my babies.

Re-useable cloth baby wipes used with water or a special wipes solution are an excellent alternative to disposable ones (even if you disposable nappies). You can purchase specially made cloth wipes made from cotton fabrics such as flannelette and towelling, hemp/cotton blends and cotton/micro fleece combinations. Soft fabrics such as flannelette and hemp are very gentle, especially if your baby has a rash, and towelling and micro fleece are great for easily removing sticky poos. You can just as easily use cheap face washers found in most supermarkets, or if you are really frugal, old towels and cotton bed sheets can be cut into squares and edged with a sewing machine or overlocker so that they do not fray. (I have to say that a bunch of the cheap face washers I purchased from Big W did fray in some corners after a couple of washes, but the fraying didn't continue and I am still using them two years later).

I suggest one wipe per nappy change - if the wipes are around 20cm square you will rarely need more than one wipe per nappy change. First wipe your baby's bottom once with the wipe open. Fold in half (soiled side in) and wipe again. If needed you can fold it in half again (or use another wipe). The purpose of folding it is so that only the clean wipe touches your baby's skin. It won't take you long to be able to fold the wipe one handed without getting your hand dirty at all, but if that concerns you, just buy a few more wipes - they are cheap enough and they are also great for wiping dirty hands and faces. Then all you do is throw the soiled wipe in to be washed and dried with your cloth nappies.

Although not re-useable, many people use cotton wool balls/rolls, tissues or paper towels as alternatives to commercial baby wipes. Personally, I don't like cotton wool as little bits of it seems to stick everywhere, and if you are looking at saving money, re-useable cloth wipes are the way to go as once you have paid for them you will have them for years and never have to worry about running out in the middle of the night.

What to use with your wipes?

In my experience, plain old warm water works well and requires the least amount of work, but there are all sorts of nice smelling natural wipes solutions that you can make up yourself. A plastic lunch box or old disposable wipes container can be used to store your clean wipes in your changing area. You can either make up a wipes solution and put it in a squirty or spray bottle to apply to each wipe before use, or you can make enough solution to wet all the wipes in your container. Either way, the solution should be replaced with fresh solution every one to two days. (You can still use your cloth wipes when out of the house - just take them with you dry with a water tight bottle of water/wipes solution, or take them wet in a water tight container. I have also found that Sorbalene cream works really well on dry wipes and its great for sensitive skin and babies with eczema like my son.

If you want to make your own baby wipe solution, I would suggest making them at half strength (or add more water to dilute) at first to make sure your baby is not allergic to any of the ingredients.

A note on Essential Oils: Many essential oils have excellent properties such as being anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, antiseptic, soothing, calming and moisturising and are excellent for using on your baby. However, it is important to be aware that not all Essential Oils are considered safe for use on babies, and it is generally considered that the ones that are safe should be used in a diluted form (mixed with a carrier oil). In addition, some babies may be allergic to Essential Oils. Before using any Essential Oil on your baby please make sure that you have properly researched its safety as some oils are contra-indicated for certain medical conditions such as epilepsy and also during pregnancy. Essential Oils commonly used in baby products include chamomile, calendular, lavender, neroli and tea tree oil - when using for wipes solutions only one drop of good quality (preferably organic) Essential Oil is needed.

Suggested baby wipe solution ingredients.

Its fun to make up your own wipes solutions with different ingredients and find out what you like best. The following is a list of ingredients commonly used in home made wipe solutions. Always use the best quality ingredients available to you.

To make up: place your choice of ingredients in a container with 1-2 cups of warm water and shake up - some may require a gentle shake before use if the ingredients separate.

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