When I had Zander this past winter, a friend brought over some homemade baby wipes.
I loved them!
How did I NOT know about homemade baby wipes before my 4th child?!
I was shocked.
Not only are they cheap and easy to make…they are also waaay better for your chubby baby’s bottom than the store-bought wipes.
What you need
- 1 roll Bounty (must be Bounty – I tried another brand against my friend’s advice and they were terrible)
- A very sharp knife or an electric knife works best (*UPDATE* We found a much better way by using a Miter Saw)
- 1 T. baby wash
- 1 T. coconut oil (you can use other oils but coconut has lots of good benefits so it’s a good choice)
- 1 C. water (make sure it is hot if you’re using coconut oil so it’ll melt)
- 1 container the appropriate size to house the wipes (the one pictured came from Dollar Tree)
Remove the cardboard roll inside the paper towels and cut the remaining paper towels in half. (as noted below by Amber, you can leave the roll in there and remove it as the final step…which ever works best for you)
Mix the baby wash, oil, & hot water around to make sure the wash and oil are evenly distributed.
Pour the mixture into your wipes container.
Add the cut paper towels and let sit for about an hour until all the liquid spreads throughout the paper towels.
Pull wipes from center.
To make them more travel-friendly, I take a hunk out and put them in a quart-size ziploc.
It’s unbelievably easy! And I simply love this particular brand of baby wash which I bought from Target.
Best part about these…they do not contain alcohol and they are super-soothing for those delecate areas, especially if you’re dealing with a diaper rash.
Just make sure you get the right size Bounty. I bought rolls that were too big once and I couldn’t fit them in my container.
I used homemade baby wipes for the 4+ years that Rachel was in diapers
(Yes, she is finally potty trained at 4 1/2, what a kid!) I loved them!! I always bought the select-a-size Bounty towels – and yes it has to be Bounty! I never tried to take the cardboard out before making them, I always waited until it was all soggy and super easy to pull right out of the middle. Also, I would put the wipes in cut size down (it was pretty rough since I usually just used a butcher knife) and then after about 15 min. I would flip them over to soak up the rest. Worked like a charm! I love your container!!! Mine was a baby shower gift that worked pretty well but wasn’t quite as neat as yours. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Amber! Maybe it’s my knife, but when I try to cut through the towels with the cardboard in the roll still it really bogs it down, I am using an electric knife though. Maybe I need to get out my butcher knife and see how it goes.
Great tip on flipping them to absorb! Thank you!
glad I could help you with this blog post!!
Good to see the recipe was put to good use!!
Yes and thank you friend! The perfect baby gift that kept on giving!!
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I have a day care and have used the bounty napkins for the last three years and I love them. Wal-Mart sells a plastic lidded container that works wonderful.
Great to know JaSi! I hadn’t even thought of using the Bounty napkins. That’s handy for sure, especially if you don’t want to have to cut the paper towels.
I’ve been making these for a couple years as well. I use Viva select a size and they work well too. I double your recipe though. I use 2 cups of water, 2T wash, and 2T oil. You can add a couple drops of tea tree oil too to make it a little more anti bacterial. I LOVE them and they are soooo much better for baby’s bottom. I’ve been using unscented baby oil, but I’m going to switch to coconut oil now! Glad someone else uses them too! Have fun!
I didn’t realize Viva worked too so it’s great to know that there are other options. I had previously tried the Sam’s Club brand, Member’s Mark. They were a failure. I have heard of adding the tea tree oil and it is an excellent addition! Thank you for the comment!
Could you use these in a warmer? How would u cut them?
Hi Steph!
If you use a warmer, I’d probably add a couple drops of tea tree oil to the liquid. If the wipes are warmer there is more potential for bacteria to grow, hence the addition of tea tree oil.
JaSi mentioned that they make Bounty napkins which I have never personally tried. Rather than trying to make the paper towels work since they are such a different shape, I’d personally try the napkins. Bounty seems to be stronger so I’d stick with those brand napkins first.
I’d love to hear how it works out for you!
Where can you find coconut oil?
Hi Marlena, you’ll find that many stores carry it now, which is so nice! If you look in the baking section it should be there, but sometimes it is in the ethnic section. I’ve seen the brand LouAnn or and Spectrum (which is a better quality).
Trader Joe’s sells organic coconut oil at a very reasonable price!
We buy ours at Costco.
Costco sells coconut oil in a huge jar for $16! Great deal and great for many other uses
Cooking, hair treatment, makeup remover, moisturizer and as someone already mentioned, which I have yet to try, diaper rash cream! Very excited to try making these wipes 
Great baby shower gift as well!
Hi! I will definately trying this! My kids are 4 and 6, but I find that baby wipes are amazing in all kinds of different way! One question though…teaspoon or tablespoon? or does it matter? Thanks for the post!
Hi Ashley, you’ll want to use 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of baby wash for the correct proportions. I use them for wiping up dirty faces and in the car for my older kids and they work great. Best wishes!
Trader Joes now sells organic coconut oil. Its like $5.99. Not sure if yall have Traders where you live.
We don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby but oh I wish we did! I’ve never even stepped foot in one but I hear they are great! That’s another source for others to check out though. Thank you Jessica for the tip!
Do you know if this would be safe for cloth diapers
This is absolutely safe for cloth diapers/wipes. We go through the paper towel wipes quickly so I don’t add tea tree oil, but you may want to if your solution is going to stay on your wipes for a while.
We also used these with cloth diapers. I used the same solution on cut up pieces of flannel so I didn’t have to pick wipes out of the wash, I just threw it all in the wash together!
Hi, Love this tip. We use the walmart baby wipes by the case but we are always trying to save money. My question is about the baby wash. Could I use Johnson & Johnson head to toe or is there a different type of baby wash I don’t know about?
You can use J&J baby wash. I posted the Shea Moisture brand but that’s just my personal preference. As long as it’s baby wash, it’s delicate enough to use for wipes.
I am making reusable baby wipes out of fleece material as gifts but they recommend not adding the solution until you are ready to use the wipes. Do you know if it is a problem if these sit very long? The baby shower is now but the baby is not due for a while yet. TY!
When I got the wipes as a gift from a friend, she gave me a prepared roll of wipes as well as a bottle of baby oil and baby wash, 1 roll of paper towels cut and her recipe. I changed up some of the ingredients because I wanted the added benefits of using coconut oil. So maybe you can include the ingredients and directions so she can make them once the baby is born?
That or you can also add a few drops of Tea Tree Oil to the mixture and try it, But if for some reason mold grew in the amount of time until the baby is born that would not be a good thing at all.
Personally, I wouldn’t risk letting them sit for a more than a month or 2 in the wash solution. Hopefully this helps you in making your decision.
Yes, I agree! I made that mistake and made up the wipes and gave them at a shower. Fortunately it was a good friend and when she was giving me a tour of her nursery I saw the wipes sitting out and noticed there was mold! So I quickly snatched them, apologized and replaced them with the ingredients instead before the baby was born. I will never do that again!
I made these when my son was born (June 2012), I started having issues with them molding, did anyone else have this issue? I was tossing a bunch out, which wasn’t making it very economical, we switched to the Seventh Generation ones. I LOVED the way these smelled, worked, felt, etc, but it isn’t worth it if they are constantly molding. Any tips??
I’ve never had a batch mold in the 1 year + of using this recipe. But you’re right, it sure doesn’t make them very economical.
Were you using coconut oil Megan? Coconut oil itself is antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial so that is what makes these wipes that much better. That and the addition of a few drops of tea tree oil would be a huge benefit.
I go through a container of wipes every 2 weeks (but I think they would last mold-free much longer). Time would be the only other factor I would think would contribute to the mold problem you had. Hope this helps you.
Tea tree oil is great, but be careful about it’s possible effects on boys. http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa064725
Thank you for sharing Shelley!
When we had our first son, my husband actually read up on the effects of tea tree oil on boys.
Since then, I’ve been more sparing in my use of it because I think there are valid concerns with overuse. Great information and not something we should overlook.
what do you mean?? what can happen to the boY???
Specifically from this link shared in the comments. From that report, it suggests that tea tree oil (and lavender oil) could cause breast enlargement in prepubescent boys.
So I was compelled to research this topic again and I came across this article and this article.
In my opinion, it’s something to be aware of but not worry about. There is NOT a widespread problem of gynecomastia (breast enlargement) or a link to tea tree oil. But knowledge is power and if you are aware that it could possibly cause gynecomastia, then you can make an informed decision.
do you know of any other natural antibiotics other then tea tree oil that would be safe to use in this recipe. I want to try these so bad but I only go though about two packs of wipes a month (I use seventh generation wipes now) and don’t want to make these just to have to throw them out before I can use them on my little man.
Initially, I thought Lavender oil would be a good choice since it is anti-bacterial. Here is a link I found with more information on oils you could use in place of tea tree oil.
I hope this helps you. I love these wipes and they’ve worked well for our family.
Can I use the coconut oil that I bought in the grocery store. There is nothing else in it as far as ingredients, My daughter had twins and this is one way we can save and better for them. Can’t wait to give them a try. Thanks in advance.
Yes Peggy, that will work perfectly. Congratulations!!
We are just about to run out of baby wipes and my 14 month old has been having diaper rash lately (which he has never had before). Hope this change to a more natural and savvy way of making homemade baby wipes will help him.
PS. If you find that you’re having trouble with mold, make sure you use distilled water. That might help the issue. Good luck!
Hi Maria! Thank you for the tip about using distilled water! I’ve never used distilled myself, but it may just be a solution for those who do have mold problems. (I’m leaning towards the coconut oil preventing mold – but that is just my theory)
Also, it’s funny you mention diaper rashes…my kids all had terrible diaper rashes. But since using the homemade wipes, we’ve not had any issues other then a very minor rashes with the almost 3 year old (because I didn’t realize she was dirty). I hope this helps you and your little guy!
Thank You for this post. I was able to find everything you suggested except I have not bought the bounty yet. The baby soap is expensive but I bought that and I bought myself the adult lotion as it smells awesome. I am making these wipes for my dog actually. To clean his feet and wipe his body. He has very little hair and I have been using coconut oil on him for some time now. Last year he developed a few growths and I was told frankincense will help them shrink so I am hoping this soap will be good to bathe him in too. I am also making some wipes for my exercise class so we can wipe off when we have to run errands after class. I found a very similar container in the dollar tree store only the lid was flat. I was pleased to find they were made in USA so I bought 6 of them. Well I am hopeful that Scott paper towels will work as well as that is all I have at the moment.
Hi Ca!
I have seen those flat lid containers at Dollar Tree too. They are the same size as the one I have, (I think it’s just an updated design). That particular brand, Shea Moisture, is highly addictive. I’ve loved everything of theirs that I’ve tried. As far as Scott brand, don’t be discouraged if they fall apart. They are definitely sturdy enough with Bounty, but I tried another brand before and they fell apart.
As far as your pup’s skin problems, this is totally off topic, but have you ever heard of RAW feeding? (the growths made me think of it) Our dog that we had years ago had serious allergies and skin issues. We switched him to RAW food and all of his issues cleared up. He was scratching excessively and losing patches of skin/hair. From what we read, allergies can manifest in all sorts of ways in dogs.
Anyway, just a thought you may want to consider. Best of luck to you!
These wipes are just amazing. My dog is salivating wanting to eat them. (he loves evco!) There is an article on Organic EVCO and the benefits to dogs in many ways and I assume the same for humans. I understand it is important to use EVCO. Sadly in a rush though I bought the Coconut oil in the grocery although it was labeled organic it is not extra virgin. I will research what the benefits of the extra virgin is over just coconut oil. Thank you for the recommendation for feeding raw. His skin is actually in great condition for a mostly white dog with pink skin belly. He is 7 now and the vet has been amazed with his good skin condition for breed and the fact he is white. The growths just developed recently and were tested to be benign tumor. which seems to be very common in his breed. I have been keeping close eye on them and the article on them in whole dog journal actually mentioned frankincense oil as being a magic cure. When and if he starts to have issues with his food I would switch to Raw, but it just plain grosses me out so I have not tried it. Thank You for sharing these amazing wipes! That I will be sharing with my dog forum.
What is the shelf life on these? I want to make some for a friend who is due in a few weeks and I want to try them soon but i dont want them to dry out of shes late or doesnt use them right away. How long do they usually last before drying out?
Hi Heather,
I’m sorry but I honestly don’t know how long they’ll stay moist. They’ve never dried out on me and I think the longest I’ve had one prepared was a couple of months. (I use to have 2 containers and I seemed to use 1 of them more so the other lasted much longer) I’d say at least a couple of months but not too much longer because of the possibility of mold (unless you add tea tree oil – that would buy you some time).
I actually did this with Costco brand paper towels and it works really well. I’ve done Bounty, Costco, and Viva… Viva are terrible but both Costco and Bounty are great. Costco require a little extra water.
Great to know Kristin! Thank you!
I hope I don’t sound silly but are you cutting the paper towels in equal halves? If so, this would make two containers of wipes. I nanny for twin 8 month old girls. One has serious dairy allergies and I think is allergic to many other things yet to be discovered. This could definitely help her little bottom. Plus the girls love to grab the wipes and put them in their mouths. At least with these they wouldn’t be taking in chemicals while I get the wipes away from them!
Not silly at all Joanne.
Yes, I cut them into equal halves and one roll makes 2 wipe containers worth. I just cut the entire package all at once and make them as I need them. Hope these wipes help these two little girls. What a great thing that care so much for the little girls you nanny!
these are so wonderfu! I’ve been using this same basic recipe with flanel wipes since our son was born 2 1/2 years ago. we use a warmer, and i’ve never had a mold issue. I did want to say though, that only the cold press/expeller pressed oil has all the wonderful benifits to it. if it has been refined, like the LoAnna brand is, you’ve lost most of the benefits. I’ve still used it when it was the only brand I could get one time, but it was not as good on my sons rash prone skin.
Great feedback Lois! The LoAnna brand is okay if you’re in a pinch but not something I’d use on a regular basis. Several local stores now carry the Spectrum brand which is so much better. Glad to hear they helped with his rash. Since using these, our little ones haven’t had a rash and I can’t help but think the wipes are why.
Is the homemade baby wipes good for little girls
I started using them on my daughter and they worked great!
Just made these tonight to try for the first time. I had to double the liquid mixture though. There was no way there was going to be enough to get the towels all damp enough.
You may need to double depending on the size of the Bounty roll. My container is on the smaller side so I need to get a smaller roll of Bounty – I think “BIG”. I’m glad you found a proportion that worked for you and I hope you like them.
Love this! I have some questions though. I have everything to do this except the knife or saw to cut the cloths. Do you have any recommendations on this, because I have a Costco bundle of paper towels and I’d rather use those than buying some other ones. Also, could you put the towels & solution in those plastic wet wipes flip top style containers? Or does it need to be an air tight container? I’m really excited to try this out on my newborn! Thanks for the post!
Someone did comment that the Costco brand paper towels do work (you just may need to double the recipe as they need more moisture). The only problem I can see is getting them cut to fit a container. Hmmmmmmm. Maybe a larger container? Meaning taller? I think they’d be to large to fit into a wipes container.
One other suggestion (which goes against your desire to use your Costco paper towels) is to buy the Bounty brand napkins. Those would fit perfectly in your wipes container and you would not have to cut them. I don’t think they need to be air tight. But Huggies wipes containers have a flexible rubber inside seal at the top and those seem to keep wipes from drying out and would be a better choice. Pamper’s wipes containers have a flawed design where they are more open and prone to drying out.
Hope this helps!
Julie I am so excited to try these wipes. I use coconut oil on my skin and it helps tremendously. I also wanted to tell you how absolutely refreshing it is to see you interacting with each comment on your blog. What a wonderful hostess!! I will certainly be following more of your posts.
Thank you so much Megan! Coconut oil is so wonderful and I wish I had known about it years ago. I love the comments and really appreciate each and every one of them. Thanks for stopping by!
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I can’t wait to try the wipes! I have a 3 month old and have given her daily massages with organic extra virgin coconut oil since she was 1 month old. I slather on a little extra on her bottom and I have not had to use diaper cream since! I also use it as a face moisturizer…well really an all over moisturizer!
I do love the power of coconut oil!
So glad you’ve found it useful. I also use it as a makeup remover (eye area) and have used it in my dry hair in the past. I hope you like the wipes.
I’ve had the hardest time finding a container for these. I’ve tried target, wal mart, family dollar & dollar tree! I might go to The Container Store tonight. Any suggestions anyone? I really really want to do this for my baby!
You may want to look for a flour container. I think Rubbermaid has one that is wide enough to hold a roll.
I used a “click-clack” container we were given when we were married. They are sold at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Target sells something similar in the laundry area.
Great! Thank you for the tip Amanda! Here is the link in case any of you are interested.
I got a great container fromTupperware. Not sure if its only a European thing though..
I found a container that fits a double size roll at The Container Store. It is a clear plastic canister with a white lid with a rubber gasket inside for a nice tight seal. It has a one handed operation of opening on the top if the lid that you squeeze together to remove the lid from the base. It had a clear label with a black “swoosh”, was about $12 and was with the kitchen type jars. Good luck!
Is there an expiration date? I am such a planner so i like to have everything prepared and i know that with a 2 year old runnign around it would be easier to have them made ahead of time and ready to pull out!
I’m not sure about an expiration Abigail, but I’d be careful about preparing too many ahead of time. I have to say that I admire planners like you! But I do want to encourage you in the fact that they are very quick to mix up as long as you have them cut ahead of time. Whenever I get towards the end of a roll, I pull the last remaining towels out and mix up a new batch. Then I place those stragglers at the top of the container so they are ready for the next diaper change. Best wishes!
Is Dr. Bronners soap okay to use instead of the baby wash?
I would think it is Kristen, but I’ve used Dr. Bronner’s only once (in a tooth soap of all things). From what I’ve read, it is more drying so it’s good that there is coconut oil in the wipes mixture. Maybe do 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil?
If anyone wants to add their experience with Castile and Help Kristen out…that be great. I just don’t have experience with it.
Would these wipes b flushable and safe,for septic?
I’m sorry Cathy, but I don’t think they will work for a septic system. The reason being is that the paper towels will not break down enough for the septic. If they are a different paper towel brand that breaks down easier, they will likely not hold together well enough to use.
If you were simply flushing them down into a sewer system, you could get away with it.
This is so wonderful! I no longer have babies in the house so I use this for me, coconut oil is great for everyone’s skin and the scent is soothing!
I do love coconut oil. So many benefits, and you are right it has a soothing scent.
Would these work with 3ply toilet paper? One of the stronger brands?
Great question! I’m not sure, but you could try it Ali. If you do try it, I’d love to know if they worked. I know lots of people want flushable wipes. We have to buy 1 ply because of our RV living.
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I used cloth wipes for my LO but stored them in the wipe warmer….so they were always nice and warm! I did mix my own solution something similar as you have described. I just wish I had known these little tidbits with my first two.
I so wish I had learned about homemade wipes before my 4th.
We do love them and use them not just for diaper changes.
Can we use this as a face make up remover wipes???
I’ve never tried it Karina, but I will tell you that I use just coconut oil for makeup remover. It works beautifully. I may just try the wipes tonight to see how well they remove makeup.
I use coconut oil too, especially when I wear water proof mascara.. I really love it.
I wanted to let you know that I have used these wipes to remove makeup several times since your question and I love them! They’ve worked perfectly so thank you for your comment! I would not have thought to use them as such but I’ll be using them from here on out.
I just did this and they are AWESOME!!! I used the Kleenex hand towels and a rectangular tupperware container but the exact same mixture. and the hand towels work WONDERFUL. thank you for sharing i love it.
I can’t wait to try these, wish I’d seen this sooner as my little one is two. A question for those who use Bounty napkins, is it a pain to have to try to separate one at a time, or do they come out like wipes might?
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