Simple Homemade Baby Wipes with Coconut Oil

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Try this simple recipe for natural, homemade baby wipes! Just 4 everyday ingredients and you have a non-toxic and frugal way to keep your little one clean!

As mama’s we want the very best for our babies, including what we use to clean and care for their bodies. As I was preparing for the arrival of our first baby I knew I wanted to make homemade baby wipes. However, the recipe I had been familiar with (and knew worked well) had an ingredient I wasn’t quite comfortable with.

Once our baby boy was born, I was so excited to experiment with ingredients to create the perfect recipe using natural ingredients. Actually, one of my first postpartum outings (after a couple weeks of resting) was to find the perfect container to store our wipes in. And yes..I could have made wipes before his arrival, but we were busy with all the things that come with settling into a new (old) home just before he came.

you will need:

• Container for your wipes (I use this 2.5 qt one-it works perfectly for Viva paper towels and I love the lid)
• Sharp knife to cut paper towels
• 2 Cup Glass Pyrex (we have the one from this set)
• Tablespoon measurement

ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 Tablespoon natural liquid soap (I currently use this one, but have also used Castile soap)
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups hot water
• Paper towel roll cut in half (I use Viva Signature Cloth paper towels)

Some notes before we start

Why use coconut oil in homemade baby wipes?

Coconut oil adds a slippery element to the wipes helping them to smoothly glide when used.

What kind of coconut oil should you use in homemade baby wipes?

When I first started recipe testing, I thought I would need to use fractionated coconut oil (fractionated coconut oil is coconut oil that remains liquid even at room temperature), however I’ve realized that regular coconut oil works just as well! I was happy to discover this as it is much less expensive!

What kind of soap should you use in homemade baby wipes?

Really any baby wash that you’re comfortable using will work. We currently use this natural, non-toxic baby wash from Toups & Co … I love their company and how committed they are to providing clean beauty products to families. We’ve also used lavender Castile soap and really liked that as well!

How much water should you use in homemade baby wipes?

The amount of water you use will vary slightly depending on the brand and thickness of the paper towels you are using (see next section). You can experiment with this as you go. If you feel like the wipes are too wet, reduce the water by 1/4 cup next time you make them. Likewise, if you feel like the wipes are too dry, add more water next time (and actually, you could even add a little water to the current batch you have and let it sit for 15 minutes).

If you do have to adjust the amount of water you use based on your preferred paper towels just know that you won’t have to change the amount of coconut oil and liquid soap.

What paper towels should you use in homemade baby wipes?

This is definitely going to come down to personal preference. I would suggest against the cheapest store brand ones as those tend to be a bit thinner and may fall apart. We currently use Viva Signature Cloth paper towels. They have a smooth texture and a bit of stretch to them. They have yet to fall apart, even during use. We have also used paper towels with more texture (similar to Bounty brand). The texture can add a nice grip to the wipes. My suggestion would be to buy a single roll of paper towels, try out that kind (which will make 2 batches), and then maybe try another kind of paper towel.

What kind of container is best for homemade baby wipes?

To start, you will definitely want something that is airtight. Make sure that a halved paper towel roll (which looks very much like a roll of toilet paper) will fit inside. I had thought about going with a pretty glass container, which I think would be lovely to look at. However, I wanted something with less weight so that it can be easily moved when needed. So with all of that said, we are using a 2.5 quart flip-tite container right now. It’s a little narrow for some paper towels, but it works perfectly for the regular roll of Viva.

Extra note: If the paper towel is too wide to fit into your container you can always “unwind” some of the paper towels to create a more narrow roll that will fit in your container. You will not need the paper towels you “unwound” … use them for whatever else you’d like.

How to pack homemade wipes for a diaper bag

For on the go, I tear off 5-10 individual wipes and toss them in a baggie. I’ve used Stasher bags in the past and, while I do love my Stasher bags, they didn’t work the best for long term wipes storage as they allow a little bit of airflow inside. This eventually dries out the wipes. Currently we are using just a quart size ziplock freezer baggie.

Conclusion

I hope you find this tutorial helpful! I love knowing that what I’m cleaning my baby with is safe and effective and these definitely fit the bill. If you’re interested in a tutorial for making reusable cloth wipes at home, let me know in the comments below!

As always with love,

Ashlei

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