Wipes

[mum2charli]

Okay so I just want to know how many of the clothies use re-useable wipes and how many use regular.

[Lunar]

I started using cloth wipes before I started using cloth nappies!:yes:
I just buy home-brand chux wipes (10 pk for $0.89) and cut them up, makes 40 wipes, and I wash them with the nappies. As soon as they start looking shabby, I toss them. But I have only tossed a few out so far and I've been using them for a few months. Don't buy the chux brand though, they only last a couple of washes before you have to toss them:thumbsdown:

[KarniF00l]

I'm still using Huggies wipes :o I go through so many wipes it's not funny so thats probably why i don't use cloth wipes.

[Barry]

We've got a bunch of terry-toweling flannels for bum-wipes work great. Got them for 10 cents each at best & less, we have about twenty to thirty of them so they last as long as our nappy rotation, for when we're out though we've got the disposable wipes, they're the only disposable item we use.

We also recycle curash sprinkler containers by filling them with cornflower ;)

[mum2charli]

I still use Huggies too Loz! Just wondering, other than the obvious impact on the environment, if this is also another way to save money. I am sick of spending $15 a fortnight to wipe her bum :laughing:

[Lunar]

I wprked it out that in 1 yr of using cloth wipes, we save $240:eek: :yes:

[Barry]

It's a really good way to save money, we probably only buy a pack of wipes every 3-4 months now it takes that long to use 'em up only using them when we're out and the flannels at all other times (plus at MIL's etc).

[Shanaynay]

Wipes are more exy than nappies I think!
I use flannelette squares - haven't bought a pack of wipes in over a year :thumbsup:

[KarniF00l]

I know this is going to sound weird.. But i'm a bit iffy about washing the poo off the wipes before washing them in the machine.. I'm guessing you can't 'little squirt' them like nappies yeah because the wipes are so small and it'll end up all over you hand if you spray it ?

*ducks for cover* Go on!! Give it to me, call me pathetic :laughing:

This is the only reason why i don't use cloth wipes.. well that and the fact that i use so many wipes in one nappy change :o The huggies wipes are easier.

[Billy]

Well I am still on the disposables at this point, but am planning to go cloth- just wondering- do you dampen them?? If so how do you do it at the time?? :confused: :confused:

(Spot the nooby :o) LOL

[Barry]

I wprked it out that in 1 yr of using cloth wipes, we save $240:eek: :yes:

Yup, works out at about $500-$900 per child if you use all reuseable wipes. Big savings when you look at it like that!

[meme]

i use cloth wipes nearly all the time now. although dp is more comfy with sposie ones so occasionally i get them for him.
i just use some squares of of terry towelling/flannalette, some baby washclothes, some plain flannalette, some old hankies, some old terry nappies cut up. well i just have two empty wips boxes of fabric wipe things now:D
i wet them for the big jobs or use some sorbelene and water that is on the change table.
i even take cloth when i go out mostly and use a bottle of water or change her where there is a tap to wet the wipes.
i find it too easy coz i can just chuck them in the wash with the nappies.

[Barry]

This is the only reason why i don't use cloth wipes.. well that and the fact that i use so many wipes in one nappy change :o The huggies wipes are easier.

In 2 years I've encountered all manner of "waste" some of which was of such odd slushy texture I pondered if Aliens had abducted my boy and filled his nappy on him; in all that time I've yet to use more than two flannels to clean any disaster, usually it's just one and one wipe to get off the vast majority and fold it in half then a little "tidy up" wipe to get rid of anything that evaded me the first time.

The advantage of the terry towel flannels is the texture really catches all the poo off the skin, yet doesn't cling onto it when you open it up over the toilet (or whatever recepticle you use) to dispose of it.

Recommended++ ;)

[cheezelkat]

I tried but I don't know if I was doing something wrong - despite using 3 cloth wipes and a wipes solution (water & baby shampoo) Liam got terrible nappy rash which disappeared when I caved in and brought disposable wipes.

[KarniF00l]

Ahh thanks Barry :D See but i have an almost 7 month old who has explosions and not solids.. so i'm assuming that explosions will stick to the cloth wipes of choice just like the disposable wipes. Squirting the nappy is no big drama because you have places to hold it without 'back spraying' your hand with poo, whereas with the wipes you have next to no room to hold the cloth wipe without splattering the poo all over your hand KWIM

haha i hope that makes sense. I guess i'm just a tad freakish when it comes to poo :o *crawls back under her rock*

[Lunar]

I mainly use plain tap water. When I go out, I put a few wet into a sealable sandwich bag or a small wipes conatiner... you know the travel size ones.
If They have nappy rash I make up some weak camomile tea and use that, clears it up quick!

[susiehomemaker]

Hi! Reusable cloths all the way! I resent spending money on wipes when I dont on sposies :-D So much easier anyway- just rinse the off with the nappy and pop them in the bucket. Then there is NO bin in the bedroom. Huzzah! Use just plain terry face washers and some little mini ones by big softie (from Big W) for when there is icky bits in all the little creases. Im learning to sew at the moment and when I get my sewing machine I am going to make up some organic muslin ones just for the purpose. Thumbs up for the chamomile tea too- just started using it a few days ago.
I put the mini wipes already soaked in the solution into the huggies wipe box that I had from back in the disposable wipes day's, and a bit of extra tea solution into a spray bottle and I give her a mist before her nappy free time.

[cwsmum]

Squirting the nappy is no big drama because you have places to hold it without 'back spraying' your hand with poo, whereas with the wipes you have next to no room to hold the cloth wipe without splattering the poo all over your hand KWIM
You could use disposable wipes for dirty nappies and cloth ones the rest of the time :yes: That's what i do :D

[gremily]

I actually use Maia's microfleece/polarfleece liners as our wipes. I just wet them with plain tapwater and all I usually need is 2. I only ever use wipes if she's pooed, I've never bothered to wipe if it's just wee. She gets plenty of air time in between nappy changes so she stay extremely dry and rash free:thumbsup:

If it's thick poo it just flicks off the wipe into the toilet.
If it's a runny poo I don't bother and just chuck it into the wash and it all comes out anyway.

[FourAngelKisses]

You could use disposable wipes for dirty nappies and cloth ones the rest of the time :yes: That's what i do :D


Are we supposed to use wipes when they don't poop?? I never have as I would go through far too many otherwise.

I just use Mamia wipes, $3 a fortnight. But if I run out, then I just use a cut up cloth nappy that has been put under the hot tap.

[gremily]

Are we supposed to use wipes when they don't poop?? I never have as I would go through far too many otherwise

I've never bothered as I can't really see the point. Air time between changes is enough for me.

[Zada]

since i got my trial pack with wipes in it i orded some more so im gonna start using them....if i wet them and put them in my wipes cont will they stay wet??
and no i usually dont wipe wees

[FourAngelKisses]

They should be okay, would pay to change them every day so they don't get smelly like wet clothes in a washing machine.

[Zada]

true..might just wet as i need them

[Mor]

who would have thought bum wipes would be such an art form! ;)

this is what I do... and have done for about 18 months now, once we couldn't make sense of using disposable wipes when we used cloth nappies! ;) (latter conversion for wipes is handy so you still get the tub and travel packs, LOL)

I have heaps of wipes! Probably about 30 or more, flannelette sewn together very basically, several thread bare! Some were freebies with nappies, and others I made myself. They are various sizes, which I like, because I can either use a little one (about 8cm x 15cm) to finish off or wipe wee smell away, or a bigger one (double the size) to protect my hand and get as much coverage as possible!

We admittedly use tissue, maybe 2 or 3 on especially messy poo covered bums. I get recycled paper ones ('safe' brand I think) and just flush them with the poo (you could keep some 'safe' toilet paper at the change table too). Tissues help catch the sultanas and sunflower seeds ;) Once the majority of the poo is off, I wipe with my wet wipes, and all is hunky dorey to wash with nappies and not worry about getting chunky dregs off the wipes.

We have a tub in the change table which I fill with wipes then wet all the wipes under the tap. No solution, my experience with solution is it goes very slimy and smelly very quickly, and wasn't actually achieving anything! I also don't use any soaps to 'clean up' as I don't feel they are necessary after trialing them, and I don't think babies need to be scrupulously clean at every change. So water is perfect. When DS is lucky, he might get warm water wipes, but mostly they sit there for several days before they are replaced (the tub gets empty and I have to refill!) and I don't have smell or rash issues with this method. I don't allow wipes to 'swim' in water, just make sure there is enough in the container to ensure the wipes are wet enough to use.

There are big safety advantages of having premoistened or water facilities (spray bottle, though I found this a tad annoying) or water bottle at the change table, as you don't need to do a dash to a tap and take your hand/eyes off bubs in the middle of a pooey change.

Why wipe wet only? I do wipe wet bums only about 50% of the time. Matthew's wee at times is acrid, when he is teething especially, and I don't like the thought of that residue sitting on his skin undiluted and irritating his skin, so try to wipe some off.

After several months using disposable wipes (and we washed them for a while, because I felt uncomfortable throwing anything away), I got totally out of the habit of using disposable wipes. On the very rare occassion I need to because I am at grandmother's/friends/ and have run out and tissues aren't working, I have the conundrum of what to do with the poo smeared disposable wipes - you can't flush (most) of them, certainly not mainstream ones, and (as per disposable packets) you should dispose of solid waste in the toilet - ie. not throw wipes, liners or nappies with poo on them in the rubbish bin - and this is legislated in some areas. So I always get stuck not knowing what to do, and they end up coming home with us to be washed with nappies, used til they fall apart, washed again then thrown away.

So there's is my story! HTH.

[Pippi Longstocking]

We just use face washers and water here too. No problems with nappy rash, she's only ever had it when she was a newborn and still in disposable nappies (we converted to fulltime cloth when she was about 6 weeks, I think).
When we go out, I do what a PP said and just place a wet washer in a little bag - we take two, one for faces, one for butts.

[Percy]

I use cloth wipes at home and just chuck them in with the nappies.

I still use disposable wipes if im out, or if its a really bad poo.

[mama anne]

cloth wipes at home - mostly flannels, cut up micro or polar fleece (these ones are SO easy to make, just cut them up to the size you want! you don't even have to hem them - they won't fray) and a spray bottle of just water

we use disposable wipes when out - but i find if we use these then i have to give her more "airing time", because they're so wet, otherwise if i don't she gets a bit of a rash.

[pookiesossige]

Well I am still on the disposables at this point, but am planning to go cloth- just wondering- do you dampen them?? If so how do you do it at the time?? :confused: :confused:

(Spot the nooby :o) LOL

Hey Billy!! I'm thinking of going with cloth wipes too, and what I think I'll do is use the Huggies pop-up tub that I'm using now, but with folded peices of flannellette (from Ronan's old nappies) that my MIL will overlock. But you can get cotton flannell or terry from spotlight too. And I saw some cheap, really thin baby facewashers in packs of 12 from K-mart that are smooth on one side and rough on another, they'd be ideal.
I'll pour chamolmile tea over the stack or just good ol' water so that they keep damp in there. I think that's how I'll do it anyway!

[Veritas]

I use some cheap face washers I was given at the moment, with some water and baby oil I keep in a spray bottle.....

I am in the process of making some flanellette wipes thought.... for $2 I'll get 12 double sided wipes.... I just have to overlock around them!!! Pretty good value and they are pretty pink with funky stars on them!!

[Tam-I-Am]

We use a flushable brand of disposable wipes. They're perfect for us.

[gremily]

I've just been to spotlight this morning and bought another metre of micro/polarfleece. I'll be cutting this into bigger pieces for wipes and longer pieces for more liners. DD1 chose the pattern (pink Hello Kitty), and it was on special - $10/m - which will make a mass of wipes/liners!

Once wet I find they really get the poo off easily, and I usually only have to use 2.

If DD2 does a poo when we're out I use a bottle of water to wet the wipes/liners (whatever I've got in her bag). She doesn't do too many poo's while we're out (:fingerscrossed: it stays that way!!), so this works for me as it means the material isn't sitting there wet in her bag for weeks.

[blessedmummy]

i use cloth wipes, the cheap face washers you can get from best and less..they work fine with a bit of water, probably wont be using them much longer anyhow, cause hope to toilet train clare soon. :fingerscrossed:

[MummyCharmzy]

I use cloth most of the times, disposable ones when im out tho so i can wipe and throw away rather than lug it around all day lol

[poshBecks]

I use cloth at home & sposie wipes out!

[ikis84]

Cloth wipes all the time... I have 3 pkts of wipes that were given to me at my baby shower (along with disposable nappies) that haven't been opened... I don't like them.. they smell!

I just use the thin face washers... little softies brand. I have a little bowl of water on the change table and wet when needed. When I am out, I just wet with a water bottle or find a tap. I just chuck them in with the nappies. I don't rinse, but I don't rinse the poo's off the nappies, cause they are just runny bf poo's and wash off in the machine. Too easy.

Great idea to use toilet paper on the really messy solids poo's in the future!

[Oscar's mum]

We use face washers as wipes even when we are out - they work better than the store bought disposable wipes any day!:thumbsup:

[kymmy]

I very occassionally use disposable wipes and that is on my big boy when he goes to the toilet to be kind (toddler wipes)
I was a bit funny about using cloth wipes but we have so many might as well. I usually chuck Av and big boy (occassional accident) in the shower cos its easier and then it makes sense to use cloth wipes and also much easier.
Can't remember last time we bought disp wipes. We used to buy the Amolin sensitive which is much cheaper than H wipes. But I found some eco ones in Safeway which are good.

[stellaj]

Make sure you use boiled water from the kettle so they don't go yucky as quickly. I put a teaspoon of honey with my boiled water and swirl it around and add the wipes and they smell so delicious and extra good for his skin! I only do about a day's worth of wipes at a time so they don't go stinky.

[stellaj]

try using disposable wipes to clean your stovetop or windows, they do a great job -so its scary to think of what is in them and what is going onto little bums.

[pookiesossige]

Honey! What a great idea Mel! Soothing and antibacterial. I'm gonna steal that one off ya. I feel the same way about the chemicals in wipes- and the baby shampoo's ect are also abundant in petrochemicals etc, I hate it.

[~Alicia]

I was using resuable wipes for a week before I caved and bought a pack of huggies wipes. mainly because I was sick of getting caught out without a wet wipe. But now I have no excuse :D

[joe]

I use cut up yellow & green Vileda kitchen wipes and they work really well. I have been using them for about 6 months now and haven't had to replace them yet. I use an old dishwashing liquid bottle filled with plain water to wet the wipes with.