Easy and Super Fast Homemade Natural Baby Wipes

Hello Goddesses!

If you follow The Green Goddess on Facebook, you might have caught this little how-to in our new video series called "How-to Tuesday". In case you missed it or wanted to have all the ingredients listed, here you go! If you would like to see the video, it is linked :)

1) Oil - I’ve used Kirkland Brand (from Costco) Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (those in the know call this EVOO). Organic oil isn't necessary but it's pretty affordable from Costco so you get to be all fancy-pants + budget-savvy at the same time which totally = Mom Score in my books. For this recipe, I like how the EVOO is a liquid at room temperature which makes it easy to pour and allows this recipe to come together in a jiff. Be warned though: EVOO leaves a funky yellowish colour on your wipes which may or may not look like pee stains (it totally does look like pee stains). Just sayin', in case you have any judgy bystanders watching you wipe your babies bottom. In which case, why should you be the one to feel shameful? That said, I also highly recommend Organic Coconut Oil for it's antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties but you need to take the time to melt the coconut oil and sometimes that just feels too dramatic, you know? Today is -37 Celsius outside and my coconut oil is rock hard. Moving on.

2) Paper towel or reusable cloths - I used Bounty select a size in the video and I'm not going to lie - I have guilt every.single.time I use paper towels for baby wipes. I totally know that this is not a "green" option because paper towel has bleach in it and probably other gross stuff which I have yet to research. Oh gawd, now I have to go and research because I have guilt for tempting you to use a throw-away, probably-somewhat-toxic paper product in my video. Insert horror-face emoji. Moving on, let's all try and be good stewards of the Earth and use reusable cloths. If you are already cloth diapering and have gotten used to washing funky diapers then it just makes sense. Paper towel is just an option but extra brownie points are comin' atcha for going with the greener option. You can use old T-shirts, face cloths, pajamas, etc, for your reusable wipes - just cut up into squares and launder with your cloth diapers as needed.

3) A reusable wipes box (I’ve had the same one for 4 years!). You could try purchasing a wipes warmer, or simply using a plastic container with a lid (glass will even work, especially if you have no life and rarely leave home like me), or try an old coffee grounds container - whatever your heart desires. If you want to go the extra mile and have wipes that unroll themselves (instead of being simply torn and stacked on top of each other) you can cut a paper towel roll in half and remove the cardboard tube from inside. As you remove the cardboard tube you should be able to pull out one wipe at a time from the centre. In this case, you would need to find a container that is tall enough to hold this high-tech conglomeration. NOTE: if you are making wipes that will last longer than one week you must use distilled or boiled water and watch for signs of spoilage (mold). Anything that has water in it needs preservatives if it is not going to be used up within about one weeks time. 

4) Optional: Pure Distilled Hydrosols. Sometimes called hydrolats or herbal distillates, and sometimes even floral water. Whatever the name, I want you to be sure you are using the real stuff. Check the ingredient label. Some companies simply mix essential oils with water, add preservatives and/or alcohol to prolong the shelf life, and call these "floral waters". This is not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about beautiful, underrated hydrosols which come from living plants that have been harvested with care and freshly steam distilled. From the steam distillation of these plant materials, you get two products: an essential oil and a hydrosol. Essential oils are all the rage these days while hydrosols have been given a back seat, but did you know that back in the day when man first invented steam distillers it was the hydrosol that was considered the prized possession and the essential oils were considered the undesirable waste and were discarded? Now, companies sell essential oils at a premium and often discard the hydrosol but slowly hydrosols are making a comeback. Hydrosols are the perfect ingredient to add to baby wipes because it is their very nature to be gentle, unlike essential oils which are very strong and need to be used with caution. From The Green Goddess line, I would recommend The Orange Grove for its fresh, citrusy aroma and cleansing powers, or The Enchanted Herb Garden (Lemon Thyme) which has fantastic antibacterial, antimicrobial and antifungal properties. You could even use Magic Monster Spray - the aroma is divine and the lavender, neroli and chamomile are perfect for soothing little tushies.

5) Optional: A liquid, all natural hand soap. I would recommend Dr. Bronners liquid castile soap which can usually be found at Health Food stores and/or drugstores, or if you have Green Goddess Baby Wash you can add in a few pumps of that. For those of you who are curious, it is a simple liquid castile soap made from organic ingredients with the addition of a small amount of lavender, neroli and chamomile for a soft aroma. Note: Don't feel you have to use soap! Oil is cleansing too and I have found it to do a wonderful job of cleansing bottoms on its own! Do not use a soap that contains strong or harsh essential oils that could irritate your babies bum (think cinnamon and peppermint). Personally, I would not recommend a soap that has artificial fragrance or contains toxic ingredients of any kind, especially Triclosan (an antibacterial agent that is contributing to super bugs).

6) Water. Good ole tap water will do if you are in a hurry and you trust your water source. But remember, you will want to use up your wipes within a week if using tap water due to the presence of bacteria which will eventually make your wipes spoil. If you are concerned about the quality of your water, or plan to make more than a weeks supply, I would recommend distilled water or boiled water.

HOW TO:

1) Add a little water to the paper towel or cloths, just to moisten. Not too much so that they are dripping everywhere when you use them, but not so little that they don't glide nicely on the bottom

2) Put the wipes in the box

3) Drizzle a little of your oil in between the layers

4) Give the bunch a good squish to distribute the oil

You can use the wipes right away like this. If you want to add the optional extras and get a little fancy you can:

-spritz a hydrosol between the layers. I use The Orange Grove or The Enchanted Herb Garden for the anti-fungal properties. You can also use Magic Monster Spray is you want some soothing lavender and Neroli floral waters to make the wipes smell wonderful. 

-add a few pumps of liquid castile soap

That is it. Seriously. You will find that these wipes have more cleaning power than any you have ever bought and will nourish the skin on those little tushies. We use these wipes every single day in our home. They are great for freshening up on days you skip a shower, make great face wipes, etc. I’ve also brought these camping for pits and bits!

With love,

The Green Goddess