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Did you all read my post about the hidden dangers of
baby shampoo? If you haven't already, you need to read it. It will make you shudder.
When I found out I was pregnant, I did a lot of research about conventional products and, the more information I found, the more I started to look into organic and non-toxic products. We use
Shaklee's Gentle Wash for Maia's baths, but I've recently started using it for her baby wipes too.
When I first heard that Sharon, from
Parents of a Dozen was making her own wipes, I thought it would be too complicated, too messy, or just plain ineffective. What I've found is that not only is it easy and work just as well as a wipe from a package, it's WAY cheaper!
Sure it's easy to buy a package of wipes at the store but they're LOADED with chemicals - just like the baby shampoos. I used to buy the "natural" wipes thinking I was doing a good job as a mom. They cost more than the regular wipes, but they were "natural" and I wanted to do what was best for The Bee. It turns out that the word "natural" can be used by any company on any product. There are no standards or regulations for the use of the word. It turns out I was paying extra for wipes that had just as many chemicals and toxins as the regular wipes.
So which chemicals can baby wipes contain? Formaldehyde, for starters. Remember from my
baby shampoo post that formaldehyde is a known cancer-causing agent. Wipes can also contain propylene glycol, which damages cell membranes and can lead to rashes, dry skin, and surface damage of the skin. They can also contain bronopol, which was recently classified as a dangerous substance in Europe, and DMDM hydantoin.
After reading that, I didn't want to use the wipes on my own skin…let alone Maia's!
So I decided to make my own. And I'm so glad I did!
I bought a container with a locking lid from a German store. The container is BPA free - remember to verify this fact before you buy one! (BPA is another chemical in many of the plastics we use on a daily basis. It acts similarly to estrogen when ingested in the body and has been shown to cause a number of health risks - especially in children.)
I also bought a roll of Bounty Paper Towels at the commissary. The roll cost me $1.29 and has 100 sheets. The roll is a Select-A-Size and I would recommend this for anyone who wants to make their own wipes. (Select-A-Size means each sheet is narrower and they end up being the perfect size for baby wipes.) You'll also need thick paper towels, so don't buy the generic, cheapest roll! You'll regret it later when you go to change a poopie diaper!
You're going to cut your roll of paper towels in half, so just make sure a half will fit in the container you've chosen. My container was a 2 liter container - but I think in America you'll need to look for a 3 or 4 quart size. (Oh how I wish we all used the same measurements!) I just walked around the store with the roll of paper towels until I found the right size container!
To make the solution to wet the wipes, I used water,
Shaklee Gentle Wash, and
Shaklee Massage Oil. You need
very little wash and massage oil…so one bottle of each will last you a long time! (I'll give you the exact numbers at the end of this post.)
Here I am getting everything ready!
You'll have to saw your paper towels in half. I used a serrated bread knife. Don't worry when it ends up totally shredded on one side! You'll never even notice once you make the wipes!
I measured 2 cups of water and then added 1 teaspoon of
Gentle Wash and 1/4 teaspoon of
Massage Oil. Make sure you stir it up to mix it well. Notice how I have the wipes with the shredded side
down in the picture. I would recommend doing this to make it effortless to remove each wipe.
I poured the water solution over the towels, put the lid on, and flipped the container over. I let it sit about 10 minutes or so. Once the water is absorbed, you're ready to go!
Pull the cardboard roll out from the center. It'll come out surprisingly easily!
You'll pull your wipes from the inside. I started the first one here to show you.
Here is my container of organic, non-toxic baby wipes! In 10 minutes you can make your own too! It will save you a TON of money and give you peace of mind. No more cancer-causing or skin irritating chemicals for us!
Worried about what you'll do for wipes when you're out and about? Pull off a bunch and put them in a ZipLock baggie. You can even put them in a travel wipes case like they sell at the store.
If you're concerned about waste, you could also use cotton or flannel wipes. Have the water solution mixed in a container at your changing table and use it to dunk your wipes. Then just put the used wipes in your wet bag until you're ready to do laundry.
I can't believe I waited so long to do this for Maia! I'm glad I've started making my own wipes. Now I can even use a wipe for her hands and face without fear of what crazy chemicals she'll get in her mouth.
Want to know just how much you'll save by making your own wipes like I did? I wanted to know too…so I did the math!
The
Massage Oil costs $16.40 for members. Remember, you only need 1/4 teaspoon per batch so each bottle will make
11,520 wipes!!
The
Gentle Wash costs $19.20 for members but you'll need 2 bottles for every bottle of Massage Oil. (One bottle of Gentle Wash makes 6,120 wipes.) Does that make sense?
2 bottle of Gentle Wash: $38.40
1 bottle of massage oil: $16.40
50 rolls of paper towels: $64.50
1 container for wipes: $ 5.00
-------------------------------------------------
Total: $124.30
I divided the total cost of $124.30 by the number of wipes it makes (11,520) and it comes out to a grand total of $0.01 per wipe. The average price per wipe on Amazon was $0.04. If you saved $0.04 on 11,520 wipes, you would save $460.80!! That's a lot of money!!
So in just a few minutes you can make your own organic wipes AND save $460.
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