Making washable wipes

[Katherine]

REally looking forward to getting my stuffable wraps ordered soon and started thinking about the wipes side of things. Feel I may as well go washable with these too but seems silly to buy them. I've got loads of old hand towels that we never use so I thought I might chop them up although I'm a bit concerned they'll be a bit thick. What size should I do them? Lots of you seem to use face cloths so thought about going for that sort of size. Think it will work or should I just go to ikea and get a load of cheap facecloths instead?

What on earth is a stuffable wrap?

I sacrificed a couple of flat nappies and chopped them up to make wipes. I also neatly hemmed the with a bias bunding. I'm a bit sad like that. A nappy will make 4 flannel sized ones, but you don't need them that big - I reckon you could get at least 8 that are big enough.

Or you could buy a metre of flannelette from a fabric shop - you could make heaps then, quite cheaply. And they don't really need hemming - I have since discovered that they don't really fray anyway....

I've heard a few people say they use the 10-for-£1 (approx) Ikea flannels that are in the kid's section.

For wiping hands and face I use muslin cut into squares and hemmed. It was leftover muslin from John Lewis originally bought for making net curtains! Talk about re-cycling.They wash very well & also get used as jelly-bags (when sterilised!)

good on you katherine... ! i've heard that if you make your wipes roughly the same size as your hand then it's the right size... you'll be researching washable wipes solution now!!!!... if you haven't already got a 'recipe'!

SamboM - hmmm a stuffable wrap is the a nappy which you can insert (stuff) a booster through a pocket in the back... making it an all in one nappy as opposed to a 2 piece nappy system... the nappy and wrap... does this make sense...???

Katherine which one have you got... i love fuzzis!!!

SamboM - stuffable wraps look great. Much better than the all-in-one nappies which take ages to dry. They have a waterproof or fleece out and fleeceinner with a pocket in the crotch so you insert whatever you want to absorb the wee, such as terry nappies, muslins, booster pads etc. This makes them much easier to dry which is my big gripe about washable nappies. Examples are Fuzzibums and Nature Babies (see the twinkle twinkle website)or there is an army of work at home mums out there also making them such as Minkis and Nappysaurus which come in all sorts of snazzy fabrics.

Anyway back to the wipes. I know I am so tempted to just go to ikea and get some as I am not a hemming sort of person so I'm likley to end up with a tatty mess if I chop up my towels (although you have given me hope Oakmaiden ). I'm more worried that towels are quite thick aren't they so might not get in the cracks (sorry bit graphic). Maybe I should be making boosters instead. Or maybe I should just accept I have zero time already and just use the excuse to shop and take the towels to the charity shop Got to stop the smileys are taking over.....

Another vote here for the IKEA flannels, they are fab!

Crossed posts there. Sorry for the repition. RE: solutions - the recipes I've seen so far just seem to involve a drop or too of olive oil in water with a drop of essential oil _ camomile, tea tree or lavender. Although I saw a note from one mum who boiled up a chamolmile teabag! Will have to experiement unless someone has a better one to offer.

Haven't got my stuffables yet Bea - everytime I think I've cracked it I find another one to try. Thought I would get 4 to start with - 1 fuzzi, 1 nature baby, 1 nappysaurus and 1 minki and see which works best for me. Heard great reports about all of them although like the idea of handing over my cash to a mum rather than a big company. The little chicks ones also have great fabrics. I love the camoflague one - comes in pink or traditional so need to wait and see what I'm having first! Feeling really positive and excited about the whole thing - just struggling to choose my fabrics

Tip: Plenty of my bought wet wipes go through the wash, and most come out good as new, and I reuse them a couple of times before they are binned. Johnsons ones don't wash well though... (I do the same with those floor / bathroom wipe things too)...

Shall I show how sad I really am? i found a site with the instructions for knitting woolennappy wraps (to put over ordinary pinned nappies.) I bookmarked it, as a possible thing for later....

If you lot already have kids then I take my hat off to you! I can barely find the time to replace the buttons on my bf shirt, let alone start making wipes or knitting wraps.

If you're first-timers then I suspect you're in for a bit of a surprise.

NO I already have 2 which is why I remember how many wipes etc we got through. When I'm talking about making them I'm thinking of just chopping up some old towels - won't take me very long. I would certainly not waste time hemming them which is why I think its probably a waste of my time anyway and I'll end up with a mess instead. Am thinking of a trip to ikea tomorrow to look at those facecloths but have also found some work at home mum sites who do really pretty but cheap wipes. Might invest in a few of those instead

Katherine, how about some pretty wipes for faces, but keep lots of cheap IKEA flannels for poo!

Hi Tissy - think I'm getting sucked in here. But then surely its better to give my money to a work at home mum than Ikea? But then 10p each compared to 50p each. Oh dear choices. Suppose it would leave me more cash to spend on wraps from work at home mums though.......

The IKEA flannels are £3 for 10 in the baby section now (unless I've missed a cheaper version, of course). If you're worried about the towels being too thick, could you just try chopping one up first?

milch - I do already have one! He is 5 now, and just getting ready for number 2. All these things don't actually take as mch time as you think - yes, making them can be slow (although I take stuff along to the various gymnastics/trampolining/swimming classes my ds does, and sit at the side being productive!) but once they are done, it doesn't take much to keep them in circulation (assuming you have a washing machine).
I even make my own laundry detergent stuff...

Hmmm £3 for 10 is a lot less of a saving. Especially when I add on the cost of the petrol (and hour each way) and then of course I'm bound to spend a fortune on other things as well......

Ok made my mind up then. www.zayoodee.co.uk/wipes.html
12 fleece wipes in white, colours or some patterns. £3.80 + 90p postage. This has got to be cheaper than Ikea. Woppee. The work from home mum wins. Going to place my order first thing before I change my mind and take the kids swimming instead..... Now just got to choose the fabrics for my minki wraps and the colour of my fuzzi....

my sil has a good idea made from sturdy cleaning wipes - blue and wipe ones... if you hve a rectangular wipes dispenser.... a certain mix and a packof these wipes cuts up into about 80 that you can wash etc. She is ending me the recipe for the mix and I will post it here for you. She swears by them.

have the recipe will post more later when I have read it

buy yourself some spontex wipes ( open weave) Soak them and wash them ( probably need to do this a couple of times to get them soft)

Cut them into about 8 pieces per wipe ( or however large you want them)

In a plastic wipes container mix the following

2 cups boiling water
approx 1 dessertspoon of almond oil ( or any carrier oil )
approx 2 dessertspoons of baby wash/shampoo

gradually add the wipes. You will have to squish down the last few to soak up the mixture - be careful it is hot!!

Then use and soak/wash with your nappies. Or in a normal wash after a quick rinse. My sil has used them since not long after my niece was born - 12 months old now and not a problem with nappy rash.