OK, I'm a reusable nappy convert but what about wipes?

[MrsArchchancellorRidcully]

With DD I used to pop dirty disposable wipes into the disposable nappy and bin. This time (I'm 35 wks with No2), it makes sense to use washable wipes so they can be popped into the wash with the nappy rather than be left with a pooey disposable wipe to go in the bin.
I've seen this easy link but have no idea if it's good or what to do really. Any suggestions? www.fill-your-pants.com/cloth-baby-wipes/cheeky-wipes.html
Thanks.

We use wet cotton wool at home and flush it.

i've been using cotton nappies for 3yrs and never saw the point of the cheeky wipes kit if you've already got a cloth nappy bin and are washing the nappies, i just chuck all the wipes and reusable liners (for poos once you start weaning) in with the nappies. i've got a set of plain cotton squares (greenbaby) and a set that are fleece on one side and terry toweling on the other (great for messy poos!).

flushing cotton wool? can you do that? (having read about our local sewer system being replaced and engineers complaining about what's being flushed that shouldn't be).

Squares of soft cotton fabric, dipped in water, worked fine for me at least until ds started eating solids. I cannibalised some old flannelette pyjamas for the purpose.

cheapo flannels are fine - just add water and wipe.

eep, don't flush cotton wool!

we use flannels. 8 for £1 at poundland.
i sewed fleece onto some of them, but most are just flannels.

I cut a cheap towel into squares and hemmed. As an extravagance I bought 2 cheap clippy food storage boxes to keep them in. Hey presto a wipes kit about £32.50 cheaper than the cheeky ones.

what eskarina said. Also Ikea flannels are pretty fab, 10 for 3 quid.

We bought cheap flannels and also a piece of fleece fabric which I cut into squares.

When we were out I took some dry wipes and a small spray bottle with chamomile tea in it, spray the wipe, clean baby's bottom and wrap the dirty wipe in the nappy and home to wash.

Damn, I have bought a cheeky wipes kit! Oh well.

Should you not flush cotton wool? I pop the odd ball from taking make up off down the loo - I had no idea.

I used pieces of cut up fleece.

Thanks for all the replies. Very helpful. I may still consider the cheeky wipes as my grandma has offered to pay to do her bit to support the environment (at 91! She rocks!) Plus I'm not really good a diy stuff like sewing but it's certainly made me think, so thanks.

I use cut up fleece as well - Ikea do big fleece blankets for £2, just cut them up with scissors, no sewing required! I have a little toiletries bottle which I use for solution - water, baby wash, oil and a drop of lavendar oil (got the recipe from the nappy lady website i think). Smells lovely :)

Cheeky wipes are great if you can't be faffed to make it yourself, and the boxes and stuff are nice looking not all tatty like my DIY wipes. Definitely worth using reusable wipes though, we've saved a fortune! I use either terry or jersey wipes (from bumfluffbabies) and the minki wipes from babykind (don't think they do them anymore?) aswell as the tatty ones that I made from cutting up flannels. The minki ones are a bit too thick really, should have kept them for face wipes, but the terry and jersey wipes are great.

I wouldn't bother with the kit, we only use the wipes, not the box or the essential oils! The bamboo ones are lovely and soft, we have 50 of the bamboo ones and 25 of the terry towelling... 50 wasn't quite enough as DP was going through 3-4 per change, but we seem to use about 2 per change now things have settled down. Means we only have to wash them every 2-3 days though, and they dry really quickly on the radiator. We keep them in a pile dry, and have a plastic tub we fill with warm water for each change. That way they don't go manky. Even if you use disposables for the first few weeks as we have, the wipes have been great don't bother faffing around with cotton wool and water!

Is it sensible to use them for meconium or will they never be clean again? Perhaps I'll grab some fleece from Ikea for hospital wipes!

The meconium isn't too bad if you keep it wet - any stains should come out with a couple of washes. The hospital I was at provided cotton wool balls, so you may not need them anyway. Green poo seems to stain worse!

Thanks, MO.

I cut up old towels and also some new flannel that I washed on hot and dried on hot to get it all shrunk. The towels didn't need that- they were ancient. I cut 8 inch squares of both, and serged them together with my overlocker - super fast! But you could just as easily sew them together (right sides out) with a zigzag stitch on a regular machine. I made red ones for the bum (32) and white ones for face and hands (16). They are great, and we use them every day... DS is nearly 2 and they still look and work brilliantly. The flannel cost about £7, the towels were free. Go for it.

I meant to add, we have 2 plastic boxes we use for nappy changes. We use one filled with warm water from the sink, and then wash it out really well after a couple of days with cleanser and use the other one while it dries. When we had only one box for nappy changes, bacteria were growing in there and my son developed some sort of rash.

i have hand sewn wipes....

pretty materials, fleece, microfibre , toweling etc

but my favourite ones, the ones that work the best.... terry squares that i cut in to 9 smaller squares

cheap, cheerful, quick drying and work the best!

Cheeky Wipes are doing 25 'seconds' for £8 just now, they are lovely and soft, I can't see what's 'second' about them.

cheeky wipes with cj carcass cleaner here.

Minki wipes are quite nice. And Weenotions do some cute little ones. I'm sure the Close Parent wipes would be lovely but never tried them. Never saw the point of Cheeky Wipes - an expensive way to buy your tupperware.

I had a fleece blanket cut into rectangles, that I used as both wipes and liners, as a liner, the wee passes through, but it still feels quite warm and dry (dryer than the nappy), the poo just falls off down the loo and you just bung them in the wash. They dry really fast after washing. By using the same rectangles for both jobs, it meant I had twice as many and never ran out of either one!