reusable wipes - how long to store wet?

[FantasticMrsFoxx]

We are using reusable wipes but I'm a bit unsure how long we can store these wet.

From the washing machine they go damp into a Tupperware container for use. No additives. We did try soaking in chamomile tea but they were just too wet and direct from the washing machine seems to work for us.

Would a drop of tea tree oil in the container help prevent damp / mould bugs?

We are currently doing a load of laundry every 2nd day but seem to run out of reusables and resort to disposables.

Help!

We have about fifty wipes and half of these lasts a couple of days. I think the advice to avoid mould is that sometimes you have to dry then properly, not just use wet. We wet ours with water that has a couple of drops of lavender and camomile essential oil. If I accidentally make them overly wet I just bung in a few of the spare dry wipes or wrong them out a bit and toss the excess water. I think straight fr the machine is too dry, hit do whatever suits you. We have had no problems with mould.

Hmmm. Think you might be right about the level of dampness straight from the WM. I was reading the cheeky wipes website (not that I'm using their system) and they suggest I should be able to squeeze 3-4 drops of water out of the cloth before use. Ours are much drier.

It's very early days so I obviously need to experiment further....

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

We use cheeky wipes too. I have had mine in use for over 2 years now. I wash them with the nappies and then dry them. After drying, I fill the container to the second line and add a few drops of oil. I then put 25 wipes in. I have 50 wipes in total and they are all bamboo. The type of wipe will alter the amount of water needed.

I know people who keep them dry and use a wee spray bottle to wipe them just before use.

I normally dry mine - just put them in a stack on a radiator, turn them every now and then seems to work. If you don't dry them every time definitely do it every few washes. If I can be arsed I wet them with water from the kettle as boiled water will take longer to go mildewy. But to be honest I normally end up just wetting the container with water from my drinking glass because I've run out of wet ones in the baby's room!

We use cheeky wipes. Had a problem with them smelling a bit mouldy looked on their website and realised its because I'd made them up with warm/hot water... as soon as we realised we washed them at 60°C and let them dry and have since made up with COLD water and they don't smell. Weaning wipes (coloured) we get through lots so make up 20-25 every day or two. Nappy wipes (white) we use less rapidly so 12-15 every day or two. We have around 50 of each and the system works really well. We also tumble dry from time to time as this keeps them soft (bamboo and cotton).

I do similar to pps. Usually tumble to keep them soft but sometimes line dry, then wet with water plus a few drops of essential oil (one or two of lavender, tea tree, camomile and orange currently). I make up 14-16 for bottoms and they last about 1 1/2 days, which is how frequently I wash my nappies so it works out well. Only just started weaning so not using many face wipes yet.

I use fleece wipes that are about 10cm square.

I dry the wipes in small stacks on a radiator overnight, then make then wet in batches of 10 ish, which lasts a day or so.

10 wipes in a ziplock bag takes a cup of chamomile tea with a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of oil (baby/olive/coconut whatever). I let it cool before putting it in the bag because the bag might not stand the heat.

HappyAsASandboy can I ask where you got your fleece wipes? I like the idea of the cheeky wipes system but keep thinking I could make my own!

Also, did any of you use this system from birth? Cotton wool gies me the utter hebee-jebees (plus the waste!) so was thinking reusable wipes would be good.

Cheers

I got my wipes from the Tiny Nippers. You can find them on eBay too.

I didn't use them from birth because I didn't have them yet! I would happily use them from birth if I had the pleasure of cleaning another newborn bottom :) Very much nicer than cotton wool and won't leave white cotton stuck all over your newborn

We just cut up a few towels and flannel PJs to make wipes. They've seen us through 2 babies and 3 years so far.

I used to have a little spray bottle with cjs and water in it, but can't remember the last time I used that, I normally just wet the wipe under the tap these days and squeeze it and use it.

No complicated system here!

Also do the same for faces but instead of the tap I normally use water out of a beaker at the table in a restaurant.