5 Healing Ingredients For Your Homemade Wipe Solution!

5 Healing Ingredients For Your Homemade Wipe Solution!

Post may contain affiliate links. Do you struggle with diaper rash or have an issue with all of the chemicals that are added in commercial wipes? I have done some extensive research and found 5 ingredients that you can add to your own homemade wipe solution. Each ingredient was chosen for sensitive skin and offers many healing benefits. You can rest assured that your babies bum is getting the best care!

1. Witch Hazel 

History
The therapeutic benefits of aloe date back around 4,000 years ago! Known as the “Miracle Cure,’ even the ancient Egyptian queens used aloe as a beauty product. They believed it made their skin more radiant and young.

Anti-Inflammatory – Probably its greatest benefit comes from the witch hazel anti-inflammatory properties. Out of 65 plants studied by scientist in Japan, only two plants came out on top. Witch hazel was one of them making it perfect for soothing a diaper rash!

Antimicrobial – Witch hazel can actually help heal bruises and cuts which are caused or irrated by viruses and bacteria.  A German study concluded when the skin is treated with the extract, it will help fight bacteria on the skin. This will aid with infections and other skin problems.

Astringent – Due to the high levels of tannis in the leaves, witch hazel promotes faster healing within the skin and helps to stop bleeding. This is ideal for diaper rashes, eczema and other ailments.

Moisturizer – Witch hazel helps reduce water loss in the skin, maintaining its softness and elasticity!

Homemade Wipe Solution

2. Aloe Vera

History
The therapeutic benefits of aloe date back around 4,000 years ago. Known as the “Miracle Cure,’ even the ancient Egyptian queens used aloe as a beauty product. They believed it made their skin more radiant and young. 

Anti-Inflammatory – Aloe cures cuts, wounds, burns and all sorts of inflammations in the skin.  The plant contains “plant steroids” which reduce inflammation naturally.

Antimicrobial – Aloe also fights bacteria on the skin caused by wounds.

Soothing – It has a cooling effect on the skin and helps damaged skin to rebuild tissue. *This could work on diaper rashes, eczema, and other skin ailments.

Refresher – Aloe helps to refresh the skin and keep it moisturized. When applied to the skin it releases vitamins and enzymes that help treat and restore the skins natural pH balance.




3. Coconut Oil

History
Coconut oil has been used in many cultures worldwide for thousands of years. Botanically, the coconut is not actually a nut but a drupe.

Anti-fungal & Anti-bacterial – Coconut oil contains 3 fatty acids that kill many common fungal infections on the skin.  This oil also contains microbe-killing properties that take away body odor!

Natural Soother – Because of the Vitamin E contained in this oil, it protects the skin from damage over time.  It helps to sooth eczema, sunburn and many more skin ailments. Because of this oil’s fatty nature, it acts as a skin softener/soother.

Skin Nourisher – the fatty acids are directly absorbed through the skin, nourishing and providing energy.

* In order to get the best results, you want to use Unrefined Pure Virgin Coconut Oil.  The processed oil has less health benefits and not good for skin use.

Homemade Wipe Solution

4. Tea Tree Oil

History
Tea Tree Oil is also known as the “Medicine in a Bottle” because of its effectiveness to treat burns, boils, and cuts. The Aborigines of Australia started using this medicinal oil thousands of years ago. This oil is derived from the leaves of the Tea tree native to Australia.

Antiseptic – this oil has long been used to treat minor burns, cuts and scrapes.

Anti-bacterial & Anti-fungal – There are 5 components in the oil that kill many fungal ailments such as athletes foot, ringworm, and so on.  It’s even known to kill canker sores if applied undiluted. Like the other ingredients listed above, this oil also treats many skin ailments like acne, eczema, rashes, and more.

Immune System Booster – Tee Tree Oil helps your body absorb vitamins and minerals, helping to boost the immune system.

5. Apple Cider Vinegar 

History
Apple Cider has been used by all ancient civilizations as a preservative and medicine. It has been found in Egyptian urns dating back 3000 BC. The word “vinegar” originates from  France and means “Sour Wine.”

PH Balancer – ACV vinegar has a PH that is very similar to human skin.  Washing with normal soap can take away some of the natural acids (making it too alkaline) that help protect our skin.  ACV will help restore the skins natural PH balance.

Anti-bacterial & Anti-fungal – Helps to fight foreign bacteria and fungal infections of all sorts.  It can treat various skin conditions such inflammation, warts and more.

Exfoliate – The acids in ACV help to exfoliate or digest the dead skin cells.  In turn, this helps smooth and soften the appearance of skin.

If you are looking for some of these products, you can check out my affiliate link images!




*Disclaimer!  I am not a doctor; I have simply found these natural healing benefits through research.  Be sure to dilute these ingredients with water when making your homemade wipe solution.
Homemade Wipe Solution
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Cloth Diapering
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POP Your Cloth Wipes!

POP Your Cloth Wipes!

Post may contain affiliate links. When I first began cloth diapering I wanted to make the transition from using disposables as easy and smooth as possible. It took a lot of convincing to get my husband on board with using cloth. Shortly after switching to cloth diapers I decided to get super deep with it and started using cloth wipes! I needed a cool way to convince the hubs that using cloth wipes was as easy as using disposable so I learned to fold them to pop out of their dispenser. This little storage trick is what sold my husband on using cloth wipes and we haven’t went back to using disposable wipes since. 

 


I absolutely love the 24 pack of washcloths in the image above. I use these everyday and they only cost me around seven bucks. You can check out my affiliate links above if you are interested in purchasing your own set of affordable cloth wipes!

Why Use Cloth Wipes?

If you are already using cloth diapers you might as well use cloth wipes. They are not any harder to use than disposables because you can wash them along with your cloth diapers. I absolutely love using my cloth wipes and not just for my babies bum but for wiping faces, dirty hands, changing stations, and other miscellaneous surfaces. I love to pre-wet mine and carry them with me while we travel. They are a lifesaver when you have little ones. I have found that cloth wipes do a better job at grabbing the poo because the texture from the cotton tends to grab onto dirty particles rather than smearing it like disposables tend to do. Some of the disposable wipes I used would fall a part and for every cloth wipe I used I would go through two to three disposable wipes. Cloth wipes are much better quality then the paper versions and you bypass all of the nasty chemicals that are used in disposables. I like that I can control exactly what type of wipe solution to use on my son. Most of the time I am lazy and just use water, but sometimes I get fancy with it and add essential oils, aloe vera and other natural ingredients.

The other thing that I love about using cloth is that you can coordinate what kind of colors or prints you want to use to match your nursery decor. Yes, I do get excited about the little things…. Let’s not forget that cloth wipes have a ton of other uses. When you are done using them as bum wipes they can turn into boogie wipes, spilled pop wipes, adult cloth, and whatever else you can think of. In fact I made a video on some of the different ways you can use them. If you want to learn more click the image below!

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Baby Washcloths

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DIY Diaper Sprayer

DIY Diaper Sprayer

I’m not going to lie, I probably wouldn’t love cloth diapering if it wasn’t for my diaper sprayer. I know there are a lot of hardcore mothers out there that dip and dunk but I prefer the luxury of my sprayer. In this tutorial I am going to show you how to make your own (SUPER EASY) DIY diaper sprayer. Go ahead and grab your screwdriver, a few other tools, and let’s put your mad plumbing skills to the test! 

Making a diaper sprayer yourself should only run you about 25-35 bucks. Diaper sprayers are the perfect accessory to have when cloth diapering. They help to clean your diapers, prevent ammonia build-up, and combat stink issues.

DIY Diaper Sprayer

What You Will Need

*Sink Sprayer with Hose
*Metal Crimp Tee 3/8
*(20 Inch) Toilet Connecter with PVC 3/8
*Stainless Steel Clamps #4 (1/4 to 5/8)
*Ball Valve 3/8
*Flat Screwdriver
*Box Cutter

I hope I have inspired you to stretch your DIY muscles! If you got something out of this video please share the love! 🙂

Check out my new series on dealing with poo, where I show you all of my favorite *Poop Avoidance accessories! 

My Story

My Story

My Story - My one month old son and I

This picture was taken when my son was a month old. I switched to using cloth diapers about a month later. 

After going through two major layoffs then becoming a new mother, I was trying every trick in the book to cut costs. I started out using disposables not realizing that there were better and more sustainable options. People would always talk about how expensive diapers, formula, and babies were. The expense was one of the main reasons I waited so long to have a child. I saved around $500.00 specifically for diapers/wipes when I had my first son, Asher. Luckily, I hadn’t dipped into it yet because people gave us several boxes of diapers at our shower.

One night I stumbled upon a YouTube video about cloth diapering. It was intriguing but also seemed a bit overwhelming. As I looked further into it, I started to seriously consider taking the plunge. We had $500.00 in cash just waiting to be spent. Why not use the cash on reusable diapers instead of throwing money out the window? The more I thought about the more excited and nervous I began to get. After telling my family of my plans to switch to cloth, everyone thought I was crazy including my husband. It took a little bit of convincing to get everyone on board. I did a lot of research and read review after review. Once I felt confident in my choices I went on Amazon and ordered several diapers in different styles and brands. I wasn’t sure how this new journey would go so I kept my disposables as a backup.

When all of my glorious fluff mail finally came in, I was instantly sold! I fell in love with all of the different options, styles, prints, and patterns. I continued using nothing but cloth diapers on Asher until he was completely potty-trained. My backup disposables ended up collecting dust and Asher became the first “official” cloth diaper model for MyGreenNest!

 

 

 

The Birth of MyGreenNest!

My Story - Maternity Shot
My Story - Asher's Newborn Photo

When I was pregnant with Asher I was working in the oil industry and planned on using disposable diapers and going back to work within two months. Boy, how things change! Once I experienced the joy of motherhood for the first time I wanted to continue staying home with my son. My family graciously offered to help us for one year so I didn’t have to leave him in daycare for 9+ hours a day. We were very blessed to have the support of our family.

After discovering cloth diapers, I realized that we as mothers have so much more options than what is written in the birthing class pamphlets. Because I had no prior experience with babies I would scour Amazon and Youtube reviews every night after work to learn what we needed. Searching the internet for the perfect baby products for hours a day was a job all on its own. I decided I wanted to create a place where new moms could learn about natural baby products and bypass all of the dreaded searchings! In November of 2014, I started this blog, originally naming it ClothDiaperEasy. I eventually changed the title to MYGREENNEST so I could expand on more subjects other than cloth diapers.

 

It’s funny how something as simple as changing diapers shaped my life into what it is today. Because I decided to choose cloth, I opened my blog which made it possible to stay home with my son and meet a lot of awesome people. Cloth diapering has also inspired me to look for other ways to cut waste and reuse. I hope MyGreenNest makes a difference and inspires other moms to live a greener lifestyle.

If you enjoyed my story and want to start living the crunchy life, I’d love for you to become one of my “Nesties,” by subscribing. I’ll only hit your inbox when I have a cool new piece of content to share or a giveaway!

Cloth Liners vs Disposable Diaper Liners!

Cloth Liners vs Disposable Diaper Liners!

Are you looking for an easy way to clean the poo without having to wash the entire diaper?

If you’re thinking about using diaper liners but not sure what type to go with, you’re in the right place!

In this post, I’m gonna break down the pros and cons of reusable and disposable diaper liners.

Hold onto your butt cause this is gonna be magical.

Affiliate Disclaimer:

This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you click on any of my fun-little-links and purchase something, I'll make a small commision at no extra cost to you. It's a win-win for both of us right?

Reusable Diaper Liners

Most Reusable Diaper Liners (Amazon aff link) are made from fleece. You can buy them online or make them yourself. They will wick the moisture away from your baby, helping him or her to feel dry.

I use these with almost every diaper, especially with my Cotton Prefolds. (aff link) These will help prevent diaper rash and stains.

Liners Act As A Barrier:
One of the main benefits of using a liner is being able to use a non-cloth diaper safe cream with your cloth diapers.

The liner will act as a barrier, protecting the diaper.

Zinc Oxide is the main ingredient that causes cloth diapers to repel water. Unfortunately, some stubborn rashes won’t go without using that type of diaper cream.

This is where reusable or disposable diaper liners come in handy!

Sometimes the main reason I use a liner is if a bad rash crops up. I’ve always been a fan of Buttpaste (amazon aff link) because it always seems to zap the rash – but feel free to use what you like.

They have a more eco-friendly version available now that I’ve reviewed if you’d like to check out that Review.

Cleaning A Reusable Liner:
A lot of times you’ll be able to just spray the liner instead of the entire cloth diaper. They can then be thrown in with your diapers for washing.

You can also find fleece liners with cute prints on Etsy for around 5-20 bucks. That’s where I found mine! 

How many you need will depend on how often you plan on using them. I have one for every diaper but you may only want to use them for overnight and nap-time.

I would suggest starting with a 6-10 pack and then getting more if you decide you like them.

GroVia Disposable Diaper Liners

Disposable Diaper Liners

Many cloth diaper companies make Disposable Diaper Liners (aff link) but most of them do the same basic job.

These are a great option for when you’re traveling or you have an idea of when your baby is going to “go.”

Disposable liners are the consistency of a dryer sheet. They can come in a roll of around 100-200 sheets. You simply tear one out and lay it over your diaper. The liner will catch the poo and you can plop it in the toilet or trash.

Disposable Liners Are NOT Flushable!

I can’t remember the source, but I know that these things along with disposable wipes have been clogging up septic systems.

When I used to use disposable diaper liners, I’d drop the poo in the toilet and dispose of the liner in the trash. 

When To Use Them:
You can sometimes reuse disposable liners once or twice as long as the baby has only peed.

However, I wouldn’t suggest using disposable diaper liners until your baby starts on solids.

My babies were both almost 100% breastfed and their poo ran straight through these things!

Wait until your baby’s poo is solid enough for the liner to catch it.

Also, If you choose to use the liners, you’ll have the extra step of prepping your cloth diapers with them. I still think it’s definitely worth it If your baby is going to daycare or visiting family.

You don’t have to put them in every diaper, you can use them strictly for traveling, babysitters, etc.

Click the image above to play the video.

Diaper Dawgs Sprayer

If you liked the Diaper Dawgs products from the video you can click my affiliate link image above to see more! 

Which One Takes The Cake?

I’m definitely Team-Reusable when it comes to diaper liners…or anything.

Sometimes my disposable liners would crinkle up in the diapers and miss the poo, defeating the purpose. Reusable liners were less likely to do this because they’re a bit thicker. 

I’m not a fan of trashing up the earth but if you’re looking for a quick-solution disposable liners are less harmful to the planet than using disposable diapers. 

Reusables – on the other hand – also have the added benefit of wicking moisture away from the baby’s bum.

They come in loads of cute prints and different styles – which is totally necessary!

Honestly, if you get a really bad poopy you can toss the reusable liner. They are so cheap and easy to replace. 

If you do end up making them yourself, you can customize them to fit your baby’s bum or cloth diapers. 

What do you think? Will you be using a reusable or a disposable diaper liner? Let me know in the comments below! 

Cloth Liners
I hope this helps answer any questions you may have on the difference between the two types of diaper liners. If you found this post helpful, please share! 🙂 
Cloth Diaper Accessories
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Snaps Vs Velcro!

Snaps Vs Velcro!

Which one is better, snaps or velcro?

When deciding to purchase cloth diapers for the first time you have a lot of decisions to make. Which brand, style, system and what type of closure do you get?

The truth is they both serve a different purpose and not all are types of velcro are equal either. 

Here is a breakdown of the advantages and disadvantages of snaps/velcro so you can make a better decision with your stash.

Affiliate Disclaimer:

This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you click on any of my fun-little-links and purchase something, I'll make a small commision at no extra cost to you. It's a win-win for both of us right?

Snap Closures

Best Selling Point:  DURABILITY – Snaps do a lot better over the long haul and they tend to wear very well. 

Pros

  • You don’t have to worry about your toddler taking off his or her diaper. Snaps are simply more secure.
  • You don’t have to remember to fold down the tabs (for the washing machine) as you do with velcro. Snaps don’t catch onto things in the washer.
  • Snaps generally look nicer and wear better, especially over time.

Cons

  • They’re a little bit harder to put on.  Not the best option for a lot of night-time changes or people who have bad hands or low dexterity.
  • It is harder to get that perfect fit when the baby is in between the snap sizes.

My Personal Favorite Snap Diapers?
I’ve been cloth diapering for over 5+ years and I can tell you that I’ve never had an issue with snaps wearing out no matter what brand of diaper.

It’s always the PUL or the elastics to go first.

However, my favorite cloth diapers would have to be Thirsties Snap Covers (Amazon aff link) and GroVia One or Hybrid Cloth Diapers. (Aff link)

I’ve also noticed the GroVia snaps are more secure and stronger than the snaps I’ve seen in other diapers.

Cloth Diapers - Thirsties Velcro

Velcro or Aplix Closures

 

Velcro is actually a brand of aplix. Aplix or hook & loop is the actual name of the closure.  

Best Selling Point:  EASY – They’re stinking easy, anyone can throw on a velcro diaper!

Pros

  • They’re perfect for the newborn night changing stage. The less work at 3:00 a.m. the better!
  • These are a great option for the babysitter because they’re so similar to disposables.
  • Hook & Loop is easier to replace or repair than snaps.

Cons

  • They wear out easily over time. (Especially GroVia which we will talk more about in a second.)
  • If you don’t remember to close the tabs they will stick together or on other things in the washing machine, creating a diaper train! (very annoying)
  • They’re not as aesthetically pleasing to the eye as cute colored snaps.
  • It can be a hassle to un-velcro the tabs while trying to change your squirmy toddler. 
  • Curious toddlers can easily un-velcro their cloth diaper. Or disposables for that matter!

My Favorite Aplix Diapers:
I’ve used quite a few brands of diapers that had hook and loop closures over the years. Even though I highly recommend GroVia diapers I don’t like their velcro. In the beginning, it’s super strong but then it becomes useless over time.

My two favorite brands of diapers that feature hook & loop are again Thirsties Hook & Loop Covers and Tots Bots Diapers (Amazon aff links.)

I like Thirsties because they are made here in the USA and have stood the test of time. I like Tots Bots because their velcro is superior to anything else I’ve used.

So there you have it, the pros and cons of both closures.

I honestly enjoy snaps & aplix and advise purchasing both closures to try out.

I tend to use snaps more because of their durability.

If you prefer one over the other, you can just continue to purchase that type. I hope this gives you a little insight into choosing your first cloth diapers!

Cloth Diapers
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