I knew I wanted to cloth diaper since I babysat for a Fuzzi-Bunz cloth diapering family before I was married. Less smells, less cost, less waste, less rash. My baby boy, Ezra, was born in August. We used disposable diapers and wipes for the first two weeks, but then I was looking forward to getting started with my newborn fitteds and covers. We continued to use disposable wipes until our son was one month old. Then I brought out the cheap 'baby washcloths' I had bought at a Dollar Store. I spent $10 and got over 50 wipes. They work perfectly.
My wipe solution journey was just beginning. I began with two plastic tubs: one for my wipe solution of a mix of our natural liquid soap (Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild) and water, and the other for just water. This system worked nicely until, after a couple weeks, our little boy had a tiny red rash on his bottom. We used some cloth-friendly rash cream, but it still was a persistent rash. I investigated further, and since Ezra and I were dealing with breastfeeding thrush, I discovered that white distilled vinegar was a good cure-all for mother's nipples and baby's butt. I changed my wipe solution system to just one tub of two tablespoons vinegar to a couple cups of water. This worked fine for a month or so, with no rash. However, one morning, after sleeping in his diaper all night, he woke up with an awful blistery rash. I didn't want to use vinegar on it, so we used water and diaper rash cream (we used California Baby, but I want to buy a tube of Grandma El's) until it went away, two or three days later. This sad rash made me investigate wipe solutions even further. Now, I use one tablespoon vinegar, four drops tea tree oil (a natural anti-microbial essential oil, easy to find at a health food store) and the rest water. It smells nice and he has now been diaper rash free!
This is the system we use at home, but in the meantime, I was still using disposable wipes on the go. Two weeks ago I realized that his sweet bottom was getting very red from these disposable wipes, even though I bought the so-called 'sensitive' kind. Since changing to the tea tree oil solution, I have decided to use cloth wipes on the go as well. Not only is it better for him (no redness!), but it also saves me from picking though his wet bag to throw away the gross disposables. Now, I fill a small plastic disposable wipes travel case with soaked cloth wipes and go! I only need one wipe per diaper change, maybe two for a blowout, as compared to six+ disposable wipes. I am so excited that I have made the change to all cloth, all the time. My baby is happier and it is always fun to show others how easy and fun cloth diapering can be. What trial and error wipes solutions have you tried? What is your on-the-go cloth wipes routine?
Amy S. is the breastfeeding, cloth-diapering, home-birth mom of three month old Ezra.
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