My full cloth wipe system, the solution recipe I use, and why this one small change is worth it.

Reusing wipes over and over again. I can hear how that sounds. It sounds gross. But three years and two babies later, cloth wipes are one of the most underrated intentional swaps I have made in motherhood.

Over three years they saved thousands of disposable wipes from the landfill and saved our family a surprising amount of money. Today I’m sharing everything, my full system, my wipe solution recipe, the wipes I use and why this one small swap is worth it.

And before we dive in: you do not need to be all or nothing with any of this. Never put extra pressure on yourself. Motherhood with a little one in diapers is such a full season of life. Flow with what feels good and step back if you feel any overwhelm coming. No one is judging you here. Trust yourself.

First — Find Your Why

This is where I always start when I’m making a new swap in my life. I need that little fire in my belly if I’m going to incorporate something new that moves away from convenience. So let’s talk about why cloth wipes are actually worth it.

The Environmental Why

This was my biggest one. When I had children I started seeing our Earth differently. Watching how our planet is slowly being impacted over time really fired me up to start reducing the waste our home was producing. I started thinking about what our planet would look like for my children, their children, generations beyond that. I’m a very intense person and this is genuinely how my brain works and it took me 35 years but I now love that about myself.

Here’s the number that shook me enough to just go for it:

Disposable wipes take 100+ years to break down. The average baby goes through 15,000–20,000 wipes before potty training. Every single one of those wipes is sitting in a landfill somewhere right now.

Cloth wipes can be reused for years across multiple children. I bought two sets that carried both of my girls through their entire diapering stage. And for reference, they are 14 months apart, so it was a very heavy diaper and wipe season in our house for a long time. I could have gotten away with one set just for the changing station, but I kept a second batch in the diaper bag for outings, made my own spray solution for on the go, keep some in our bathroom for my oldest daughter and eventually started using them in the kitchen to wipe mouths after eating. They became one of the most genuinely multi-use things in our home.

The Financial Why

Disposable wipes cost approximately $300–$800 or more per child over the full diapering journey. My entire cloth wipe setup cost $85 total, for two babies used at the same time. And that includes the ingredients for my wipe solution, which I have still not run out of three years later. Those same ingredients also go into other DIY products I make for my kids and myself. The value compounds in ways I genuinely did not expect when I started.

The Ingredient Why

Many disposable wipes contain preservatives like phenoxyethanol, fragrances, and surfactants. Even wipes marketed as fragrance-free, alcohol-free, or “pure” still contain small amounts of stabilizing ingredients. A wipe that sits wet in a sealed package for months on a store shelf needs something to prevent bacterial growth. However, some brand preservatives are cleaner and more natural then others.

The only way to avoid preservatives entirely is to use something that isn’t sitting wet on a shelf. Which is exactly what cloth wipes are. You wet them at the moment of use.

My Cloth Wipe System

I keep my wipe solution and my dry wipes completely separate. I wet each wipe at the moment of use rather than pre-soaking a whole batch. Pre-soaked wipes sitting in solution can grow bacteria over time, which defeats the whole purpose. Wet at the point of use and you never have to worry about it.

The Wipes Themselves

I tried four different types before landing on my favorite: Organic wipes from Etsy, terry cloth wipes, boutique thick Terry cloth wipes from a baby store, and basic flannel wipes from Amazon.

My favorite, somewhat surprisingly  was the cheapest option. The flannel wipes from Amazon. They were thin enough to actually get into all the nooks and crannies that come with a poopy diaper, while all the other options were too thick.

My Wipe Solution Recipe

This is the part everyone asks me about. It could not be simpler.

DIY Cloth Wipe Solution Recipe

• Fill a peri bottle with filtered water, leaving a little room at the top.
• Add half a teaspoon of fractionated coconut oil and 1-2 drops of unscented baby castile soap.
• Shake and spray directly onto each wipe before use.

That’s it. Three ingredients. The coconut oil is naturally antifungal and antibacterial. The castile soap gives just enough cleansing power for even the messiest changes. The filtered water means no additives or chlorine touching your baby’s skin.

I’ve been using this same recipe for three years and have not needed to change a single thing about it.

On the Go

I kept a small batch of dry wipes in a wipe to go holder in our diaper bag alongside a peri bottle filled with solution. Spray, wipe, toss in the wet bag with the diapers. It goes in the wash with everything else.

Is This Right for You?

If you’re already cloth diapering, adding cloth wipes is genuinely the easiest next step you can take. The wipes go in the wet bag with the diapers and get washed in the exact same load. There is no extra laundry, no separate system. 

If you’re not cloth diapering but you’re looking for a lower-waste, lower-cost swap that doesn’t require a huge lifestyle change, cloth wipes are probably it. You don’t need a whole system. You just need a stack of flannel squares, a peri bottle, and three ingredient. *you don’t need to buy 2 sets of cloth wipes, start with one! I had one for almost 2 years and it was fine.

We went back to disposable diapers from cloth diapering when I hit a big wall in my 2 under 2 and postpartum depression era. And I just used the cloth wipes for pee diapers, so I didn’t have to deal with poopy wipes, I just put them in them with our everyday laundry. 

Either way, if this resonates, try it. If it doesn’t, that’s okay too. If you are just wanting to test it out first, I would recommend just using them for pee diapers. It still will make a big difference. Every intentional swap you make matters, big or small. 🌿

My entire system is linked on my Amazon Storefront. 

Have questions about my cloth wipe system? Drop them in the comments, I’m happy to answer any questions!