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Are you wanting to jump in on the cloth wipes bandwagon but have NO idea where to start? This guide is for you. Below you will find a complete breakdown of what cloth wipes are, how to use them, make your own, or buy them! I’ve also included a free pattern with a wipes solution recipe in the cloth wipes tutorial below.
If you want to just skip to printing out the pattern immediately, just opt-in below with your email address!
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What are cloth wipes and why you should use them?
Cloth wipes are a simple alternative to using disposable wipes. Not only will they save you so much money, but this method has so many benefits:
- Super fun to make and so much cuter than the ugly chemical wipes
- Super EASY to make, with or without a sewing machine (and below you will learn how)
- REUSABLE REUSBLE REUSABLE!!!
- Reduce rashes on skin
- Reduce your carbon footprint one little step at a time
- Serve multipurpose (even if you don’t have babies, they are awesome to have around the house for washing and wiping anyone and anything!
- Save $$$$
Have I convinced you yet? You can stop using disposable wipes right this second, and have cloth wipes in less time it takes to make a sandwich.
Scroll along and read the entire cloth wipes tutorial!
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So how do you make your own cloth wipes?
There are quite a few ways to make cloth wipes. So easy you will be wondering why you haven’t already started a long time ago.
Cloth Wipes Tutorial Option #1 $0
This option requires ZERO expenses. Grab an old towel or 2. Grab some heavy-duty scissors or a rotary blade and go to town. Don’t worry about being perfect. Just start slicing the towel into halves of halves of halves until you have as many as you can get out of one towel in the size you prefer your wipes to be.
Now you can either leave them like this, or you can serge them (how to serge them below).
Cloth Wipes Tutorial Option #2 $2-4
Stop at the dollar store or Target (or any store you prefer) and pick up a package of wash cloths. You can choose colors, softness, maybe some sizing options.
Choose regular bathtub rags, actual baby washcloths (these are always super soft and colorful), or even kitchen-sized rags. Whichever you prefer.
BAM! You have cloth wipes.
Cloth Wipes Tutorial Option #3 $4-8 (make your own)
This option is probably the most popular. I know us women like to be able to pick out cute prints and use super soft absorbent fabrics on our babies. This is where making a trip to the fabric store comes in (or order online at www.fabric.com).
The best fabrics to purchase for cloth wipes are:
100% cotton flannel 80/20 % cotton velour
100% polyester Minky
100% cotton terry
95/5 % knit
Any combination of these fabrics, double-sided or even mixed will provide you with the most luxurious wipes. Soft, cute, fun!
If you love fabric, love dabbling in sewing, love handmaking things for your babies, have a little extra cash to splurge, then grab you some super cute fabric at the store.
So how do I make my wipes out of my new fabric?
Without a sewing machine
Print out this FREE PATTERN I created just for you. Cut out the square. Laminate it or glue it to a piece of cardboard so it is nice and firm. Or you can just use it like it is.
Lay out your fabric and start tracing the pattern onto the fabric. Fill up the fabric as much as you can to get as many wipes as possible.
*YOU ONLY NEED TO TRACE THE PATTERN ON ONE SIDE OF THE FABRIC.
Using the NO machine method, at this point all you have left to do is cut them out. If you double the layers, you get more than one at a time when you cut them out. Just like the towel method.
Except for these, your nicer wipes, you want to cut them a little nicer. So grab some good fabric scissors or a rotary blade and cut down exactly onto the lines you drew.
Now these are done! Using the no machine method is fine, but just know that over time they will fray after a few washes. The best fabric for this method for your items to last the longest knits, velours or Minky. These won’t fray as much.
With a serger or sewing machine
This method provides you a double layer, quality wipe.
Follow the steps above to begin marking your fabric. Lay the pattern down, and begin tracing in a block style, side by side. Do not cut yet!
For the backside, you are not going to trace the pattern. So once you are done tracing, lay that piece of fabric onto the next piece of fabric that you want to use for the backing.
Lay the fabrics wrong sides together. After you have lined up your 2 layers of fabric. Go ahead and start cutting on the lines. Using 2 layers, to prevent shifting, it is best to use a rotary cutter and maybe even a good ruler to keep your lines straight.
Once you have cut out your double layer wipes, you are ready to sew.
- Using a serger: this method is super fast, I highly recommend this way first. If you have a serger, go ahead and turn it on.
Grab your stack of wipes and serge your wipes directly around the edge, all the way around.
Once you have serged all the way around, you will have a tail. Just tuck that tail and snip it, shown below. - Using a sewing machine: this method takes a bit longer and is a bit more tedious. Flip your fabrics from the wipes right sides together so that the inside of both sides are facing out.
Line them up edge to edge.
You can sew a straight stitch all the way around using the edge of your machine foot as your guide. Pivot at the corners. Leave a 1-2 inch opening on one side of the wipe. Make sure the backstitch a few times at both sides of the opening.
Trim the seam allowance. Turn your wipe right side out, push the corners out really well. Topstitch all the way around, making sure to close up the hole we left for turning.
start serging in the middle of the side curve around the corners tuck your tail in a darning needle tuck the thread backward into the serging layers wipes are done!
Wipe Storage
Below are options you can use to store your fresh, ready to use wipes:
- Clean wet bag
- Old dispoable wipe box
- Plastic tupperware
- Wipe warmer
Now, how do you use these?
Wet Wipes
- Water
- My cloth wipes solution
Soak in solution inside the container. Or keep a squirt bottle beside the wipes to use as needed. These can be kind of cold to the touch at first, so if you have a way to use lukewarm water or use your cloth wipes warmer, or heat up in your hand first.
Use your new cloth wipes the same way you would disposable wipes. When its time to change baby, just grab a cloth wipe instead of a disposable.
Dry Wipes
Don’t feel like making a wipe solution? Just store a stack of dry wipes at the changing pad, if you really need it to be damp, just use the tap and get it wet real quick.
Cloth Wipes on the Go???
Yep! Bring those bad boys with you! Make a separate stash of wipes just for on the go, keep them in the diaper bag. Restock as needed. This way, you don’t have to worry about grabbing some from your changing table stash.
You can pick up one my Cloth Wipes zipper bags that were designed to fit 10 wipes inside. Store them in here with some water or soltuion and throw in the diaper bag. You can also create a mini squirt bottle with water or solution to bring along in the diaper bag if you want to just keep your wipes dry until ready to use.
Or you can simply use a ziplock baggy or a small container if you don’t have a wetbag.
How to Wash? What about that poop?
If you already use cloth diapers, then this part is easy. If you have solids on your wipe, just shake-dump into the toilet.
I like to spray my dirty wipes with BacOut, it reduces the stains and smells. Then toss into the cloth diaper pail.
Wash with the cloth diapers (see routine here). I store my dirty diapers in wipes in a large wet bag. Washing every 2-3 days max.
If you are NOT using cloth diapers, but still want to at least use cloth wipes, just create a small basket/bucket in your laundry room (preferably with a lid) to store between washes. You can wash them by themselves or with your next load of towels.
How Many Cloth Wipes Do I Need?
You will probably use around 1-3 wipes per diaper change. However, the stages of diaper changes throughout the day will be less and less as the baby gets older.
I recommend just starting with a nice large stash of about 24-30 wipes so you have enough to last you until its time to wash.
I wash my wipes based on how many wipes I have left, but also how long the soiled wipes have been sitting. It is best to keep an eye on both circumstances.
Are you interested in other types of cloth diaper accessories? I have a free printable and a complete blog post about my top 5 recommended cloth diaper accessories you absolutely should invest in. You can read the post here.
My Recommended Cloth Wipes Solution
Just plain water is always an option! Keep a squirt bottle on your changing station so they don’t dry out by the time you need them. Unless you keep them in a closed container.
Or, if you want to get fancy, here is my personal wipes solution:
2 cups of water
1 tablespoon of liquid form coconut oil
1 small squirt of baby soap
1-2 drops of lavender oil
1-2 drops of tea tree oil
½ tsp of vitamin E oil or organic aloe vera
Print your FREE recipe and pattern!
Following this recipe you should have enough to last about a week!
Mix the solution well. I pour the liquid into an air tight container and just shake it.
Pour the solution on top of wipes in container.
You can also pour the solution into a squirt bottle (a lot of moms keep their peri bottle from the hospital and reuse it for this purpose!) and keep on the changing table.
You can make up a large batch of it and store it in your fridge and just refill your changing table bottle as needed.
Now you don’t have to worry about having to remake the solution all the time.
If you are feeling crafty and have the time, decorate that wipes container and make it cute!
Here is a cute tutorial on how to do that.
This tutorial ALSO has a free pattern to print out to cover your wipes box
Click here for a tutorial on how to fold your cloth wipes so they pop out of your wipes box too!
Don’t Feel Like Making Them? Want all the work done for you? Want the best fabrics you can’t buy in the stores???
I have many different cloth wipes packages available in my store.
Pick up an order of cloth wipes here.
TO GET YOUR FREE CLOTH WIPES PATTERN AND RECIPE, ENTER YOUR NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW AND YOU WILL RECEIVE THE PATTERN IN YOUR EMAIL
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What an amazing eco friendly tutorial you have here! And beautiful colors too!
Thank you so much!
We use cloth wipes, I did your option #2, where I just bought a ton of cheap white washcloths on Amazon! If I had a sewing machine/serger I may have attempted to make my own. Sewing is still a hobby I would love to try so maybe one day!
So awesome! I am glad you tried one of the options. Definitely give sewing a try!
I knew about cloth diapers, but I didn’t even know that cloth wipes existed! Thanks for sharing this info. I love the Disney ones~
Yes! I’m so glad you found this info!
This post is great! So informative! I love the cloth carrying bags you have – so cute!
-Jennifer
Thank you so much!
These look great. I got suspicious when I discovered that nothing cleaned the grout inbetween my tiles the way baby wipes did. It made me wonder what was in them and what they were doing to my kids skin. This is the perfect alternative.
Oh wow! Yes that would make me wonder as well!
This is such an amazing tutorial. But we are now out of the diaper and into th epotty training phase.
Even the potty training phase you will need wipes! For messes, fingers, faces!
This is fantastic. I’ve been really trying to cut back on consumption.
Thank you!
These are great! Wish I had made these a long time ago. It is nice to know exactly what we are using on our babies.
Yes I totally agree. We never know exactly what is in the store bought wipes!
I love using cloth wipes at home. Thank you for all the tips!
That’s great! You are welcome!
Do you have a substitute for coconut oil? I am highly allergic to coconut even down to the coconut mats in flower pots or movie popcorn. What other oil work?
Olive oil or avocado oil is also a wonderful substitute! I hope this helps!
My sister-in-law just had her first baby, and she is very DIY. She also just shared with me that she’s using cloth diapers! I’m sending her this link! Great ideas here!!
Ohhh awesome! I am so glad to hear that! I hope she enjoys her cloth diapering journey, please let her know I am here to help with any cloth diapering questions.
Yes, I am one of them! Thus, I am so grateful for this post. Thank you for sharing these tips on how to make them. Thank you as well as for the free pattern. Can’t wait to get started.