I recently read the book by the Duggar family and inside they share several tips, including how they make their own baby wipes. I really liked their idea and will probably use it at some point, however, I have been making my own baby wipes for quite sometime – and like mine because they are not just frugal – but also eco-friendly!
Really, it’s very simple. Just take a plastic container (an ice cream bucket works great, as does any larger Tupperware-style container) or a gallon-size Ziplock bag and fill it one-quarter full of water. You can add a little soap if you want, but I don’t.
And it’s definitely not frugal…”
I recently read about all of the things that we can buy as consumers to make our lives “greener.” Eco-friendly detergents, paper towels, bathroom cleaner, towels, place mats, you name it. Rather than encourage people to live simpler and do without, we’ve simply created a newer, more expensive marketing machine for “green” products.
I appreciate that some people would like to help and buying a name-brand expensive eco-friendly cleaner makes them feel good, but aren’t we then just contributing to the problem further?
So, instead of buying paper towels – even eco-friendly ones – use an old bath towel cut up into washcloth sizes. You can even hem them to keep them from fraying. Or if you must BUY something, buy a huge pile of rags or microfiber cloths they sell in the automotive department. Their cheap – and get this – reusable!
Need a bathroom cleaner? Fill a spray bottle (recycled of course) with half vinegar and half water. Need a scrubbing agent in the tub? Use a little baking soda. Hate the smell of vinegar? Try lemon juice instead.
Stains in the laundry or on your carpet? Don’t go for your chemical stain stick, look for remedies that utilize rubbing alcohol (ink); vinegar (carpet); cold water (protein-based); and hot water (grease and oil) to get rid of those stains.
Baby wipes are handy. But rather than buy a bunch of disposable ones, go to the washcloth again. Place about an inch or two of water and a mild soap (Ivory liquid works great) in a bucket with a lid (ice cream buckets are perfect). Fold up a bunch of washcloths or rags and place them in the bucket. Need a wipe? Grab one out of the bucket. This method is also portable. If you don’t want to bring the bucket, use a waterproof nylon bag (the kind to keep valuables safe camping or at the beach) and place your wipes in there. Get a second one and label it or use a different color and keep the used ones in there.
I love gDiapers and am glad I was able to give so many of you a head start on them. While I don’t exclusively use gDiapers – I do love their covers but I often use regular cloth diapers in them. I find them to be a wonderful company, though, and a great transition diaper for those who started in disposables.
This is the text of an email I recently received from a new reader. She made an excellent point and so I have asked her if I can publish her concerns here. I have also published my response. I did edit (just a little) for grammar and spelling.
Hey Michelle:
I am a new subscriber to your blog, and I love it! Well most of it. The thing is ( and please don’t take offense) I think that promoting gDiapers goes totally against what your blog seems to be trying to say. I feel like you talk about frugality and sustainability and staying away from consumerism as much as possible.
G-diapers are pretty rad, Iwill give you that. But they are expensive as all get out and not really that sustainable because they have to be made from natural resources that just get tossed at the end of the change. Plus you are buying refills all the time just as you would with disposables. I read your article about the ten things you don’t need when you are having a baby and frankly these seem like they would fit on that list. I feel good old pre folds (or any reusable diaper) are the most cost efficient and the best choice for sustainability.
Maybe i am totally off base. I am relatively new to all of this ( diapering, parenting, living as green as I can etc.) I know you said you used to use cloth so you have experience with both and probably have great reasons for switching (please feel free to share).
I really really don’t want you to think I am rude, I love your site and all your great tips for living frugally and in harmony with the earth. I too am a stay at home mom with ambitions to homeschool and am always looking for ways to stretch our one small income. I am so thankful for stumbling onto your site as you are really an inspiration.
I hope my loud opinion does not irritate you too much.
Thanks for your time
Dana
And here’s my reply (I sent this to Dana by email and am now publishing it here):
Hi Dana,
Not at all! What a great point you make! Can I post your comment on my site? First off, I must state that I love the gDiapers covers and use them often with plain old cloth diapers. However, I know many people who, for them, a gDiaper is a good first stepping stone. I like the idea of bridging the gap between disposables and cloth. For those people, to see that using a cover isn’t such a pain, is a good experience – whether with a liner or a cloth diaper.
But your point is well taken that I am not exactly promoting frugality. Although, I do promote investing in cloth diapers and covers of your choice and passing them on to other children (whether your own or someone else’s). I guess I thought of gDiapers as an investment in the same way – but giving parents the option of going a more “disposable route” or “cloth route” – I guess in this case, I figure if people are going to eschew frugality for convenience – I’d rather have them at least be green about it!
Does that make any sense?
Thanks so much for writing!
All best,
Michelle
What is your opinion on this issue? I do not use gDiapers exclusively (because they are expensive), but do like their covers a lot. Please leave your comments – and remember, the contest is still going on!
THIS OFFER IS NOW OVER – BUT THANKS FOR VISITING, AND WE HOPE YOU WILL VISIT OTHER PAGES ON THE SITE!
`Michelle
Hey! Want to try out gDiapers? I love them. I don’t sell them or anything – I just love them and I am trying to spread the word. gDiapers have these great cover designs and the liners are flushable or compostable! How cool is that? And if you run out of the liners, you can throw a cloth diaper in the cover. Seriously, I’m a convert. So much so, that I emailed gDiapers – told them how much I love them, and they sent me 50 coupons for $2 off to give out to anyone I wanted. So – do you want the coupon? Just send me an email and I’ll mail it to you. What do I want in return? Healthier babies and a healthier planet. (and if you want to link or tell your friends about OI, that would be great too:-)
Although that’s the first thing I’m going to suggest you do with it – put a cloth diaper on your baby or toddler’s butt. As you can see from this post, there are many reasons to do that. Not the least of which is that potty training is easier!
You can also use a cloth diaper…
…as a cleaning rag. They don’t leave streaks and are great for polishing furniture (not that I really ever do this).
…in place of a paper towel – they are superabsorbant, after all.
…as a baby spit-up cloth.
…as a breast pad when nursing – just cut them into little squares or circles.
…in a first aid kit. They are great for stopping blood, padding splints, or rolling up behind someone’s head.
…for craft projects – they are great organic batting. I have a great kneepad for the garden made with a few cloth diapers sewn inside some pretty, waterproof fabric.
Although that’s the first thing I’m going to suggest you do with it – put a cloth diaper on your baby or toddler’s butt. As you can see from this post, there are many reasons to do that. Not the least of which is that potty training is easier!
You can also use a cloth diaper…
…as a cleaning rag. They don’t leave streaks and are great for polishing furniture (not that I really ever do this).
…in place of a paper towel – they are superabsorbant, after all.
…as a baby spit-up cloth.
…as a breast pad when nursing – just cut them into little squares or circles.
…in a first aid kit. They are great for stopping blood, padding splints, or rolling up behind someone’s head.
…for craft projects – they are great organic batting. I have a great kneepad for the garden made with a few cloth diapers sewn inside some pretty, waterproof fabric.
Well, my apologies for not posting lately, but I have been a bit preoccupied…
Our sixth baby – and second girl – arrived on Oct. 3! Kiara was born at our local birthing center after about five hours of labor. She is 9 lbs 2 oz and not my biggest baby – but in the top 3! We had another natural birth – although no tub this time, which I kind of missed. But I was a little too erratic this time to stay in one place.
She was born at 7 am and we came home that night. We are happily ensconced in loafing on the couch, catching up on email and light publishing duties, and watching DVDs from Netflix!
Thanks to all the subscribers and posters who have wished us well. I will post the “official” birth story a little later.
And yes, the cloth diapering, breastfeeding and co-sleeping have begun…and I love every snuggly second of it!
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