There are three main options that I know of when it comes to wetting your cloth wipes with solution. I have tried all three, and come back around to pre-moistening my wipes as my favorite option. But, everyone has different preferences, so here is a summary for the cloth wipes newbie!
Pre-Moistened Wipes
This method means that you pre-wet a whole box of wipes at one time. Then when you need a wipe, it is already wet with water/solution and ready to start cleaning! I fold my wipes so that they pop out of the box (like tissues). To wet them, I turn the stack on it’s side and slowly pour solution between the folds. Then I return the stack to it’s normal position. I also pour some extra solution on the top of the stack that will trickle down through the wipes and make sure that every one of them is good and wet!
Pros: Wipes are ready to go at a moment’s notice with no preparation needed. Just grab and wipe!
Cons: Don’t wet too many at once. If you do, and don’t use them quickly enough, they may start to stink a bit. They can also be kind of cold on your baby’s skin in the winter (but not if you use a wipe warmer).
Moisten-as-you-go Wipes
This method usually involves a stack of dry wipes and a spray bottle. Place your wipe solution in the spray bottle. At each diaper change (or face-wipe, or messy situation) you spray the wipe with your mister bottle and then use it to clean your baby. Some people just run the wipe under the faucet and use plain water at each diaper change. (My sink isn’t close to the changing table, so this never worked for us).
Pros: Dry wipes never get the stinkies. No box with moisture in it to be grabbed by baby and tipped over. Less prep work. Not as cold on baby’s skin (?).
Cons: You have to wet each wipe as you go. This means an extra step with a wiggly baby or big messy diaper. I felt like I really had to spray it a lot in order to get the wipe wet enough to clean the mess.
Foaming Wipe Solution
This method sort of falls under the previous category, because each wipe is moistened right before use. However, it is a foaming solution so the application is slightly different. Mix your wipe solution in a foaming hand soap bottle to dispense the solution as a rich foamy lather. Dispense onto each wipe as you need it.
I used this method for quite some time. I liked the foam and felt as if it moistened the wipe better and easier than a spray bottle. The foam is very gentle on the baby and not cold at all. The solution seemed to last for a while too. But…it seemed to take a little more time and effort to be sure all of the soapy foam was off of the baby before putting a clean diaper on. It is not as friendly for wetting wipes to use on faces and hands, and it means taking a foaming bottle with you in the diaper bag. So…we eventually switched back to pre-moistened wipes.
Pros: Nice rich lather cleans well and is not cold on baby’s skin. Easy solution storage with little possibility of being tipped, dumped, or spilled. (I frequently spill my pitcher of wipe solution. Maybe it’s just me. The lid on the foaming bottle is great, and I never had leaks).
Cons: Must moisten each wipe as needed. This is an extra step. Need a couple of pumps to get the wipe adequately wet, but then there is a lot of soap foam to wipe off the baby’s butt. Not very on-the-go friendly.
How do you store and use your cloth wipes? Did I miss a great method? Let me know…I’ll gladly try something new!
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