I just realized that I don’t think I ever really blogged about how we’re liking our cloth wipes. And, really, what is more fascinating than a post about POO-WIPING RAGS? Not much, right?

I’ve talked before about how we *heart, heart, HEART* our cloth diapers. Once I — er, we — decided to use cloth diapers, the decision to use cloth wipes was just automatic. It just makes sense, if you are cloth-diapering, because of a very simple formula …

Cloth diaper + cloth wipe = laundry
Disposable diaper + disposable wipe = garbage
Cloth diaper + disposable wipe = some stuff in the laundry + other stuff to the garbage + lots of gross separating of two very pooey items.

We keep things simple. We take off the cloth diaper, take care of business with a cloth wipe (or wipes, if we’ve got a poo situation). We wrap the cloth diaper around the cloth wipe(s), and throw everything into the diaper pail (lined with a cloth bag). Every second day, I dump the entire bag into the washing machine. Easy.

But! During the three weeks when we used disposable diapers (the first two weeks of Baby Boy’s life because we got them as gifts, and the week after his circumcision because of major Vaseline requirements), we went with disposable wipes. We used plastic bags in our diaper pail, and threw everything into the dumpster every few days. Also easy.

I’m really surprised when I see other bloggers using cloth dipes and disposable wipes, or vice versa. It just looks like way more work! Anyway.

Before we had Baby Boy, I did a ton of research on different cloth wipe options. You can buy fancy cloth wipes, just buy actual baby facecloths, or make the wipes yourself.

I made a bunch out of a meter or two of printed flannel, and they’re holding up wonderfully — although I get envious of the cute boughten cloth wipes sometimes. I just cut a rectangle shape (about the size of half a sheet of 8.5 x 11 paper), hemmed the edges, and was done. Well, done after I’d cut and sewed a zillion of them, that is.

When it comes to wetting the wipes, there are SO many different ways you can do it: sprays, soaks, squirt bottles — it makes choosing the type of diaper seem like a straightforward decision! Some people buy electric wipe-warmers, which let the fabric soak in warm water — I considered one, but then read comments that said they are a fire hazard, can scorch your wipes, and  are just really unnecessary.

I went for a simple approach — a clear plastic plant-sprayer, bought for about $3 at Wal-Mart. You just fill it with “wipes solution,” keep it on your changing table, and spritz the flannel wipes right before using them on your baby’s cute little butt. No wipes-warmer necessary, because the solution is always room temperature — and hey, Baby Boy’s never complained.

I have to laugh when I remember my first time making the “wipes solution.” I took it so seriously, and read a bunch of different “recipes” on the internet before deciding on the perfect one. I think it was 1/4 baby oil, 1/4 baby body wash, and 1/2 water. I felt it should be SO EXACT that I USED A MEASURING CUP! Seriously, what was wrong with me? It’s butt-wiping liquid!

I have, uh, relaxed about it since then. The second time I made the solution, I just guessed at the amounts. The third time, I omitted the baby oil because we didn’t have any left. There are times I’ve just added water to the tiny bit of remaining solution. And you know what? It’s all worked out just fine. Lesson learned.

I’m pretty tired, and I’m not sure what the point of this post was … Use cloth wipes, if you cloth diaper? If you want to? They’re great?