Mama Maggie's Butt Wipe Solution: Get a container which holds about a litre. You can use a Tupperware or better yet, and old Huggies Wipes box, with a lid. Warm some bottled water, I would often boil it, but you don't have to. Just don't use CLORINE water from your tap. Fill the continer about nearly full add: A few drops of Tea Tree Oil (for killing germs) a teaspoon or so of baking soda, to de-acidify the butt after stools and morning pee a few drops of Dr Bronner's Hemp Soap, unscented A few drops of glycerine, for softness Take some nice, soft, cheap washcloths. Dip them into the solution ONLY when you are about to clean the baby (don't leave them in there, or they may get full of bacteria or mold) Wipe the baby, and put the used cloth in a bag, to wash separately, or with your diapers. (Don't wash them with your clothes, they have shit on them.... ) Some people use paper towels, cut in half, but my babies prefered cotton washcloths. ONLY use these cloths for butt wiping. I found some that were this hideous yellow color, perfect for baby poo. Make a new solution and throw away the old one after 2-3 days in the winter, and 1-2 days in the summer. You don't want stuff growing in there. Never dip an already used wash cloth in there. Use two, if you need to. (You wil otherwise contaminate the entire solution and the container.) I would pour boiling water into the container about every few changes. This was great stuff, cheaper than "baby wipes" and the smell of tea tree now reminds me of babies.
thank you girls, you are incredible!!!!!!!!!! we decided to go for cloth, as I am now a lot calmer that they will not cause any rashes (as I got very convinced by the disposables commercials before, you know) and we already found a lady in a local neighbourhood who has a few kinds of them for sale, so that turned out great. but still I would like to ask, I have seen a service mentioned here about people coming right to your doors, taking dirty diapers and leaving clean ones for a week. I actually heard about that from a friend recently, she uses disposables but considered switching to cloth for economic reasons, and she also mentioned a strange thing about this service, apparently they use a detergend that neutralize the pH In the diaper (which is quite unbelievable), and thus prevents all redness and disconfort and such. but anyways, those who tried this service, how do you start it up? are there any web-sites, phone numbers? you pay in advance or just every week, or do you pay at all (in case it is a volunteer org.)? and how much truth is in the pH myth? here is also a website that we were reffered to: www.momandbabyboutique.com
I remembered the other day that I have a lot of scrap fabric just sitting in these huge tubs so I got out some stuff that I thought would make good wipes and just started cutting it all up and sewing around the edges of some material I thought would fray. I think the old, thick socks might work the best. They've got the loops on one side and are smoother on the other, something I think I've seen other people praise. so yay for me.
we don't have a local diaper service anymore... but when I was babysitting for a lady who used the diaper service years ago, they used really harsh detergents and chlorine bleach, things I cannot tolerate on my sensitive skin and so choose to never expose my babies to it! I get irritation from certain laundry detergents (even some of the "free" kinds), especially if my undies have been washed in them, can't imagine how horrible it would be for a baby's sensitive bottom.
