One of the things I hope to add are some tutorials. Brian and I are big DIYers and we hear people say too often, "I just can't do that" when things are really not as difficult as they look. Well, at least they are worth trying.
So, I decided to do my first tutorial today. Since Brian is at work, I did an easy mommy tutorial for homemade baby wipes. This has saved me quite a bit of cash over the last year so maybe it will help someone else out too!
Here's what you need:
Baby Oil
Baby Bath Wash
Paper Towels (I highly recommend Bounty Select-A-Size! Free of prints)
Electric Knife
Large Plastic Container with Lid
Using the electric knife, cut the paper towel roll in half as shown below and remove the cardboard centers. I have found that getting your fingers around the cardboard as deep as you can, "pinching" the roll and then folding it in half works best to remove the center.
Don't forget to recycle the cardboard centers! Make binoculars for your child or donate them to your church Preschool or Children's department!
You should then have 2 rolls available. I always cut several while I've got the supplies out to build up a stock.
In a bowl or cup, mix:
1+1/3 Cup of water
2 Tbsp Baby Oil
1 Tbsp Baby Bath Wash
Place one of your halved rolls in your plastic container and pour mixture into container.
Place the lid on top of the container and allow some time for the roll to absorb the mixture. Pull wipes from the center when ready to use!
I store the extra rolls and supplies in a bin so that everything is ready to go when I need it. It's also handy to have another plastic container so that you can make more before your other is completely empty.
Putting together a bin or basket of these supplies has been of the most well-received baby shower gifts I have ever given. Even if mom doesn't decide to make her own wipes, she can still use the supplies for other things. You can't go wrong with this one! Enjoy!
**Katy asked some great questions down in the comment section of the blog so I thought I would address them here so everyone can benefit from the Q&A**
Is it really cost effective?
Most of you know that I am married to a numbers guru so that's not the first time this question had popped up. I ran the numbers using Target's published on-line pricing although I never pay this much for either paper towels or wipes! My last transaction for each of the items below was $13.49 for the Bounty Paper Towels and $2.99 for the 217 pack Huggies Wipes (after sale and/or coupons). I am also assuming a 1:1 ratio for Huggies wipes : half-sheet paper towel 'wipe'. I certainly feel like they are just as effective.
According to Target's pricing:
**Katy asked some great questions down in the comment section of the blog so I thought I would address them here so everyone can benefit from the Q&A**
Is it really cost effective?
Most of you know that I am married to a numbers guru so that's not the first time this question had popped up. I ran the numbers using Target's published on-line pricing although I never pay this much for either paper towels or wipes! My last transaction for each of the items below was $13.49 for the Bounty Paper Towels and $2.99 for the 217 pack Huggies Wipes (after sale and/or coupons). I am also assuming a 1:1 ratio for Huggies wipes : half-sheet paper towel 'wipe'. I certainly feel like they are just as effective.
According to Target's pricing:
12 Pack Bounty Select-A-Size Paper Towels = $18.99
112 sheets/roll = 224 'wipes'/roll = 2,688 'wipes'/pack
2,688 'wipes/$18.99 = .007 cents/'wipes'
504 Pack Huggies Natural Wipes = $12.49
504 wipes/$12.49 = .025 cents/wipe
Comparison:
In this scenario, the homemade wipes are 3.57 times cheaper than the normal Huggies wipes. Let's say that I use 10 wipes/day or 300 wipes/month. At the above pricing, I would save $64.80 over the course of a year. I did not include the cost of the Baby Oil, Baby Bath Wash, or the container. I got so much of the first 2 supplies at baby showers that these have been free to use. The container I use was a recycled Clorox wipe dispenser.
Why do I chose the homemade wipes?
I chose the homemade wipes because I use the supplies for other purposes as well. Obviously, I use the Baby Bath Wash for every bath Eden takes. I also use the paper towels in the kitchen and Brian uses them in the garage because of their excellent absorbency. I feel like we use these items anyway so it's a great way to stretch them. Plus, like I stated above, aside from purchasing paper towels, everything else has been free up until this point.
How do they travel?
Not very well unless you tear off individual sheets to fold up in a small dispenser. I purchase store-brand or brand wipes with coupons to keep the diaper bag stocked. I'm always too busy throwing things in the diaper bag and running out the door for this to be worth my time.
4 comments:
I can usually score wipes for pretty cheap. Do you think it is cheaper to make considering paper towels aren't that cheap? And I can never get paper towels as cheap as I get wipes?
great idea!
that's a neat idea! thanks for sharing.
Katy,
Those are great questions! I decided to update the post and address them there for everyone. :)
Post a Comment