A few days ago I learned how to make my own wet wipes. It is really quite simple, and one batch of wet wipes costs between 40 and 50 cents. Making your own wet wipes has many advantages. You can use a type of shampoo that does not irritate your skin. You can also add the oil and scent that you like. You can make as few or as many as you want. And it costs much less than buying wet wipes from the store.
How to Make Homemade Wet Wipes
To make your own wet wipes, cut one roll of paper towels in half with a very sharp knife. I used our meat knife, but it was not sharp enough. Fluffy pieces of white stuff went all over. Had to sweep up paper towel "snow" from the floor. :-) So, the sharper your knife, the better success you will have. Also, you will want to use a good brand of paper towels, not the cheap ones. The paper towels need to hold together after they are wet. I used Sparkle brand, and Viva would probably be even better.
Using a Round Container
If you have a nice little round container with a lid, about the same shape and size as the paper towels, this is ideal. Place your half roll of paper towels in the round container. Drizzle 1 Tablespoon of shampoo and 2 Tablespoons of oil over the roll of paper towels. I used some massage oil, and it gave the wet wipes a pleasant smell. Then pour on 2 cups of water. If you desire, you can add essential oils to your water to give the wet wipes the scent you like. Cover the towels and let set for about 10 minutes or until all towels have soaked up the cleaning solution. Drain excess water and remove cardboard from the center of the paper towel roll. The cardboard should be wet and should pull right out. Find a loose end and pull up your first paper towel. The wet wipes should pull out easily from the center.
Using an Old Wet Wipes Container
Since I did not have a nice, little round container the size of my half roll of paper towels, I used an old wet wipes container. This requires a little extra work.
First, pull off as many paper towels as you need to make the number of wet wipes you want. The Sparkle paper towels were "pick a size," so one of the smaller pieces was just the right size for a wet wipe. Just place them one on top of the other in the wet wipe container. Don't worry if they stick out the top; they will shrink down when you pour the water on top of them. You will have to open the top of the container for each wipe. If you want to pull them out of the top like the wet wipes that you buy in the store, fold one edge of each piece of paper towel over one edge of the piece of paper towel beneath it. That step is very time consuming, so I skipped it.
Once you have as many wipes as you want, you are ready to add the cleaning solution. Drizzle 1 Tablespoon of shampoo and 2 Tablespoons of oil over the paper towels. Then pour on 2 cups of water. Allow to sit until all paper towels have soaked up the solution. Drain the excess, and your wet wipes are ready to use!
Mold on Wet Wipes
Some people experience a problem with mold on their homemade wet wipes. I have not had this problem so am not sure what a good solution would be. Perhaps it would help to make fewer wipes at a time. Adding a few squirts of vinegar or a pinch of baking soda may help as well, though the vinegar probably would not give them the most pleasant smell.
At any rate, I hope you have fun and good success in making your own wet wipes!