New Kind of Recipe

Usually I think of food when I hear or read the word "recipe".  Today I've got a different kind of recipe for you that I've secretly been enjoying for the last 2 months or so.  It is for homemade baby wipes and I'm in love.

A few months ago a friend suggested I read The Tightwad Gazette to find a homemade yogurt recipe that she uses.  I found the recipe and thought decided it seemed simple enough so I wrote it down and have been very pleasantly surprised.  Anyway, I couldn't stop there so I read almost the whole book (if you check it out you'll see it's a monster) and made notes like a mad woman of ideas to remember or try.  Somewhere along the way I came across the author's homemade baby wipes recipe and figured I really had nothing to lose.  I tried it, tweaked it, and have been very happy with the results.  So I thought I'd share because what mother of little ones isn't looking so save a little cash?

Here is what I use for the recipe:

Bounty paper towels (don't go with store brands because they usually aren't that great = ouchy on baby's bottom)
baby wash
baby oil
water
container to put it all in (I use an empty store-bought wipes box)

To make one batch (enough to fill your typical store-bought box) roll out 30 paper towels and fold them acordion-style.  Cut them in half and put one stack on top of the other.  "Fold" them with ends touching so that you can shove them into the container.  Put 1 cup of water in a measuring cup, add 1 Tbsp baby oil, and 1-2 Tbsp baby wash (5-10 squirts if you have the pump kind - yes, I counted how many squirts are in a Tbsp).  I use 5 or 6 squirts of the baby wash.  Stir it up and immediately pour onto paper towels before the oil and water can separate.  Let them soak for a bit and you have yourself some very inexpensive baby wipes that work very well.

Like I said, about 2 months ago is when I started doing this and I haven't had to buy any wipes since then.  I did, however, buy one package of Huggies wipes because the coupon I had made them 17 cents and I couldn't resist.  That would have just been dumb.  But, I haven't opened them yet.  Anyway, the paper towels cost me $5 and I already had everything else.  Bottom line, I've spent $5 on baby wipes that have lasted 2 months and counting.

How's that for thrifty?