Baby wipe warmers plug into an electrical outlet and warm up the contents just enough so they are closer to body temperature than room temperature, making them less of a shock to the baby. Although many people fill the wipe warmers with traditional disposable baby wipes, you can also put washcloths in a baby wipe warmer for an eco-friendly alternative.
Storing Wipes
Put washcloths in a baby wipe warmer just as you would put in disposable baby wipes. Most containers have a main lid that opens, plus some also have a pull-through hole to get one wipe at a time as with plastic non-heated disposable wipe containers. When storing washcloths, you will probably need to use the main lid all the time because the cloths are not attached to each other, so you would need to reach in through the pull-through hole to get the next wipe. When filling a baby wipe warmer with washcloths, either fold each wipe in half and roll it to make tidy wipes that look like stacked logs or just toss them all in.
Cloth Wipe Solution
Because washcloths are naturally dry, you will need to add a solution to the baby wipe warmer. The warmer is a wet system, so it will not work very well with dry wipes. Although you can just use water, adding a couple additional ingredients will make the wipes work better. Mix in about 1 tsp. of baby oil and 1 tsp. of baby soap per cup of water. You can also add a drop of essential oil, such as lavender, almond, tea tree or calendula oil to scent the wipes and act as antibacterial agents.
Other Uses
Washcloths in a baby wipe warmer do not need be used only as substitutes for baby wipes when diapering. They can also be very helpful for cleaning up sticky or messy hands and faces at other times in the day -- even long past when your kids become potty trained. Keep a wipe warmer with washcloths in your kitchen or dining room, and use them to wipe a child's face and hands after eating. Keep some in your craft area for wiping glue off a child's hands and the table.
Wipe Warmer Alternatives
When you are using cloth washcloths instead of baby wipes, you don't need to get a wipe warmer. A few other methods work just as well for getting them wet. Many families keep a spray bottle next to a basket of dry washcloths and just spray water or a wipe solution on each washcloth before using it. Another idea is to use a water bottle with a sport top to easily open it, and squirt a little bit of solution on a wipe. You can also use a non-heated baby wipe container just like you would a warmer.
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