Homemade Natural Wipes

DIY - Wipes

Wipes are used to clean your skin and surfaces in your home but store bought wipes leave more behind than they take off. Wipes are loaded with toxic chemicals designed to preserve, clean, and add fragrance. Wipes that are labeled "natural" cost a fortune and still contain chemicals. An alternative that is cheaper, vegan, and natural is to make your own.

Homemade wipes are versatile because they can be customized to your needs with different ingredients. 

Homemade wipes are great for: cleaning, hand sanitizer, baby wipes, bathroom wipes, make up remover, face wash, and dog wipes.

To make an all-purpose wipe 
You will need:

Viva paper towels (1/2 a roll), measuring cup, airtight container, serrated knife, & water

Customizable ingredients: Dr. Bronner's soap (cleanser), vitamin E oil (moisturizer and preservative), tea tree oil  (antibacterial & antifungal), lavender essential oil (natural fragrance), almond oil (moisturizer with great skin benefits), and vegetable glycerin (prevents dry skin)

Step 1: Cut the paper towel roll into whatever size you want.  Use 1/2 a roll to make one batch. 

Step 2: Pull apart each sheet of paper towel or fold on the perforated line for a continual sheet. Pending on the style of your container you can stand up the paper towel roll, remove the cardboard center and the paper towels will pull up from the center as shown on the left.

Step 3: Fill 1.5 cups of water and add five drops of each: Dr. Bronner's soap, vitamin E oil, almond oil, tea tree oil, and essential oil. 

Step 4: Place the paper towels (1/2 a roll) in the container and pour the mixture over the paper towels. Lift the towels up and pour the mixture on the bottom and in the middle to cover all areas. 

Step 5: Let the wipes sit for several minutes to absorb the liquid. If after several minutes not all the paper towels are moistened add more of the mixture. If too much liquid was added squeeze some out. 

On the go: Store in a zip lock bag, thin airtight container, or reuse a traveling baby wipe box.

Even more eco-friendly wipes: Make reusable cloth wipes out of old fabric such as baby rags, cotton, or flannel. 

Tips: 

1. Use thicker paper towels such as Viva. Cheap paper towels will not work. 
2. The amount of water and customizable ingredients will vary pending on the thickness of the paper towels and how moist you like the wipes. 
3. Do not store in sunlight. 

Check back for more recipes and ways to use your homemade wipes!

Before using essential oils check with your doctor if they are safe for you. Do not use essential oils on animals. 

Homemade Applesauce

Many people buy prepackaged fruit cups and assume they contain the same nutritional benefits as a piece of fruit. However these products are made with high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and food coloring. Even fruit cups or cans found at the health store contain similar ingredients to stay fresh on the shelf.

Avoid eating prepackaged fruit products by making your own!

Applesauce is the first recipe I made with the crockpot because it was quick and easy. I was hooked on the fresh flavor and soon my natural food journey began. Without corn syrup and other additives the pure taste of real food is amazing. 

I hope you have the same experience! 

You will need:

Apples, peeler, apple slicer (or knife). 

Not pictured: Crock pot and half cup water. 

Optional: Stevia (or sugar) or cinnamon. 

Step 1: Peel the skin off the apples.

Step 2: Cut the apple into pieces and remove the stem and seeds.

Step 3: Put the sliced apples in the crock pot and add 1/2 cup of water for every 10 apples. If you like your applesauce a bit less chunky add 3/4 cup. 

Optional: Add cinnamon and/or sugar to your taste. 

Step 4: Set crock pot to cook for 5 hours on low.

Once in the crock pot your house will smell wonderful like warm apples! 

Step 5: Use a fork to mash apple pieces. 

Step 6: Scoop into a jar once cooled.

Great for snacking! You can make your own individual serving snack cups with this recipe. Just fill small reusable containers and store in the fridge. This saves money and the environment. 

Animal lovers will love this recipe too! Most dogs like apples so it is easy to hide their medicine in applesauce.  Crush their medicine and mix well with the applesauce. This trick works well with children too. You can also add applesauce to your dog’s food or serve as a snack. 

I love applesauce mixed with oatmeal and over my homemade waffles. 

Add applesauce to a fruit or vegetable smoothie or make frozen ice pops!

Applesauce freezes well so you can make a big batch and freeze extras in an airtight container. This is a good idea when apples are in season or if you need to use up apples before they spoil. 

Enjoy!

Check with your vet if it is okay to feed your dog apples and the other ingredients used before feeding them applesauce.