How many cloth wipes do I need, and what size?

Green*Flamingo

I found patterned flannel and solid color terry on sale, and scored 8 yards of fabric for 35$. I am thinking that if I make the wipes 9 by 9, I would have 96 wipes total...but I wanted to see what size is recommended. I noticed that the sizes vary greatly from sellers on Etsy. Also, do I need 96 wipes? That seems like an insane amount- but I am a first time Mom with no clue about baby poo yet. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

triumphantreturnofplanningbug

This is couched in tentative terms because I'm not yet a mom either, so have no idea about how this will play out in real life:

I'm aiming for 36-40, based on what others have recommended in the past (plan to wash every other day at the beginning, 10-12 changes per day, some diapers will need multiple wipes). I remember people saying that if your wipes are 8x8 finished, they'll fold in half and fit into pop-up containers without a problem. So if you're planning a 1/4" seam for each side, you'd want 9x9 squares.

Green*Flamingo

That's exactly what I needed to know. Thanks!!

mooeta

I have big wipes, and little wipes and they each have their own function.  I love my 5 x 5 wipes for pees, when I want to wipe her down but don't need an obscene amount of fabric, then I have my adult size washcloths.  I don't know what size they are but they are great for messy poops.  I have about 25 of the smalls and 15 of the large.  Works well.  I also have many baby washcloths that we use as wipes too and they do a great job.

mzovoce

We have 56, totally random number, but I used old T-shirts and that's how many it made. They are apx 5x5, the jersey wasn't that easy with the surger and so they were smaller after the fact. I feel like we have the perfect amount.

jamiedsgirl

I also have 56 - seven packs of eight.  I use baby washcloths - the gerber kind.  They are very thin, which I find does a better job.  They have a smooth side and a rough side (although it is still soft).  I bought two sided wipes from GMD, but they were so thick that i couldn't really clean DS that well.  

maramarrie

In my experience, having more than enough is better than having too few. You can always NOT use them up and then sell whatever you feel is going to be "too much." I have about 4-5 dozen and I'm happy with that number. ESPECIALLY for the newborn stage (and now that I'll have 2 in cloth). With Harris we not only had the newborn thing going, but a learning curve with being CD beginners, too. We burned through 4-6 wipes with each diaper change in the really early weeks. Now, of course, we might use 2 (max) for a dirty diaper, but I still keep about 40-50 wipes so that when half of them are dirty or the laundry hasn't been put away I never have to wonder if I've got a wipe at the changing table. They get scattered about, too - used for boogers, used in the diaper bag, etc.

maramarrie

jamiedsgirl:

I also have 56 - seven packs of eight.  I use baby washcloths - the gerber kind.  They are very thin, which I find does a better job.  They have a smooth side and a rough side (although it is still soft).  I bought two sided wipes from GMD, but they were so thick that i couldn't really clean DS that well.  

FWIW - this is what I wish we had done. These "wipes" would have been cheaper than what I ended up with and I think would have been exactly the thickness and texture I'd like in wipes. That said, I just stocked up with more of the wipes that I do like because some of our cheaper homemade wipes started falling apart. Most of our wipes now are the Kissaluvs ones, I think. Whatever they are, they're just a natural cotton that's smooth on one side and terry on the other, approx 8x8 square, and cost about $1.15 each. Doing the washcloths above would have made them about $0.50 each, when an 8-pack costs roughly $4. I'm happy with our wipes, but if I had started with the washcloths in the beginning I would have been happy with those.