Tip #8: Use cotton washcloths or paper towels instead of wipes

Related to Tip #7, one way to minimize baby's exposure to harmful chemicals is to replace conventional wipes with cotton washcloths (great if you already wash cloth diapers) or your favorite soft paper towel. Simply place some water on these just before using, I keep a water bottle at the changing station. There's also a lot of do-it-yourself suggestions on the web for creating your own paper-towel wipes using a little bit of oil. Just search for "Make your own diaper wipes".

If you go the simply water route and you have a temperature sensitive baby, you can put warm water in one of those coffee thermoses with the pump feature and have warm water at the ready. Always make sure water going into the thermos is less than 98degrees Fahrenheit for safety.

The bonus of cotton wash cloths is given their size one will usually do for even the largest diaper blowout! Costco carries white cotton washcloths in packs of 24 that are a great size. Then you only need to carry the more expensive wipes with fewer harmful chemicals in the diaper bag (or go the do-it-yourself route).