Water wipes? Expensive gimmick or better alternative?

[Justus22]

As the title says really. I'm going to try and cut down on my baby wipe usage at home (for environmental reasons) but I will use them whilst out for hygiene and convenience. I used regular baby wipes of all brands on my others but have noticed water wipes becoming popular, are they kinder to baby's skin? Or are they just a gimmick? X

[MagpieTree]

Water wipes are a bit rubbish imo, I find I use twice as many. What about using washable wipes?

[snowflakeeel]

Another for washable wipes. I haven't turned back since first trying my friends washable wipes when I ran out one day. They are far better than the regular and water wipes which just seemed to smear it rather than remove it, for us at least. X

[TheLetterOfTheLawTheLetter]

IMO, nothing beats them in terms of getting things clean and fresh (nappy changes, dried snot!) Except for cotton wool and water. I definitely use too many WW and should switch to cotton or reusable wipes, but to be fair, my toddler's face reacts to most other things (compare ingredients list of water wipes to a "super hypoallergenic wipe with 99% natural ingredients"!)

[Bambamber]

My daughter has incredibly sensitive skin and we used water wipes when out and about or for mucky poos. At home we used washable wipes. We will be using them again this time around. I used to bulk buy them when they was on offer

[Flicketyflack]

I used cotton wool and warm water

[willwesplitup]

Another vote for washable wipes. Once you use them you will be annoyed when you have to use disposable ones! I take them out and about dry and just wet them if necessary (in a restaurant I use the table water, the sink when in a changing room), then store in a wet bag or even a nappy sack. If DCs skin is sensitive just make sure you use fairy detergent.

[Justus22]

Interesting I'll check out the washable wipes. Thanks all. X

[Ariela]

Washable wipes + water are the best - get terry for proper thorough cleaning in one wipe. Saves a fortune and no extra washing, just pop in with your nappies.

[OctoberGirl91]

Pampers have just brought out a water wipe it's called Aqua and I love them stay wetter longer than water wipes x

[MindyStClaire]

I prefer Huggies pure to water wipes.

[Sparrowlegs248]

Expensive gimmick. Cotton wool and water is fine.

[CallItLoneliness]

I am a water wipe convert after a child who has ridiculously sensitive skin. They are great for her face, bum, and anywhere else that needs a quick clean on the fly. Also--baby wipes are made of some kind of magic that gets child-related crud off clothing, bags etc so that moment when you discover that actually, there is snot on your shoulder after daycare drop off becomes salvageable with a wipe.

I thought about doing reusable wipes, but (even though I cloth nappied) the convenience of disposable was a deal clincher for me--we walk everywhere and not needing a tap or whatever to clean up on the go is really important.

[Happycow]

Washable wipes + water is by far the best for cleaning power and suitability for sensitive skin.

However i get the convenience issue with disposables. There are biodegradable wipes available (from amazon) with 99.7%natural ingredients. These allay some of my environmental concerns while still giving me convenience!

[Teachermaths]

Washable wipes. They are the most cost effective and environmentally friendly thing I have ever had. I've used supermarket wipes on holiday and wondered why on earth anyone bothers with them. They smear the shite everywhere and you need about 40 to do the same job as one washable wipe.

[CrazyCatLady159]

I used the aldi version of water wipes when out and about - I loved them!

But I used the washable ones at home

[Foodie68]

For washable wipes check out the cheekywipes website. I’m pregnant with my first and haven’t used them yet but they have great reviews.

[hipstercat]

Water wipes are not biodegradable so if you care about that but don't want to (always) use washable ones, you could look at eg the Naty, Kinder by Nature or Kit&kin ones from Waitrose. Haven't had my baby yet so can't attest to their quality but their eco and non-toxicity credentials are much better. Lots of wipes are marketed as 'pure' etc but in fact contain lots of potentially harmful ingredients and are made of plastic.

[Saltisford]

Can I ask - how are washable wipes any different from using an old school flannel??!! I saw my friend using them and she explained how expensive they were. Have I missed something?

[kgeal3]

I was going to use these too but I've actually been recommended by a lot of mummies to the ALDI wipes. I've bought a pack to use as face wipes for my children to give them ago. They are so cheap too

[Cyw2018]

Another vote for washable wipes, you can make your own, but I bought cheeky wipes.

They work so much better, actually remove poop rather than just moving it around! I was shocked at how useless disposable wipes were when I forgot to pack my cheeky wipes for a day out.

[Stuckforthefourthtime]

We also use cheeky wipes, I put them in a wet box with a drop of their chamomile and lavender oil and it smells amazing 😊 You also get a wet bag for taking them out and about For poos I still often start off with a Huggies pure wipe, but the cheeky wipes are way better at getting off most of the mucck and we haven't had any nappy rash using these.

We wash them hot at 60 (with any other white stuff) with no softener, to kill any bugs, and also use them for hands and faces. Since starting with the reusable wipes with #2 I also moved onto cloth nappies with #3 and 4, which has worked well - though personally I wouldn't recommend it straight away with a first baby, there's already so much to do!

This is the kit, it's been brilliant for us, wish I'd discovered it with baby #1!
www.cheekywipes.com/baby-wipes-kit/all_in_b.html

[Doubtoftheordinary]

Nothing to contribute re water wipes, I'm afraid, but following for a response to saltisford's question, which I've often wondered, too

[Itwouldtakemuchmorethanthis]

Two wet bags, one clean one dirty (they look like pencil cases)
Reusable wipes or flannels.
Wet them with a bottle of water out and about or take them wet.
Store in the dirty bag.
Stick in the laundry with bag....

MUCH kinder to little bums.

[AllFourOfThem]

Water wipes were the only wipes that my daughter’s sensitive skin could tolerate which was annoying since they are so much more expensive than any other wet wipe. Otherwise cotton wool and water worked well although could be a faff when out.

We’ve also always used reusable wipes at home and have a combination of two types of cheeky wipes (a soft one and a rougher one) and also regular flannels/microfibre cloths. The advantage I found with cheeky wipes was that they were already the right size and shape and cutting down flannels was just annoying, especially with all the frayed ends that no edging seemed to get rid of. So whilst flannels are cheaper, as a one off coat of about £10 for a set of cheeky wipes (and often they have offers on) that last for years (four years later and mine are still going strong), the hassle just wasn’t worth the bother for me. I’ve also never bothered with any of the oils for the cheeky wipes - I’ve just used water, a Tupperware box or a wet bag.

[Nuttyaboutnutella]

We use mostly reusable wipes (have a mix of Cheeky Wipes and Bambino Mio wipes), but do use water wipes for out and about and nursery. My little boy has sensitive skin, other wipes have always irritated them. I used them a few times (out of sheer laziness!) To remove make up and my skin became extremely dry and irritated. Basically my eyes became very dry, itchy, puffy and sore for days after using other wipes, they also took the paint of the numbers off my son's highchair! Back to water wipes and never had an issue. A pack lasts us ages though as I always try to use cloth wipes whenever possible.