Eco-friendly baby wipes

[Cocacolathanks]

AIBU when buying “eco-friendly” baby wipes that claim to be recyclable, compostable and plastic-free? Is it a gimmick or does it make a difference?

Also if you use them, can you recommend some good ones? I’ve not actually tried them yet but I bought my first pack of Water Wipes and realised there’s a whole market of “eco” baby wipes.

Thanks!

Camera, the wipes are in our en suite and our main toilet has normal toilet roll. Most of my friends and family are not quite ready for washable toilet paper!!!

Yeah, ‘eco-friendly’ disposable baby wipes are a gimmick - complete nonsense.

Definitely echo PPs about Cheeky Wipes. They save us a bloody fortune and they clean up sloppy poo sooo much better than baby wipes!

I made reusable wipes and really like them. I tried both flannel and bamboo toweling fabric, cut it into squarish rectangles, then used my sewing machine to zigzag stitch round the edges to stop them fraying and they've lasted a year so far. I did go round each wipe twice so they are really secure. I've found the flannel better for bums and the towelling better for faces/hands.

they are actually really useful for all sorts. If you sit on the loo and notice dusty skirting or the sink needs a wipe you can grab a wipe and use it. Bedtime and you can swipe your armpits and give your bottom a good clean and go to bed feeling fresh. This may be too much info but after a poo, I encourage use of toilet paper for first wipe and then a cotton wipe to get properly clean so we are not as orthodox as we could be!

Mum and you say they are 100% biodegrade.

We used hemmed Ikea flannels for our DC nearly 15 years ago. Most people thought that we were nuts, so I'm so happy that the tide is finally beginning to turn against those horrible, plastic-y, chemical-saturated wipes. Water and a good flannel do the job just fine, and were much better for DD's sensitive skin. Tupperware pot; take the wipes dry if you know there will be a sink; pre-wet them if not.

Aqua wipes are good, biodegradable non plastic (unlike water wipes) disposable wipes with nothing but water on them. Even if it’s true that they don’t decompose in landfill, at least they’re made from renewable materials instead of by using non-renewable petrochemicals (ie plastic).

I'm probably being dense here (blame the pregnancy brain) but how do cheeky wipes/flannels work practically?

Do you moisten them in advance and keep them in a Tupperware? Do you add anything other than water?

And then have a dirty bag for used? Like you do with reusable nappies out and about?

Yes, pretty much.

You can either keep some wet in a Tupperware (that's what I do) or wet as and when. I find having an already moistened supply a lot easier when dealing with nappy changes. A few drops of essential oil and water and you can soak a number of them which will last a few days.

If you're going out, just take them in a wet bag, or take them dry and wet them while out (again I prefer to take them already wet for ease). Cheeky Wipes do wet bags that have two pockets- one for clean and one for dirty. We use reusable nappies so ours just get chucked in the nappy bin and washed with the nappies.

The CW Tupperware is especially good because you can open it one-handed - which is often necessary when dealing with dirty nappies!

Thanks @Celebelly. Really handy.

Chamomile tea makes a good soaking solution for the wipes too. Obviously let it cool down first!

Cheeky wipes are amazing. I had a toddler that specialised in neck to knee poonamis. When out, it would take half a packet of normal baby wipes to finally smear the aftermath away. Cheeky wipes could do the same job in 4-5 wipes.

I still use them for all sorts years after the youngest toilet trained!

Cheeky wipes Amazing. So much easier to wipe up massive poonamis with them than burning through a whole heap of disposable wipes.

I used reusable wipes with DS. They were basically small flannels. I used to keep a bowl of water on the changing table and just dunk a wipe it it. Clean with the wet flannel, dry with a fresh one. I also had a stack of flannels that were kept in the kitchen for hand and face wiping after meals.
DS is going to be 12 next week and the flannels are still in use as floor cloths and cleaning rags.

I was raised in the '70s and my mother always just put a damp flannel in a small toilet bag when we went out...

Apparently Boots now do biodegradable wipes:

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How are they biodegradable?
Our baby wipes are completely free from plastic. Instead, we’ve made them from viscose, which is an FSC certified wood-based material. They’ve been independently tested to EN13432 standard to ensure they’re biodegradable. This means, as they don’t contain any plastic, they’ll typically degrade in 3 to 4 months in landfill – this is compared to plastic containing wipes, which can take several decades to completely degrade!

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Reusable wipes haven't been as scary as I always thought they would be, if you're interested in having a go!