What's in a Wipe?
Ok, so I've bought countless boxes of Costco wipes. 'Cause truth be told, when I (quickly) scanned the ingredient list, it looked a lot like the more expensive earthy ones. And, at our childcare center, they hardly use a separate box of wipes for each kid. It's a free-for-all on the changing table so why bankrupt yourself buying Seventh Generation wipes for every kid in the classroom? Right?
Well... Safe Mama's got me wondering. Boy she does her research. She has a top 3 and a bottom 3 list. Have you seen it? Are yours there? Waddya think? Worth some worry, or can I just go on being cheap?? I know, I know, at home we do the cloth and water routine, but what to do while out of the house?? This mama wants to be safe but giving up wipes altogether ain't an option. What's in YOUR wipes???
We used disposable wipes at first but then switched to using terry or flannel reusable wipes.
We use them with warm water or infuse them with a "wipe recipe" we found on diaperpin.com:
* 2 or 3 drop of tea tree oil
* 1 tablespoon of Dr. Bronner’s soap
* 3 cups of distilled water (be sure to use distilled water, not tap water)
Just dampen the wipes in the mixture and store in an air tight container (we use an old plastic wipes bin left over from the disposable days). The dirty wipes get thrown in our diaper pail for washing.
Posted by: milagros | June 19, 2008 at 08:40 AM
We use disposable wipes when we're out and about, but at home we just use a wet washcloth. We bought a thermal press pot (the kind you might find at a coffee shop for brewed coffee) and I just fill it with warm water every couple of days. We have a nice stash of baby washcloths that were gifts and inexpensive washcloths can be found pretty easily at Freddy's/Target type places. I've found that for us, washcloths work much better than anything I've found sold as an intentional wipe, although the really soft flannel wipes are great for washing little baby faces.
So far (15 months), it's a great system, and I've never felt that we needed anything more than warm water for cleaning up.
Posted by: laurie | June 19, 2008 at 09:59 AM
Oh geez. Thanks (I think!) for the post and great information. We've been Costco wipe users through three kids and while I wish we could become a cloth and water household, it just ain't gonna happen, especially out and about. The question about "worth some worry, or can I just go on being cheap?" is one that I wish someone could provide some information or helpful thoughts on. Part of it (for us) is indeed being cheap, but part of it is also the time crunch of having three kids and two parents that work outside the home. We make some tradeoffs in the time saving department and disposable wipes is one of them.
Posted by: Andrea M. | June 19, 2008 at 11:39 AM
I obsess about a lot of things. Organic non processed food, BPA free sippy cups, creative thought provoking toys, redirection instead of "discipline". I could go on and on. I want my kid to be happy and healthy and capable of breathing light and love into this world. The tools I use now will help him do that. At some point I have to cut myself some slack though. Like the previous poster said I have to make some sacrifices and realize I just don't have the time or energy to do EVERYTHING absolutely perfect.
Posted by: anon | June 19, 2008 at 03:04 PM
holy crap, now it's the wipes?
Posted by: kate | June 19, 2008 at 03:17 PM
Thank goodness for the last two posters! I've been having panic attacks everytime I turn around about all the different things that I am not supposed to do anymore. It's making me nuts. I have decided to just take a deep breath and do what I can. Some things are really important to me (organic foods/dairy & bpa free bottles to name a couple) but I just can't do it all. I have to draw the line somewhere. Thanks ladies! You have made me feel *a little* better about myself.
Posted by: Heather | June 19, 2008 at 03:18 PM
I'm with Heather... wipes? I still haven't gotten rid of all the BPA plastic in my house, and I'm feeling guilty enough about that!
Posted by: KarenNM | June 19, 2008 at 04:24 PM
When my first was born, his skin was so sensitive that we just used a cloth wipe and water. Then I found Seventh Gen wipes and they worked great and were much better for going out, etc.
Then I checked the Costco wipes ingredients and they seemed so similar, and so much cheaper, that we switched.
I was bummed to see that they were rated a 5 on Skin Deep and while we can't protect our kids from everything and definitely need to pick our battles, I am going to be switching once again...
Posted by: Brenna | June 19, 2008 at 05:13 PM
I have a huge case of the costco wipes in the closet, but as I wash my own cloth diapers, I have recently realized that I can wash the "disposable" wipes too. They are after all 100% cotton. I plan to reuse them for things like: wiping noses, cleaning little spills, and even diaper wipes. It doesn't seem like much effort since I all ready wash the diapers, and at least they won't go straight to the trash. Plus, maybe I could avoid buying tissues for a long while, and they are really soft.
Posted by: L. Swanson | June 19, 2008 at 08:42 PM
First two boys--disposable everything. Boy #3 (now 2 months!)--cloth diapers and disposable wipes. Although we just finished the GIANT box of wipes we got before he was born, so I've been using old washcloths the last few days. Which is more me being cheap than concerned for the environment or the boy's bottom.
Being that my wipes are not in the bottom (or top) three, I'm really not too worried. I mean, honestly, they touch the kid's butt for, what, 45 seconds at a time? I live in a house with, instead of a "3 second" rule, it's more of a "can you still identify what it is?" rule...I really can't get my knickers in a knot over wipes.
Posted by: K | June 19, 2008 at 08:44 PM
Oh for heaven's sake. You know, someone once told me that I'd eventually stop worrying so much about every little thing. I think for brand new mamas (and brand new tiny infants) this could be something to add to the worry list (it's all new, they're so tiny and pure, etc etc, I could see myself being there awhile back), but as the mother of an almost two-year-old, I'm way more concerned about preschool and potty training and setting limits and negotiating tantrums and helping her be an intact, emotionally healthy person than I am about the wipes.
Posted by: Amy | June 19, 2008 at 09:32 PM
Why breathe? It's one thing after another.
Posted by: holden | June 20, 2008 at 09:15 AM
Hi, in response to Milagros wipe recipe... a wonderful idea! However, in case you have boys, I just wanted to pass along something I'd heard about tea tree oil (and lavender) and estrogen-mimicking properties. I hate to be an alarmist, but it's seems important enough that I've avoided both substances in soaps and shampoos with my son... here's the information: http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jan2007/niehs-31.htm
Posted by: Cheyenne | June 20, 2008 at 11:15 AM
I am going to join in with the other voices that are feeling overwhelmed with everything there is to worry about. Yes, we try to eat well (although we do have junk food moments) and organic. We have Sigg bottles, etc. In the end I often wonder if we focus a lot of attention on the littler things that we can control and skip the big things because they feel so out of control. What concerns me far more than wipes is living within a mile of I-5 with some of the most polluted air in the region. As I ride my bike and my asthma acts up I am reminded that my children will spend much more of their lives exposed to the bad stuff in the air then they will to the chemicals in baby wipes.
Posted by: Sarah C | June 20, 2008 at 11:34 AM
Wipes are reusable. Just throw the in the wash.Really easy and cheap especially if you are already washing your own cloth diapers.Then when they are clean just grab a big handful,get them wet and throw them in an old wipe container or warmer.I am still on the same 80 count pack I had when my DD was bord 4 months ago.
Posted by: Heather in Beaverton | June 20, 2008 at 12:10 PM
I agree it is overwhelming! I came into being a mom (to my now 5 month old) as quite an idealistic and now I've realized that I can only "fight" so many battles since there is only so much time.
Posted by: Jessica | June 20, 2008 at 03:04 PM
I used tupperware-type containers and took my cloth wipes on the road.
Posted by: MamaShift | June 20, 2008 at 08:03 PM
I have to take a deep breathe and remind myself that enough is enough. I too obsess about lots of things, but with 2 kids, working and keeping up with trying to keep my 9 mo old from eating pet hair and bits of play dough, I simply cannot do everything. I think my kids will turn out ok using costco wipes, actually I am pretty confident they will.
Posted by: Megan | June 20, 2008 at 08:34 PM
Thanks urbanmamas,I appreciate you posting about this.
Posted by: H | June 21, 2008 at 12:41 AM
wipes are way too expensive for me to spend money on...at home i have scraps of old swaddling blankets (flannel) passed on from a friend that have been in use for 2 years at my house...a customer of mine brought over some paper towels in a sourcream carton soaked in home-made wipe solution and i tried it but it was too much work and after a few months in the car it grew spots...so now i just have a few sheets of paper towel in my purse and a little squeeze bottle of water, if the bottle goes missing there's always another water source nearby....
Posted by: capella | June 21, 2008 at 08:29 AM
it can feel pretty overwhelming when awakening to the truths (and filths!) of the world. do what you can do and keep moving. but feeling guilty? why?! make peace with your decisions and go with them, i say! if it keeps you sane, etc, then go with the disposable wipes - but turn your eye from the ingredients or the information that comes your way? that's just silly. if it worries you, change it.
we have always used cloth wipes at home and also outside until we travelled abroad and it was just easier to use the disposables. it wasnt until baby 2 that some of those got tossed in the wash... and just like other posters, they ARE soft! we reuse them too. what a great discovery! they are my 4.5 year old's favorite for wiping her face because of the softness. as for our cloth wipes, we cut up one of the extra birth sheets after my recovery. it is a jersey cotton and has been a great wipe!
thanks for posting this - always some hidden ingredients in there... and i WANT to know.
come to think of it, i think we've gotten too reliant on the disposable wipes. time to go back to the old ways! thanks um!
Posted by: sarah | June 21, 2008 at 02:42 PM
Amen Amy, Sarah C, K, et al! Seriously work 40+ hours a week and try to do the best that I can, where does it end! Some how I made it over 30!
Posted by: K | June 21, 2008 at 11:35 PM
K-Im glad you made it over 30. My 23 yr old sister is at OHSU dying of cancer right now.She has lived there for 1 year and 17 days. So any little tiny thing I can do to prevent this horror from repeating itself on my own children gets my attention.This is a battle that we all must pay attention to and fight so our kids wont have to worry about the crap we were to "busy" to change. If I sound bitter I am.
Posted by: H | June 23, 2008 at 12:09 AM
instead of weighing in i'm just going to tell a story. i've been worrying more and more about chemicals, and after someone (maybe my brother-in-law, well-intentioned for sure!) bought a particularly stinky box of scented wipes, i decided to go whole-hog and buy a package of seventh generation wipes at people's. they were easily three times the cost of a typical pack of generic brand wipes. and let me tell you, boy did i use those things carefully, there was none of the usual pull-a-bunch, stack-em-up and wipe-wipe-wipe stuff. no, i would wipe and fold to make sure i used every last inch.
the next wipe purchase was made by my husband, regular unscented generic wipes, and i went back to my wasteful ways. i think if i have another child after my youngest is out of diapers, i'll do cloth diapers and those expensive chemical-free wipes, but for the moment i'm bumping up against my limits.
Posted by: sarah gilbert | June 24, 2008 at 08:57 PM
I haven't read all of the comments, but I've been thinking long and hard about a lot of the recent comments from friends who are having babies (I'm due in the next few days with our first) because we're all talking about wanting to go as "organic" as we can with all our babies products (cloth diapers, cloth wipes with occasional disposables, etc.). I heard about not using sodium laureth sulfates in shampoo & lotion and now parabens. i decided to research the claims about why not to use these ingredients and have actually found that a lot of it is misinformation. Yes, we know only a little about the real possible effects and some studies are too small to really reach an adequate conclusion, but in looking at *scientific websites* rather than assessments of the research by websites like safemama (which i'm sure tries to be responsible), I've found that there is a lot of unsubstantiated hype. Even "organic"products (like certain essential oils added to shampoos, etc. can cause the same irritations as SLS on the sensitive skin or in the eyes). I try to err on the side of caution, but like some of the posters here, I realize that I can't worry about everything. And it takes a lot of time to do my own research on each individual ingredient. Relying on someone else to do the research is easy but inevitably fraught with bad information. Submitted respectfully. I will, however, continue to enjoy all of the suggestions I'm finding on this wonderful, wonderful website!
Posted by: Amanda Luell | July 17, 2008 at 08:17 AM
We use old cut up t-shirts and a spray bottle filled with water.
If you spray a couple of the t-shirts in your hand and squeeze, your hand warms the cloth enough so it's not too cold.
If it's just pee, we don't even wipe. (This advice came from a nurse at OHSU, where our son was born with a heart defect. The NICU nurse used water and 4x4 bandages.)
While I'm happy not to worry about the chemicals, I hate buying the same things over and over; I like the t-shirts because I don't have to buy wipes for the next two years.
We use cloth diapers, but my son has remained diaper rash free, except for a couple 1-2 day bouts with redness that went away pretty quickly.
Posted by: Melissa | November 08, 2008 at 07:43 PM
i know enough is enough but at the same time s it? I was buying the Safeway brand 'mom to mom' wipes and was reading the ingredients after having used them for a while and went on a research rampage.How many ten syllable ingredients do they need?! Its JUST a wipe right? Pretty much all of the makings were fine & dandy except for the last few. One of which had NO beneficial purpose at all, in fact its considered to be a form of hazardous waste, only found in polluted water and in skin products! Why add this??!
I called safeway and said I didnt feel comfortable putting this on my childs skin, they were kind and 'forwarded' this complaint to the factory. MY POINT- it never hurts to double check something, even if it seems harmless enough.
Posted by: jenaya | November 09, 2008 at 11:37 PM
i must say... you mama's sure got me thinkin. i appreciate your comments. as i have read thru them all, i am inspired to change my ways. i currently do the cloth diaper thing... and use 7th gen disposable wipes, and have known that something less consumptive is possible! i never knew you could wash the disposable wipes, and the tshirt idea, melissa is AWESOME!!! and thank you, i will keep the tea tree and lavendar for myself! ... rad. i know, there is soooooo much to think about being a mama. i say that since i have been mama-ing my 4 month old... i have had to make more decisions per second then ever before. i think for out and about times, i will carry a pack of throw-aways.... moderation. the earth needs our care, as do our babes.... thanks ladies....
Posted by: lynzeelynx* | November 18, 2008 at 12:02 AM
The beauty of this site and being indiviuals is that we can and will choose what is right for us. I thought cloth diapers would be a challenge, but I wanted to do it. After all, EVERYONE did, just a generation ago! I thought I could do it, and I have (THANK GOODESS my awesome husband is on-board and super helpful!) and recently my sis-in-law got me to buy a yard of terrycloth and she serged the edges...I got 60 wipes for $5...I gave 1/2 to a friend and still have plenty! That's it--for $5 I'm set on wipes and I just use water--anywhere you go you can get to water or I have my Kleen Kantine with me. Even if you buy infant "washcloths" at Fred's you'll save a TON of money and so much less waste is in the landfill. Time--how much time is it to have a stack of disposables vs. a stack of fabric on your changing table?
Every decision we make is only as hard as we make it. If you decide to go this route, then that's what you're going to do and it's your program and I support you and will support others any way I can....we CAN do it!!
Don't stress, just make a choice! :)
Posted by: Cyn | November 28, 2008 at 02:30 PM
Just had to put in my 2cents. Yes, it is totally overwhelming and yes, it never stops, but I feel like I have to do everything I can to keep toxic substances off of my two girls. I can't do everything, so I do what I can when I can. Wipes are easy. I find it way more difficult to get to the store and buy wipes when we run out then it is to use cloth wipes. We've been using the same ones we used on dd#1 3 years ago. And yes, those chemical wipes are only used for a few seconds, but what is left behind on those little tushies soaking into the skin? And I also always think about how when you make a purchase you are placing a vote; I won't vote for the ones with chemicals in them.
Posted by: cj | November 29, 2008 at 09:12 PM
Of all the things I have to worry about wipes are low on th list. Sometimes I wash them with the cloth diapers but mostly I don't. and I am the recycling resuing reducing queen. But really there is only so much you can do and the bit that its harming your kid.....
If I followed EVERYTHING I read that was harming us we'd live in a bubble and we'd be starving to death b/c most food has some issue reported, the water is bad, containers and the microwave is giving us cancer, lotions and beauty producs are slowly poisioning us..... I could go on and on. Give it a rest, Moms got enough on their plate to be stressing iver EVERYTHING.
Though if you have that kinda time I commend you adn PLEASE email me and tell me how you save time, two years and some change into this adventure Im still trying to perfect that one!
Posted by: AJ McCreary | December 08, 2008 at 12:28 PM
I make my own disposable wipes. It's super easy, plus they smell great!
Buying disposable wipes is easy too, but really making them is so fast that after you do it once I don't know why you would go back. It's just nicer.
My recipe is about the same as milagros. I add a couple drops of geranium and ylang ylang essential oil and VOILA aromatherapy.
Posted by: Helen | January 08, 2009 at 11:28 PM
If you hold your baby's butt in running water and use baby soap its less irritating for the skin than the wipes.
Posted by: Pete Mate | June 28, 2009 at 02:19 AM