A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO REUSABLE BABY WIPES
DID YOU KNOW...? Baby wipes contain plastic. And not just a little bit. A LOT of plastic. In fact most are around 80% + plastic (not including the packaging).
Lots of us are (thankfully) cottoning on to the message not to flush wipes down the loo after seeing horrific pictures of fatbergs blocking sewers up and down the country, but how many of us have every really stopped and thought about what are wipes are made from? And I guess if we have stopped and thought about it, in an idle moment(!), we would assume that they were made from paper.
But no. They're plastic and as such they don't break down in landfill, and when they do start to decompose they break 'up' into smaller and smaller fragments causing problems with micro plastics entering our food chains.
So it's a bit of a shocker isn't it? And for the parents among us who probably rely pretty heavily on baby wipes for nappy changes, mucky hands and faces, wiping down highchairs, cleaning sick and snot off our own clothes before racing out of the door, it's a bit of a blow. And another layer of guilt to add to the hundreds of other Things to Feel Guilty About that seems to descend as soon as you give birth to a small person.
The alternative is of course, reusable wipes, but I totally get that when you're a parent of young kids you have a never-ending, ever growing to-do list, a laundry mountain that your kids could quite easily become lost in for days, and sometimes you feel like you're just clinging on by your fingernails. Adding switching to reusable wipes to the list feels like it could very easily be the proverbial straw that broke mummy the camel's back.
But what if I were to promise you that it really wasn't hard?
That once you'd made the adjustment you wouldn't be able to believe you hadn't done it sooner?
That you will get to feel super virtuous and smug when you pull out your reusables at toddler group, or when you're hanging them out on the line?
And maybe most importable of all, that it would be one less thing to feel guilty about?
Sound pretty good right?
So let's get you on your way with this beginner's guide to re-usable baby wipes.
What's the easiest way to get started/make the switch?
A quick Google
Ecosia search There are lots and lots of companies and small (sometimes mum-run) businesses out there making reusable wipes, but the one that I think is most well known and that in my opinion makes it the easiest it can be is Cheeky Wipes.
At Cheeky Wipes you can buy complete kits that come with clean and mucky tubs, mesh bags for washing the dirty wipes in, and essential oils to keep it all smelling nice and fresh. They also do bags to pop in our nappy bag to use when you're out and about. If you're looking for the quickest, easiest way to get started, this would be it.
What's the cheapest way to get started/make the switch?
The absolute cheapest way is to cut up some old t-shirts or similar into rectangles or squares and use these. If you've got old towels or flannels kicking around unused then do the same with these (although these may fray at the edges so if you can be bothered to/have the skills to hem them, then this would be a good step).
Next best would be to source some old towels from charity shops, or to ask friends/family if they have any they're clearing out.
Next best again would be to buy a big pack of flannels from somewhere like IKEA.
To store the clean and dirty wipes, you simply need two tupperware pots with lids, and label then 'clean' and 'dirty'.
What type of fabric is best?
If you're buying new wipes, the bad news it hat there is no one 'perfectly sustainable' fabric.
Avoid fleece, microfibre and 'minky' - all of these fabrics are synthetic and made from plastic, and will shed tiny little microfibres of plastic into the waterways when washed. Which kind of diminishes the benefits of using reusables.
Cotton is a very thirsty plant and needs a lot of pesticides to grow. Organic cotton is more expensive but is better for the planet as it uses less water and pesticides to grow it - remember you're making an investment here and these wipes will last you years, so although the initial outlay might seem expensive, it's really not once you work out how much you spend on disposable wipes (we are just less likely to notice this expense as they just get chucked in the trolley as part of our weekly shop).
Bamboo needs way less water and pesticides to grow compared with cotton but most of it uses some pretty chemical and water intensive process to turn it into soft fabric.
Sadly it sometimes feels like it's not easy to do the right thing, but whatever you choose, cotton or bamboo, will be better than a single use plastic wipes.
How do I make them 'wet' wipes?
You can just run them under the tap and give them a squeeze and this is what I do with flannels after tea.
For nappy changes, half fill a tupperware tub with water and a few drops of essential oil (I use lavender) and then pop your wipes in there. When our youngest was teeny I read all kinds of recipes for cammomile tea, and almond oil, and all kinds of stuff, but keep it simple would be my top tip! Then when you need to use them, take one out, give it a squeeze and away you go.
How do I store them when they're dirty?
If you're using reusable nappies, then your mucky wipes simply go into your dirty nappy bin.
If you're not, then have a 'mucky' tub set up nearby to pop the dirty wipes in. As I said above, Cheeky Wipes make it super easy and sell labelled mucky tubs with hooks for a mesh bag. You pop the mesh bag into the empty mucky tub, add a few drops of essential oil, and then fill to the line marked on the tub. You can buy these as standalone pieces of kit and for ease, I would say they are well worth the investment.
Using teatree as your essential oil is recommended as it has anti-bacterial properties.
If you're up for using what you've already got, then just an empty lidded tupperware tub will do the job, and if you can get hold of a small mesh bag that will mean you don't actually have to get down and dirty with the mucky wipes manhandling them into your washing machine. Failing that, a (reusable) rubber glove will be your friend.
For wipes for mucky faces and hands etc, I just chuck them in the machine, knowing that the volume of washing in our house will mean that they will be washed within 24hours.
What about when we're out and about?
You may decide that to start with you want to just use resusable wipes for nappy changes when you're at home. AND THAT'S OK.
If you're looking for a better disposable wet wipe, then Natracare do a paper based wipe that will break down in your compost heap (and in landfill) (you can hear my interview with the Natracare founder all about them in this podcast episode here).
If you want to go all in, you can get dirty nappy bags from most cloth nappy websites. Cheeky Wipes do one that has a 'clean' and a 'dirty' side, and one that has a zip off mesh bag you can chuck straight into the washing machine.
If you're just using them for mucky hands and faces, simply pop some damp wipes in a ziplock bag (that you will obviously keep and reuse 😉 ) and you can always take another bag to put the dirty ones in.
How do I wash them?
If you're using reusable nappies then you'll already be well used to washing them and simply chuck your wipes in with your regular nappy load.
Otherwise when your mucky tub gets full, take it to your washing machine and if you've got a drawstring bag as part of your system, simply chuck the whole thing in (leaving the top open), trying in vain not to spill any water on the floor (or that might just be me).
I wash wipes as part of our normal load in with other clothes at 30C. If you're recoiling in horror at the thought of this, look me in the eye and tell me you've never chucked a poo-ey babygro in the wash with the other clothes! You may find that you occasionally want to do a hot wash, in which case I wait until I'm doing towels or bedding and chuck them in with those.
Do I/can I tumbledry?
Obviously you can, but for full on eco-marks let them air-dry either outside on the line, or inside on an airer - they really don't take long. If you've run out of clean wipes and haven't had time for them to dry, grab a couple off the line/airer and use them damp.
To recap, you need:
- 20-40 wipes depending on how many kids you have and how often you wash them - homemade or bought - avoid synthetic fibres (this also applies if you're making ones yourself from towels etc - check the labels to see what they're made from)
- 2 tupperware tubs - one for clean wipes, one for mucky
- Essential oil(s) - I use lavender for clean and tea tree for mucky
- Optional extras - a mesh bag for the dirty wipes; a bag for taking/using your wipes when you're out and about
Any questions?
I've tried to make this as comprehensive and use friendly as possible, but I'm bound to have missed something out so please do ask away!
