Many of us may have heard of reusable baby wipes but not thought too much about them, but do you know the positive impact they can bring to our planet? In fact, disposable baby wipes contain a high amount of plastic, and with this material it can actually harm your little ones skin without you realising the problem.
Disposable baby wipes do not dispose in landfill, so they remain on the earth and impact the world we live in, whereas reusable baby wipes are the complete opposite.
Reusable baby wipes are much different to the disposable kind in terms of the usage and washing, but in the long run you will notice the advantages they bring, such as the decrease in environmental impact and how your little ones skin may improve if you find they have been having problems caused by the disposable kind.
But the main question you may be thinking is, how do reusable baby wipes work?
The Process
Materials:
In terms of the material, you most commonly see reusable baby wipes created with Terry cloth, cotton or bamboo velour, as these materials help to soothe the skin and work well for sensitive skin.
With organic cotton, you will find that it can cost a little more but it is better for the planet and during the cotton growing process it uses less pesticides and water, plus you need to remember that these wipes can be used over and over, so they are a smart investment.
With bamboo wipes, they require even less pesticide and water, but do require a more water and chemical intensive process, but either way, these wipes contribute to saving the plant, whereas disposable wipes don’t.
Use:
Reusable baby wipes work more or less the same as the disposable kind, as you use them to clear up your mucky little one!
With prepping your cloth baby wipes, you will find there are a range of different essential oils available that help to further soften your baby wipes and offer a soothing cleanse for your baby’s skin.
Commonly, you would fill your container to around 3-5cm high and pop a couple of drops of oil in and leave to soak in the container, but you can also use them with just water too.
Then, with your mucky wipes, you will use your other container, you can either fill this with water, or add essential oils in there too to help keep them fresher before you wash them. In terms of washing, you should wash them at around 30 – 60 degrees with your next load of washing. Also, with extra mucky wipes, you just need to simply dispose of anything (down your loo is fine!) and if needed, use some cold water to try and remove the main muck, then place them into your container.
Drying:
You can tumble dry your cloth baby wipes, but for extra eco brownie points, you can easily dry them outside on beautiful Summer days or place them on an airer indoors. The advantage of reusable baby wipes, is that because they are small, it means they take only a matter of hours (or even less!) to dry.
All in all, reusable baby wipes are an essential choice for parents if you are looking to potentially save the plant, or if you want to protect the skin of your little one, but cloth wipes don’t stop there! Cloth baby wipes can be used for the whole family, as they help to soothe the skin, so you can use them to cleanse your face, without having to use any form of disposable wipes.
You can also find wide ranges of reusable make up pads too, that can help further save the planet from disposable wipes.
Cloth wipes are perfect for clearing away muck, and can also be used to help soothe your baby’s skin and provide a cleanse to their skin, especially if their skin is extra sensitive.
Why not take the leap of faith to reusable cloth wipes? Together we can contribute to saving our wonderful planet.
