Baby wipes - the great debate!

whiskeyman

Well, it is a great debate is our house anyway!
With our little man nearly reaching 1yr, my wife still insists on only buying Waterwipes as she believes they are softer, and have no chemicals.
Fair enough during the first month or two, but surely all the other types are fine?
The cost of waterwipes adds up quick, despite trying to get them in bulk.
What does everyone else use?
Other 'sensitive' branded ones, or Aldi / Lidl / Tesco etc... own brand?
I reckon we're probably just using them because he's our first.... god help the second, as we probably won't care as much!

leonffrench

I find Lidl and Aldi wipes too harsh and the same goes for Huggies brand. Supervalu own brand are good for the price at 89c a pack but I think for 99c in Tesco you can't go wrong with Johnson's sensitive. Never tried water wipes admittedly cos they are just too expensive.

brokensoul

We use the aldi ones on our two and have never had a problem.

snoopy84

How about reusable wipes then, or maybe cotton pads and water. I found waterwipes too wet so would have to dry him before putting nappy back on.

comongethappy

I used cotton and water for first two weeks, then water wipes. Tried Tesco wipes which worked with my son at 5 months when she was 1.5 months, but she was a bit red, so left it until 3 months to try again. No reaction at 3 months so have been using Tesco sensitive since.

I remember finding simple brand wipes good for my son too. Huggies and Johnson's he had reactions to.

KERSPLAT!

Huggies are crap in my opinion. Tesco, supervalu, aldi, lidl all fine for my fella. Used cotton for a few weeks at first and then water wipes for about 2-3 months. Anything went after that really and none caused any issues. Except huggies.

Sleeper12

Water wipes till out of nappies imo

leonffrench

KERSPLAT! wrote:

Huggies are crap in my opinion. Tesco, supervalu, aldi, lidl all fine for my fella. Used cotton for a few weeks at first and then water wipes for about 2-3 months. Anything went after that really and none caused any issues. Except huggies.

Huggies would take the paint off a car

s4uv3

Waterwipes for pooey nappies here, cotton wool and water for just wees.
The water wipes are expensive, but one does the work of 2/3 other brand ones and I only buy when they're on offer so I think we're doing ok...

maxsmum

Aldi sensitive just as good as water wipes and far cheaper

mirrorwall14

We use anything and everything since about 2 weeks old. Except on his face. Water wipes in the Childminder’s and face clothes at home as he gets a very slight rash from regular use of baby wipes

shesty

Waterwipes the first couple months then Supervalu own brand sensitive or fragrance free.I know where she's coming from but they aren't really still necessary.We don't do Johnsom's as found they made skin red on our first,even at almost a year.

Anne_cordelia

shesty wrote: »

.I know where she's coming from but they aren't really still necessary.

That depends on the child. Mine are very sensitive and even at 2 reacted to other brands.

cant26

Used water wipes for the hospital and the first few weeks on both of my babies. Use Aldi sensitive from a few weeks onwards. Never use on face or hands though, cotton pads and water or muslin cloths as both would get irritated if used a wipe.

rainbow kirby

Used cotton balls for around the first 6 weeks and then Huggies or Asda own-brand wipes afterwards. My son doesn't have particularly sensitive skin by baby standards though.

Eire Go Brach

Cotton wool - water wipes - Huggies or Aldi.

Huggies are the best. Love the material compared to Aldi. Good price to. Aldi nappies are the best nappies past newborn. But that’s another thread 😜

Don’t see the posting in using water wipes after 2 months. Too expensive.

appledrop

Our little guy is 18mths + still using water wipes. Worth it as he has never had bad nappy rash. Now we do buy a pack of whatever sensitive wipes are on offer for least hands etc but water wipes definitely best for nappy changes.

smaoifs

Used Water Wipes in the hospital and at home until the pack ran out. Used Aldi and had no reaction. Used Huggies cos they came in a hamper we got. Not impressed with them, seemed like toilet tissue with fibres coming away on her.
Been using SuperValu Fragrance Free wipes since she was 2 months old and haven't had any problems with them. Good value in the 4 pack of wipes.

waterfaerie

Cloth wipes are missing from the poll.

Soft, no chemicals and very, very cheap. You don't need to be using cloth nappies to try them. You can buy nice ones or make your own by cutting up old t-shirts etc. Use with a spray bottle of water and throw them in the wash.

endacl

Wire brush and dettol also missing from the poll. A week of wire brush and dettol and anything with the word ‘wipe’ in the title will be more than acceptable!

:pac:

Toots

Eire Go Brach wrote: »

Cotton wool - water wipes - Huggies or Aldi.

Huggies are the best. Love the material compared to Aldi. Good price to. Aldi nappies are the best nappies past newborn. But that’s another thread 😜

Don’t see the posting in using water wipes after 2 months. Too expensive.

We used the huggies too, they seemed softest. At least out of all the many many we tried they were the only ones that didn't irritate our son's skin.

waterfaerie

endacl wrote: »

Wire brush and dettol also missing from the poll. A week of wire brush and dettol and anything with the word ‘wipe’ in the title will be more than acceptable!

:pac:

Lol - but seriously, many people do use cloth wipes and they're a million times easier than you'd think if you haven't tried them.

shane b

We found the tesco wipes the best. Much softer than the huggies we were using. Tesco do a perfumed and non perfumed version i think.

jlm29

I’m using water wipes, but I’ve stocked up when they’re on special, so I don’t think they’re any dearer. They were €1.67 a pack, and I think a pack lasts twice as long as any other brand I tried, so no extra expense. He’s my third baby, and I’ve used most other brands at some point.
I’m going to switch to cheeky wipes though, I’m just working through my stash a bit. I regret the big stash, and I also regret not investing in cheeky wipes on my last baby!

pwurple

Cloth wipes here too. Landfill nightmares with the others. Never likes the smell of any of the wipes either tbh.

Waterwipes are the biggest swizz. As if fruit is required on a babies arse. I cannot understand the price of them. The producers must be rolling around on a bed of money at this stage. Just why? Fruit extract... Wtf is that even? Orange juice? Kiwi? Pineapple?

Bananas more like.

KERSPLAT!

pwurple wrote: »

Cloth wipes here too. Landfill nightmares with the others. Never likes the smell of any of the wipes either tbh.

Waterwipes are the biggest swizz. As if fruit is required on a babies arse. I cannot understand the price of them. The producers must be rolling around on a bed of money at this stage. Just why? Fruit extract... Wtf is that even? Orange juice? Kiwi? Pineapple?

Bananas more like.

I doubt it's the fruit extract that has psrents buying them, I didnt even know they had it. It's hos delicate they are compared to others.

leonffrench

Aren't water wipes made in Drogheda. Vaguely remember seeing a factory with the sign on it on the way to Funtasia

chocfan

Water wipes only for our LG who's now 2 and almost potty trained but still using wipes for after eating etc

Not necessarily because of the additive-free etc (although that's nice)-she never has rashes or sensitive skin or anything like that. We tried all of the other brands as well because the water wipes are definitely dearer (even though I try to stock up when on offer when possible) but found that none of them cleaned the dirty nappies as well and also thought all of them (even the "fragrance free") had a chemical, unpleasant smell

Each to their own though-like everything in parenting there's no right or wrong, just what works for each baby and each family

Tails142

I didnt like water wipes, use johnson's extra sensitive, i think the balm/chemicals on them help with the skin, can get them for 1 euro a pack of 56 wipes in tesco on special regularly.

Found huggies were a bit rough, feel soft but dragged on his skin.

s4uv3

Oh lordy.
What have our Saturday nights become?!

pwurple

KERSPLAT! wrote: »

I doubt it's the fruit extract that has psrents buying them, I didnt even know they had it. It's hos delicate they are compared to others.

Ah marketing. You have to love it.

theteal

Aldi sensitive all the way.

As a clueless dad I was unaware of the existence of cloth wipes. Will investigate

maxsmum

waterfaerie wrote: »

Cloth wipes are missing from the poll.

Soft, no chemicals and very, very cheap. You don't need to be using cloth nappies to try them. You can buy nice ones or make your own by cutting up old t-shirts etc. Use with a spray bottle of water and throw them in the wash.

I'd need about 40 old t-shirts and a daily wash to have enough in my house.
Also when you're out and about baby wipes are essential for us.

I did love water wipes and found them the wettest of all but really don't see much difference in Aldi sensitive.

KERSPLAT!

pwurple wrote: »

Ah marketing. You have to love it.

Recommendation from a nurse. You have to love it.

Roesy

Face cloths for faces and hands, Boots fragrance free wipes for bums. We buy them by the box! We have 3 kids under 4 and use a lot of wipes which I’m starting to feel guilty about in terms of landfill. Two of mine are nappies still, would I need a lot of cloth wipes? Our washing machine is already overworked so I’m assuming I’d be running a separate wash for these. I used cloth nappies for a while but trailed off a bit when baby no. 3 arrived last winter. Was having trouble keeping up with the drying.

waterfaerie

Roesy wrote: »

Two of mine are nappies still, would I need a lot of cloth wipes? Are washing machine is already overworked so I’m assuming I’d be running a separate wash for these.

I have 40 for one baby. They don't take up much space in the wash.

Tom Mann Centuria

KERSPLAT! wrote: »

Recommendation from a nurse. You have to love it.

Marketing works on Nurses too.

KERSPLAT!

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

Marketing works on Nurses too.

Absolutely but I'll take their word over an unknown poster on the internet. They worked fine for my boy and that's what matters. Would other wipes have done the same job? Possibly.

We all use what we feel best for our kids. For some it's cotton and water for others it's water wipes.

shesty

Random points....the waterwipes pack drives me crazy.When trying to change a rolling, wriggling 14 month old, you are trying to get wipes out one handed and end up getting a pile of them at once.Total waste.And they never re-seal properly.

I understand some babies have sensitive skin but I still think by almost a year there is nothing wrong with trying out some different wipes, especially if there are no signs of sensitivity to date.

They are the wettest and the biggest but still.Supervalu own brand fragrance free suit us well, pack is designed better and the wipes are a good size.I've found most other wipes to be quite small and very chemical smelling unless you specifically go sensitive and even then they are hit n miss.

Clothes or muslins with water for hand wiping, definitely.Wouldn't waste wipes on that.

Now if you'll excuse me I have to go catch my 19 mth old and wrestle with her (try to change her......)

fits

We just use water wipes for pooey bums. Cloths for everything else. Ikea do a great pack of cloths which work brilliant. They’d be good for pooey bums too. I’m just not organised for storing and washing them.

pwurple

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

Marketing works on Nurses too.

Exactly. Plus, while a lot of nurses are exceptionally professional, some other nurses have recommended some weird schtuff to me over the years. Homeopathic mumbojumbo like arnica. Choking hazards like bead necklaces on babies. Reiki, aromatherapy, ‘adjusting’ the skull of a baby.

But aside from all that, a nurses recommendation of a baby wipe brand is purely personal opinion. There is no medical basis for any choice in that matter. How could it be anything other than personal opinion?

Plus, sweet baby jebus, we are talking about wiping up urine and faeces here. Whatever works. Literally. Almost anything will do the job. A handful of grass or a bunch of leaves if you are stuck.

If the packaging, smell, size, moistness, marketing speil, or whatever else makes a difference to you has fit your criteria, then taadaa, you found your wipe.

KERSPLAT!

pwurple wrote: »

Exactly. Plus, while a lot of nurses are exceptionally professional, some other nurses have recommended some weird schtuff to me over the years. Homeopathic mumbojumbo like arnica. Choking hazards like bead necklaces on babies. Reiki, aromatherapy, ‘adjusting’ the skull of a baby.

But aside from all that, a nurses recommendation of a baby wipe brand is purely personal opinion. There is no medical basis for any choice in that matter. How could it be anything other than personal opinion?

Plus, sweet baby jebus, we are talking about wiping up urine and faeces here. Whatever works. Literally. Almost anything will do the job. A handful of grass or a bunch of leaves if you are stuck.

If the packaging, smell, size, moistness, marketing speil, or whatever else makes a difference to you has fit your criteria, then taadaa, you found your wipe.

Taadaa, water wipes.

CelticRambler

whiskeyman wrote: »

Waterwipes as she believes they are softer, and have no chemicals.

Well, seeing as the "wipe" part is 20% viscose/80% polyester, they're just as petro-chemical as any of the others.

And if your wife was mine, I'd be having constant arguments with her as to why we were paying for "99.9% water" in a plastic packet when we could get it for free from the tap!

(Fortunately, my own wife was as sceptical as me when it came to companies trying to rip-off new baby owners with outrageous claims :pac: )

Day Lewin

And for the love of Earth, if you must use one-use throwaway plastic-mesh squares at every nappy change, DO NOT PUT THEM DOWN THE TOILET.
Although manufacturers (ie, sellers) often describe them as "flushable" they are not water-soluble: they get stuck in huge clumps that block sewage systems and may eventually end up in the sea.

Nowadays everyone has a washing machine: a piece of cotton fabric or towelling does the job nicely.

DavyD_83

Johnsons sensitive, bought in bulk from Amazon for first 6 months (and then until they run out), and then Aldi Mamia Sensitive wipes.
We stock up on a few boxes of wipes from Aldi everytime the baby event is on.

Bacchus

We used WaterWipes for the first 9/10 months and in the last 2 months have been trying alternative, cheaper brands.... Huggies, Lidl, Aldi, and Johnson. None of them come close to the quality of WaterWipes... I'm quite surprised how hard it seems to be to produce such a simple product. The Aldi Mamia ones are probably the best of the bunch and are grand for change bag or a quick hand clean. Huggies are the worst, they feel so artificial and have a stronger smell. We're back on the WaterWipes now.

Should also say that we're using wet facecloths more now for post meal face/hands clean up.

CheerLouth

I'm a WaterWipe snob, I'll admit! Have tried others, can't stand the smell of most of them, they give me a migraine! Plus WaterWipes are made in Drogheda so I like to think I'm contributing to local jobs and the local economy!

CheerLouth

Bacchus wrote: »

Should also say that we're using wet facecloths more now for post meal face/hands clean up.

We are the same, always use facecloths for hands and faces!

whiskeyman

wow, thanks for all the feedback guys!
I think I'll avoid huggies so based on some of the comments here!
We do use cotton wool and water a lot when in the home in fairness. Perhaps we should think about switching to cloth.
The wipes are still ideal for the buggy / baby bag.
Since we're on Lidl nappies at the moment, I'll give their branded ones a go.

Kathy22

We use water wipes only on face and then a mix of waterwipes and Aldi sensitive new baby wipes when changing nappy. Used water wipes only for the first 3 months.