How to Choose the Best Baby Wipes

How to Choose the Best Baby Wipes

As any new (or experienced) mom will tell you, there are tons of different types and brands of wipes for your baby. You can find products that have different types of scents, no scent at all, extra thick, and even those that are all-natural. And that is just a very cursory look, since there are many more varieties offered. With all of the choices that are available, how can you decide which is best for your baby? Here are some tips and things to consider that should help make this decision easier.

Think About Thickness:

When choosing proper baby wipes, you really want to start thinking about its thickness, according to the About.com. While many of the generic products will be more economical, they are also usually a lot thinner than brand names. This can be OK, provided that they are still thick enough to do the job. Make sure that it is hefty and durable enough in order to effectively clean your baby. If not, you may end up having to use twice as many, which ends up eliminating its seemingly economical advantage.

Along a very similar note, the texture of your chosen wipe is also important. This might seem like a big deal at first, but you may end up discovering that wipes also have a variety of different textures and this influences how effective they are. In some cases, a strange or slippery texture can make it difficult to actually clean your baby.

Read the Ingredient List:

It is also important to understand that these wipes are going to be used on your infant. Therefore, make very sure that you know and understand the ingredients included in the wipes. Watch out for harsh chemicals and other additives. Or better yet go for wipes manufactured by reputed companies such as The Honest Company which make extensive use of ingredients like purified water, citric acid and all-natural preservatives and cleansers in the baby wipes that they manufacture. If you can find wipes that not include all-natural ingredients, but that can be compostable as well, that is another huge plus since it will help out the environment.

Wipes and Diaper Rash:

Some babies tend to have more of a problem with diaper rash than others. This can also influence which types of wipes should be chosen, according to the Stir. This means that even if you take into account all of the other factors, your baby may end up limiting the choice to one or two that seem to work more effectively than others. Pay attention to how they seem to make your child feel as well, and be willing to do some trial and error. It is also possible that their skin’s sensitivity will change after a time, so you might even be able to circle back to some of the wipes that were previously tired after a few months.

Wipes and the Environment:

Some people might want to consider what effect their baby wipes might have on the environment after they have been used, according to Wise Geek. Most of the time, they will simply end up in landfills because they cannot be flushed without clogging up the plumbing. It also requires a long time for the wipes to decompose in many cases. Therefore, if this is a concern to you, then by all means look for something that can be flushed or are more environmentally friendly. Some types of wipes can even be compostable, which is quite nice for you if there are environmental concerns. It is also possible to find reusable wipes that are made from small pieces of very soft, absorbent cloth. They are ultimately able to be tossed in with cloth diapers, washed thoroughly, and the used again.

Choose Between Scented and Unscented:

You should also determine whether or not your baby and their skin can handle fragrance on their diaper area. Some babies have super sensitive skin and they simply cannot handle any kind of fragrance at all. For such children, obviously, unscented wipes will the best (really the only) choice. Other babies will not have any problem and you can choose whatever type of fragrance seems best to you.

Buying in Bulk:

It is certainly not recommended that you consider buying your wipes in bulk until it has been determined exactly which ones the baby prefers. Obviously, it would be a disaster to buy one thousand or more wipes that end up giving your child a bad rash. Many new parents make this mistake, buying wipes in bulk before the little one arrives, thinking they are prepared! Start off with a single, smaller package. Possibly even consider getting several packages of different types in order to see which works best. Only afterward should you think about then buying in bulk, although this is a great way to save money.

Bottom Line:

Buying wipes for your baby is a more involved decision that it might appear at first. You really need to think about what will work best for the baby and then ensure that your choices do not lead to anything like diaper rash or another skin condition. This can certainly involve some trial and error, but there a number of excellent brands that have everything you might want including being environmentally friendly.