Wet wipes and washcloths

Whether you ask a midwife for advice or look it up on relevant websites: for baby care, washcloths and water are always recommended instead of wet wipes for single use. This way the baby's thin and sensitive skin barrier is not damaged while the skin is cleaned thoroughly and gently. This is very practical: you don't need much, you only do good for your child, and you don't even make any waste with it.

And yet almost all families use disposable wet wipes for their baby (96.3% do, according to a Statista survey); despite the preservatives, care substances and fragrances contained in many brands, and despite disposing of them after one use. Do you know how many wet wipes add up for one child? If we estimate that a child is diaper-changed about 6,000 times, and we need an average of three wipes per change, then that's a whopping 18,000 wet wipes! This does not include the countless other situations for which they are used, simply because they are there: to wipe hands and mouth, to clean surfaces, to pick up something dirty, and so on and so forth.

It makes sense to use washable wet wipes with our cloth diapers. But even if you don't use cloth diapers, we encourage you to switch to the healthier and more sustainable option.

 Cloth wet wipes replace about 18,000 disposable wet wipes. They are better for the skin and far more sustainable. They can be used both at home and on the go. Our wetbags are ideal for this purpose. The advantages of our washable wet wipes:

• particularly gentle on the skin, without chemical additives
• clean thoroughly
• can be washed easily and hygienically
• versatile, even after your child has grown out of diapers
• made of different materials

Did you know that disposable wet wipes are a huge problem for the sewage system? In Dresden alone, 7 tons of waste are fished out of the sewage system every day. The wipes alone cause additional costs of 100,000 € per year because they clog the pump systems. 

Flannel or terry cloth, that is the question. Our wet wipes are made of a very soft, single-layer flannel, which is particularly gentle on the skin. The soft, thin cotton clings wonderfully to the skin, is easy to rinse or wash and dries quickly. The wet wipes are available in many great designs to make diapering that little bit more fun.

Our terry washcloths are available in several variations. The fabric for our organic cotton terry washcloths is manufactured exclusively for WindelManufaktur under very strict conditions, with sustainable and social standards. In addition, we also have washcloths made of other fabrics, such as cotton velour or bamboo viscose, which are in no way inferior in quality to the organic cotton terry washcloths.

Our square wet wipes and washcloths have a practical size with a side length of about 18-19 cm and are therefore slightly larger than common washcloths for babies. On the other hand, they are not too big and can be easily grasped with one hand. One piece is usually sufficient for cleaning.

We recommend the following assortment:

• 15-30 wet wipes or washcloths
• 1-2 medium-sized wetbags for storing used wet wipes
• 1 mini-sized wetbags for storing up to ten prepared wet wipes at home or on the go

Practical for on the go: ten wet wipes fit neatly into one Wetbag mini. So you always have enough wipes at hand.

At the baby changing table - with fresh water from the tap, a bottle or a bowl

Midwives recommend that you simply moisten the washcloth or wet wipe with water. Ideally, you should do this under running water just before use. If you don't have direct access to the sink at the changing table, it's best to have a fresh bottle/thermos flask or bowl of water ready to clean every day.

Occasionally, the addition of mild oil is recommended to make cleaning easier. However, you don't really need this with our products because they can clean the diaper area perfectly without any additives.

Stocked up for at home and on the go - soaked in water and stored in the mini-sized wetbag

Alternatively, you can prepare a small supply for the day and store a set of wipes in a well-sealing, clean tin or wetbag. For this, the water should be boiling hot when soaking so that no germs form during the day. However, make sure that the cloth has cooled down to hand-warm before use. You can use up this supply both at home and on the go.

We recommend that you change the wipes every day and avoid adding any care products.

Please make sure that the wipes are not soaking wet. This would cause the moisture to squeeze through the seams of the wetbag, for example, if you stow it tightly in a bag with other things. Squeeze the wipes out well before stowing them and place the wetbag on top of the bag.

We do not recommend using plastic bags as they are difficult to clean and need to be disposed of regularly. Cans and boxes can be thoroughly cleaned and wetbags can even be washed at 60 °C in the washing machine. Therefore, these alternatives are clearly preferable to plastic bags.

Most of the time, you have a bottle of water with you when you are out and about with children. In this case, you don't even need to prepare the wet wipes before you leave the house. You just pack them dry in your wet bag and wet them only when you need them.

Without a wet wipe under running water in the sink or shower

If you've had a diaper meltdown and need a hundred washcloths, you can easily clean your baby's bottom in the sink under the tap or in the shower with the shower head. To do this, simply undress your baby around the bottom and rinse with plenty of warm water. Most children love this procedure with the warm water! You don't necessarily need a washcloth for this, but it's great to use for dabbing afterwards.

Storing used wet wipes in the wetbag

Simply place the used wipes in a wetbag or pail liner until the next wash. Normally, you can store the used wet wipes as they are and do not need to pre-wash them - pre-washing is only recommended for extremely dirty wipes with a lot of solids.

The best thing to do is to always put the wipes in their own medium-sized wetbag. It will hold enough cloths for several days.

When travelling, you may want to keep a second medium-sized wetbag at hand or simply use the mini-sized wetbag after use in which you previously stored the clean wipes.

Why are wetbags ideal for storing wet wipes? We have summarised this for you on our page about wetbags.

Wetbags are easy to wash over and over again and are indestructible.

Washing wet wipes hygienically

• at 60 °C with full detergent powder in the standard or cottons program
• spin at a speed of less than 1,000 rpm
• a laundry net is recommended
• use only little bile soap
• do not use fabric softener
• air dry or tumble dry on gentle setting
• do not iron

If you want to know more about washing our products, please read our detailed washing instructions.

Of course, the use of wet wipes and washcloths is not limited to cleaning when changing diapers. You can use them in many different ways, for face and body care, as toilet cloths, in the household or as handkerchiefs. It definitely doesn't hurt to buy a few more, as they will be used far beyond diaper-changing time.