Reusable wipes

Do you still use wet wipes in your house? Use make-up removal wipes? Disposable cleaning wipes?

The BBC war on plastic program from June 2019 stated 90% of the wipes on the market contain plastic and that of those were made of 84% plastic.

This meant every time a wet wipe is thrown away it is disposing of a single use plastic. The UK was the second largest user of disposable wipes with 11 billion per year.

It also took 100 years for a wet wipe to decompose!

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There have been big changes in wet wipes since 2019 though. An example being Boots ensuring all their wipes are now plastic free. Although they may not contain plastic they are still a source of waste that could be eliminated by using reusable wipes.

Instead of disposable wipes reusable ones are far better for the environment. These could be cleaning cloths, kitchen roll, face wipes or even going so far as toilet roll.

Cheeky Wipes make a re-usable and sustainable alternative. You can choose different fabrics such as cotton and bamboo and they are perfect for using on tiny bums or faces. They currently have buy one get one half price and also 10% off for signing up to their mailing list Reusable Baby Wipes | Cloth Baby Wipes | Cheeky Wipes.

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There are lots of handmade alternatives such as sellers on etsy or in Macclesfield we have the lovely z in the attic. Reusable wipes — Z in the Attic

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Why not have a go at making your own? You could just use a bamboo towelling fabric cut into squares or if you fancied going smarter you could hem it or add fabric to one side. How about using old fabrics such as towels or shirts cut up for cleaning cloths rather than disposable wipes?

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For wet wipes how about cloths sitting in an old ice-cream tub with a mix of baby soap and water. Different solution recipes are easily searched for online which could include castile soap or coconut oil – or just use water.

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Could you make a change to reusable wipes?