Baby wipes are usually used for cleaning purposes, especially for the baby’s hygiene. But do baby wipes sanitize effectively? Are baby wipes safe for our babies? These are some of the questions that mothers ask since their top concern involves their babies’ health.
Do Baby Wipes Sanitize?
Baby wipes are mostly used to clean the babies’ bums after every bowel movement or when their parents change their diapers. Since most baby wipes are hypo-allergenic and water-based, it is usually safe for babies’ use. However, since babies’ skin are sensitive, especially the newborns, baby wipes are not advisable for babies below one-month-old. Most popular baby wipes contain ingredients that can trigger allergic reactions for some babies with sensitive skin. However, it is probably fine to use them; most doctors suggest playing it safe and wait until the baby turns at least one month old.
Baby wipes are of great help to cleanse our babies’ skin, but they are not made to fight germs. To answer the question, “So baby wipes sanitize?” the answer would be no. While most baby wipes contain alcohol, its alcohol content is less than the required percentage to sanitize. Baby wipes do not kill a remarkable number of germs because they are meant to be gentle on baby’s skin. The best method to keep you and your baby germ-free when changing your baby is to wash your hands with soap and your child’s hands after changing their diaper.
What Do Baby Wipes Contain?
The question, “Do baby wipes sanitize?” has now been answered. You can turn baby wipes into a hand sanitizing wipes. While washing your hand with soap and water is the best way to keep your hands germ-free, hand sanitizer is a better substitute. Besides, a baby wipes package is easy to bring anywhere we go.
There are various ways to sanitize your baby wipes. The following are two different ways on how to make your baby wipes into disinfecting wipes.
Using Alcohol to Sanitize Your Baby Wipes
- 48 baby wipes or halved paper towels
- 1 ½ cups 70% rubbing alcohol or 140+ proof vodka
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 3 drops lavender essential oil
- 3 drops lemon essential oil
Mix all the liquids and put them inside the container with baby wipes. Make sure that the formula covers all the baby wipes. After doing this, you may use the baby wipes to sanitize anything, including your hands.
Using Clorox to Make Disinfectant Wipes
- Empty disinfectant wipes container or plastic zip-lock bag
- 2 tablespoons bleach
- 2 cups of water
- Baby wipes
To prepare, mix the two tablespoons bleach with 2 cups of water using empty disinfectant wipes or plastic zip-lock bag, then pour inside the container with baby wipes. The given samples are easy to prepare, and the materials used are readily available. Just make sure that you use gloves whenever you make disinfectant wipes using a Clorox.
Uses of Baby Wipes
Baby wipes are versatile; here are some great uses for baby wipes:
- Diaper changes
- Wiping kids face
- Makeup remover
- Washing hands
- Cleaning pacifiers
- Washing dog paws
- Tables at restaurants
- Craft clean up
- Getting syrup out of baby hair
- Stain remover
- Little cuts and scratches
- Cooling off
- Feminine care
- Impromptu dashboard cleaning
- On-the-go oil diffuser
- Dusting your plants
- On your Swiffer
- Taming static hair
- Blowing snotty noses
- Keeping herbs fresh
- Shoe shines
While baby wipes are useful to our daily activities, we must also be careful when choosing the baby wipes. There are baby wipes that contain harmful ingredients, which should be avoided.
Toxic Ingredients to Avoid in Baby Wipes
The following are the harmful ingredients that some manufacturers use in making baby wipes.
- Formaldehyde-releasing chemicals
- Fragrance (Perfume or Parfum)
- Parabens
- Triclosan
- Propylene glycol
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)/Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
- Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)
- Methylisothiazolinone (MIT)
We should make sure that the baby wipes we use are free from the above list of harmful chemicals. We should always check the label before we buy some baby wipes. Know more about baby wipes.
Conclusion
Do baby wipes sanitize? Baby wipes help in keeping the baby’s sensitive skin clean and healthy but not a hundred percent. To ensure that we keep our hands and other things sanitized, we have to turn regular baby wipes into disinfecting or sanitizing baby wipes. Hopefully, you can keep you and your baby clean and happy with the guide above.