Whether you cloth diaper or use disposable diapers for your baby, you can choose non toxic, eco friendly wipes to clean your baby. Your baby will go through approximately 2,000 diapers per year on average. That’s a lot of messes to clean and at the very least 2,000 wipes you’ll need to use for diaper changes!
Baby wipes are an essential item for parents of little ones. Unfortunately, traditional baby wipes are not biodegradable or compostable. These wipes can take nearly 100 years to completely decompose. Not only are these wipes wasteful but many brands use chemicals to keep the wipes moist. These harmful chemicals can irritate baby’s delicate skin.
The good news is you can opt for eco friendly baby wipes to keep your baby clean while also being mindful of the environment. Choosing eco friendly baby products is a simple way you can reduce your environmental impact as a parent.
Why You Should Choose Eco Friendly Baby Wipes
- Environmentally Friendly: Eco friendly baby wipes are typically made from sustainable, reusable, and/or biodegradable materials. This means that they have a lower impact on the environment than traditional baby wipes.
- Better for Baby’s Skin: Many traditional baby wipes contain harsh chemicals, fragrances, and preservatives that can irritate your baby’s delicate skin. Eco-friendly baby wipes are often made from natural fibers with gentle ingredients, making them less likely to cause skin irritation.
- Economical: While some eco friendly baby wipe brands may be more expensive than traditional wipes, choosing reusable baby wipes can save you money in the long run. There’s a larger upfront cost with reusable cloths but you only have to buy them once. You can use these over and over again for diaper changes and even use them for multiple babies!
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Get 10% off your first zero waste order and all the latest Tiny Yellow Bungalow news!Reusable Baby Wipes
The most eco friendly choice when it comes to baby wipes is using reusable baby wipes. This is an especially practical choice if you are also choosing to cloth diaper your baby. You can simply throw the reusable wipes into the wash with your cloth diapers loads. Zero waste going to the landfill!
Organic Bamboo Jersey Cloths
These organic bamboo jersey cloths are buttery soft – the perfect choice for your baby’s sensitive skin. These bamboo baby wipes come in a set of six. These cloth baby wipes are the perfect alternative to disposable wet wipes. They’re endlessly reusable. While there is an upfront cost for these cloths, you will save money in the long run since you can simply throw these in the washing machine and use over and over again. Because they’re made of completely natural and organic materials, you can compost these at the end of their life.
While these cloths are marketed as face wipes, you could use them for just about anything from wiping baby bums to cleaning up small spills.
We also, of course, love their plastic-free packaging!
This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
Organic Cotton Flannel Baby Wipes
Organic cotton flannel is another one of my favorite fabrics. It’s so soft. Again, just what you’d want to use for your sweet baby! These washable baby wipes are cost effective and come in a pack of 12 wipes. They’re made with 100% GOTS certified organic cotton. You could use these as wash cloths for in the tub as well.
DIY Baby Wipes with Upcycled Materials
Another easy solution for eco friendly baby wipes is to use materials you already have! You could cut up some old, soft flannel sheets into small squares to use as wipes. I know some eco enthusiasts do this to make reusable toilet paper (aka “mama cloth”) as well. It’ll save you some money this way! If you don’t have any old flannel material, consider reaching out to your local Buy Nothing Group to see if a neighbor might have some to share.
DIY Baby Wipe Solution
While you can absolutely just use water with cloth wipes to clean your baby, some parents like to make a homemade baby wipe solution to use with their reusable wipes. Here are a few baby wipe recipes you might want to check out:
- The Duvall Homestead Baby Wipe Solution
- Cloth Diapering for Beginners Baby Wipe Solution
- Natural Baby Mama Baby Wipe Solution
Compostable & Biodegradable Baby Wipes
While reusable cloth wipes are a really logical choice for parents who use cloth diapers, if you prefer disposable diapers, using compostable/biodegradable baby wipes might be the best option for you and your baby. This option will be more expensive than reusable wipes and probably pricier than conventional single use wipes as well.
When choosing a biodegradable wipes brand, be mindful of greenwashing. Many disposable wipes brands are labelled as “natural” but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are sustainably made in any way or that they are biodegradable.
This might be an unpopular opinion but even if a brand offers biodegradable baby wipes, don’t flush these down the toilet. Throw them away in the trash or compost them at home. Flushable wipe can wreak havoc on sewer systems. It’s best to keep these wipes out of the toilet.
Eco By Naty Compostable Wipes
These hypoallergenic baby wipes are made from 100% natural, ultra thin fibers that are soft, compostable, and plant based. These biodegradable wipes are unscented and free of irritants and allergens.
Because of their plant-based fibers and pure water content, these eco-friendly baby wipes decompose in just 12 weeks. You can even compost them at home! This is a great eco alternative as conventional wipes take a long time to break down in the landfill.
Tree Free Bamboo Baby Wipes
Caboo makes tree free bamboo baby wipes. They are made from viscose derived from sustainably grown bamboo. Bamboo grows significantly faster than traditional tree based products, giving you a renewable alternatives to traditional wipes. Bamboo grows back in as little as 3-4 months vs. trees that can take up to 30 year to grow back.
These are Made Safe Certified with natural ingredients that are safe for baby’s sensitive skin. They’re free from alcohol, chlorine, parabens, pthalates, and formaldehyde.
This brand is proudly “Panda Friendly” by sourcing bamboo which is not a food source for pandas.
100% Biodegradable Plant-Based Wipes
These compostable wipes are packaged in 100% recyclable packaging. Their plant based formula contains 99% water with a subtle infusion of aloe vera and chamomile to help soothe irritated and inflamed skin. Kinder by Nature wipes are hypoallergenic and made in the UK. They will fully biodegrade in just 60 days.
The Honest Company Clean Conscious Wipes
While our list contains mostly plastic-free alternatives from small businesses, I wanted to be sure to include a more well known brand as well. This is a great example of a big box store brand listening to consumers! The Honest Company recently improved their baby wipes and now offer compostable wipes. The plant-based wipes disintegrate in just 8 weeks. These wipes are 99% water, hypoallergenic, and fragrance free.
Conclusion
In conclusion, eco friendly baby wipes offer an excellent alternative to traditional wipes that can be harmful to the environment and wasteful. These wipes are made from sustainable materials and are free from harsh chemicals. By using eco friendly baby wipes, parents can help reduce their carbon footprint and protect their baby’s delicate skin. Making small sustainable changes like switching to eco friendly baby wipes can have a significant impact on the environment if we all work together for change!
