Can't people manage without baby wipes?

shalhevet

Thu, Jun 25 2009, 3:07 am

There were a couple of threads yesterday about people in financial difficulties - one amother said she doesn't have enough money for wipes (among other things), and on another someone suggested donating wipes to someone with financial problems.

Since when are baby wipes a necessity for people without enough money for food? Doesn't anyone just wash off their baby under the tap anymore? Much healthier than all those chemicals, anyway. And what about those who don't use wipes on Shabbos?

I saved money by only using wipes when I went out. The rest of the time - baby soap and water.

RachelEve14

Thu, Jun 25 2009, 3:42 am

baby wipes are very handy, but what I use (not for Shabbos) are the really cheap washclothes (my mom brings them from the states). No chemicals, no preparing, and just throw right in the washing machine. Plus they are good for hands, faces, high chairs, etc.

The disposable baby wipes I do use are thrown in the washing machine with the diapers. They make great dusters Smile

lili

Thu, Jun 25 2009, 3:59 am

wipes are really not that expensive. you dont have to buy the expensive brand (like huggies here in IL....) shefa, yesh have their own brand and they're ok. I have 2 kids in diapers and use maybe 4 packets a months (they come 6 for nis30 and I dont buy the cheapest).

if I would have room in my bathroom for a changingmat I would use cotton wool and water but I cant always run back and forth from the kids room to the bathroom to get water.

Tamiri

Thu, Jun 25 2009, 4:06 am

First, I am not sure that amother without wipes has tap water. There was a thread about water being turned off. Second, young mothers don't realize that in the olden days, there were no wipes. Someone has to explain about taking little tushies to the sink and washing them off with warm water and soap. Bigger tushies can stand in the tub and have the same thing done, after getting rid of most of the mess with toilet paper. I did that even in the days of wipes, because I don't think wipes are so good for little new tushies.

mimivan

Thu, Jun 25 2009, 4:10 am

Kind of OT, but a little fact that has haunted me
I read an interview with one of the men who was guarding Saddam Hussein yimach shmo in prison...and they asked if he had one request and he said he wanted baby wipes!

not to say that those of us who consider baby wipes a necessity (I do) have anything in common with dead (thank G-d) Iraqi dictator...but weird fact.

I know I could wash tushies off in the sink, but for those of us not used to it, it is a bit awkward involves extra cleaning, especially to get the smell out..

I like baby wipes and they are relatively cheap and convenient (and I hate the idea that I have to agree with Saddam Hussein about something, but them's the breaks)

If chas v'shalom I did not have money for food, food would definitely come before baby wipes..but as long as I can feed everyone b'h why not?

Mrs.K

Thu, Jun 25 2009, 4:11 am

wif wrote:

I am a mitapelet with 11 babies. I would be lost without my baby wipes. I get the cheapest brand, and chalk it up as a business expense. Smile

Every Metapelet I've used over the years has required each child to come with their own package of wipes, just like they come with their own diapers.

ora_43

Thu, Jun 25 2009, 4:31 am

mimivan, I know a few guys who like to have baby wipes in army/reserves -- it's a great way to get off grime + sweat when you can't shower. Especially in hot climates.

lili, I'm surprised you go through so few wipes. I have two in diapers, and we go through wipes at least twice that quickly. (we do use them for other things as well -- I'll sometimes grab 4-5 to clean the toilet, or 2 for the sink, or for that matter the baby will get her hands on a package and there go 20 wipes).

shalhevet, I think most people, or at least most Americans, consider wipes pretty basic. It's just so much easier, and they aren't that expensive. I agree that they aren't strictly speaking necessary, at least not for those with running water, but I don't think there's anything strange about donating wipes (for example). IMO they fall into that category of things that you can technically speaking survive without, but that it's still a mitzva to provide for someone who can't afford it if you can (at least in societies where it's standard).

Anyway, since amother can't afford wipes, she probably does know how to get by without them. It's a good reminder for the rest of us though (cutting back on wipes is one of those things I keep meaning to do).

wif

Thu, Jun 25 2009, 4:52 am

Mrs.K wrote:

wif wrote:

I am a mitapelet with 11 babies. I would be lost without my baby wipes. I get the cheapest brand, and chalk it up as a business expense. Smile

Every Metapelet I've used over the years has required each child to come with their own package of wipes, just like they come with their own diapers.

Yes, and they do. But they also make messes together and I don't know exactly whose wipes to use in such a situation. To avoid stealing, for lack of a better word, I always have my own handy.

ABC

Thu, Jun 25 2009, 4:53 am

baby wipes can go through a washing machine? never thought of that!

cleaning surfaces with baby wipes - doesn't that just shmear the dirt around with baby lotion? how is that hygienic?

if you use washcloths instead of wipes - do you launder them after each use (if so, surely you have tons more laundry)? if not, what do you do with them and where do you keep them in between uses? I like the idea of using washcloths but I don't know where to keep them in between uses, and then you'd also have to have a milky and a meaty one for mealtimes and then don't they get that musty smell sitting there or do you have some kind of interesting made-to-measure contraption that stores them nicely???

RachelEve14

Thu, Jun 25 2009, 5:04 am

For babies I watch, I use the wipes their parents send.

Truth be told, I usually use wipes for Avraham Tzvi's bottom now, but I put them through the washing machine with the diapers. When they come out of the washing machine they are good for (dry) dusting.

Washcloths I keep either damp in a closed wipe box, or just wet with water bottle as needed. I use them for wiping hands, wiping off the high chair, wiping spills off the floor. I usually just throw them directly into the washing machine, or hang them over the basket near the washing machine so they go in the next load. I like being able to wash the whole face off without taking the babies in the bathroom, etc. But I don't like using wipes over their faces or hands too much. So use the washcloth (predamped), throw in machine (or on floor next to machine). With 6 people ka'h it never waits too long for a wash LOL.

As for milk & meat issues, my rav holds when it comes out of the washing machine it's parve again, so no worries there.

Marion

Thu, Jun 25 2009, 5:30 am

I just use handtowels (retired dishtowels) for post-meal clean ups. And why do you think there's baby lotion in wipes???? Maybe in the fancy expensive ones, but not in the "how cheap can we make them?" brands.

sarahd

Thu, Jun 25 2009, 5:40 am

I use maybe two packages of wipes a month, if that. I must be doing something wrong. My wipes cost under $1.50 per package, about 80 wipes per package. I spend more on just about everything else we use in the course of a month. I think that the water I would be using to wash my children's bottoms would cost me more (including the cost of hot water and soap to wash all those washcloths) than $3/month. In fact, now that I think of it, maybe I should start using wipes to clean my kids off after meals, instead of washing their hands and faces at the sink.

YALT

Thu, Jun 25 2009, 6:55 am

I see a few ppl have alerady written what's been going thru my head since I opened this thread.
Depending on dif. things, can go thru anywhere between 2-5 packages a month. I pay about $12 for 9 pkgs.
Disadvantages of not using wipes:
cost - wipes vs. water, soap, running washing machine (including water,electricity,) cost of washcloths
time - it takes less than a minute to change her with wipes. to not use wipes, would mean to bedroom for diaper, go to bathroom, wash tush, dry tush, go to kitchen to throw washcloth in machine, go to put on diaper - I always thought I had a small apartment. But I guess if you learn how to make the most of it, you can feel like you live in a mansion.
space - where do I store so many washcloths?

Seraph

Thu, Jun 25 2009, 7:11 am

shalhevet wrote:

Baby soap and water is hard- washing a struggling kid under a sink is quite difficult, especially in the winter when you have to get them totally undressed from all their layers for their "mini bath" because if you leave any clothes on, its likely to get wet.
I used cloth wipes. A drop on an initial investment, but then used a spray bottle with water, baby soap, and baby oil, then washed them in the wash with my cloth diapers. Even when I was feeling lazy about using the cloth diapers, the cloth wipes were just so much easier than regular wipes- one generally was enough for even the messiest dirty diaper...