Product Code Database
A wet wipe, also known as a wet towel, wet one, moist towelette, disposable wipe, disinfecting wipe, or a baby wipe (in specific circumstances) is a small to medium-sized moistened piece of plastic or cloth that either comes folded and individually wrapped for convenience or, in the case of dispensers, as a large roll with individual wipes that can be torn off. Wet wipes are used for cleaning purposes like personal hygiene and household cleaning; each is a separate product depending on the chemicals added and medical or office cleaning wipes are not intended for skin hygiene.
In 2013, owing to increasing sales of the product in affluent countries, Consumer Reports reported that efforts to make the wipes "flushable" down the Flush toilet had not entirely succeeded, according to their test.
The material is moistened with water or other liquids (e.g., isopropyl alcohol) depending on the applications. The material may be treated with softeners, lotions, or perfume to adjust the tactile and olfactory properties. Preservatives such as methylisothiazolinone are used to prevent bacterial or fungal growth in the package. The finished wet wipes are folded and put in pocket size package or a box dispenser.
The first wet-wipe products specifically marketed as baby wipes, such as Kimberly-Clark's Huggies wipes and Procter & Gamble's Pampers wipes, appeared on the market in 1990. As the technology to produce wipes matured and became more affordable, smaller brands began to appear. By the 1990s, most super stores like Kmart and Wal-Mart had their own private label brand of wipes made by other manufacturers. After this period there was a boom in the industry and many local brands started manufacturing because of low .
In December 2018, a New Zealand company launched the country's first ever wet and baby wipe alternative, the BDÉT Foam Wash.
Wet wipes began to be marketed as a luxury alternative to toilet paper by 2005 by companies such as Kimberly-Clark and Procter & Gamble. They are dispensed in the toilets of restaurants, service stations, doctors' offices, and other places with public use.
Wet wipes have also found a use among visitors to outdoor music festivals, particularly those who camp, as an alternative to communal showers.
There are different type of cleansing pads offered by the beauty industry: make-up removing pads, anti-spot treatments and anti-acne pads that usually contain salicylic acid, vitamins, menthol and other treatments.
Cleansing pads for preventing infection are usually saturated with alcohol and bundled in sterile packages. Hands and instruments may be disinfected with these pads while treating wounds. Disinfecting cleansing pads are often included in first aid kits for this purpose. Since the outbreak of H1N1 sales of individual impregnated wet wipes and gels in sachets and flowpacks have dramatically increased in the UK following the Government's advice to keep hands and surfaces clean to prevent the spread of germs.
Since the mid-2000s, wet wipes such as baby wipes have become more common for use as an alternative to toilet paper in affluent countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. This usage has in some cases been encouraged by manufacturers, who have labelled some wet wipe brands as "flushable". Wet wipes, when flushed down the toilet, have been reported to clog internal plumbing, and public sewer systems.Shaver, Katherine (7 September 2013). 'Flushable' personal wipes clogging sewer systems, utilities say, The Washington PostStradling, Richard (31 May 2009). Flushable' wipes blamed for clogging sewage lines", Seattle TimesRegan, Alex (4 March 2015). "Wet wipes caused sewage flood in garden", Oxford Mail The tendency for fat and wet wipes to cling together allegedly encourages the growth of the problematic obstructions in sewers known as "fatbergs". In addition, some brands of wipes contain alcohol, which can kill bacteria and denature responsible for breaking down solid waste in septic tanks.Conte, Chris (12 Sep 2013). "Flushable Wipes Creating Messy Septic Issues", Newschannel5.com In the late 2010s, other alternatives such as gel wipe had also come on to the market.Saat, Siim (25 June 2016). "New Product Development: GEL WIPE by SATU". LinkedIn.
In 2014, a class action suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio against Target Corporation, and Nice-Pak Products Inc. on behalf of consumers in Ohio who purchased Target-brand flushable wipes. The lawsuit alleged the retailer misled consumers by marking the packaging on its Up & Up brand wipes as flushable and safe for sewer and septic systems. The lawsuit also alleged that the products were a public health hazard because they clogged pumps at municipal waste-treatment facilities. Target and Nice-Pak agreed to settle the case in 2018.
In 2015, the city of Wyoming, Minnesota, launched a class action suit against six companies, including Procter & Gamble, Kimberly-Clark, and Nice-Pak, alleging they were fraudulently promoting their products as "flushable". The city dropped the lawsuit in 2018 after concluding that the city had not experienced damage to its sewer systems or a rise in maintenance costs. Upon announcement of the withdrawal of the suit, an industry trade group representing the manufacturers of the wipes released a statement that disputed the claims that the products are harmful to sewer systems.
In 2019, the industry body Water UK announced a new standard for flushable wet wipes. Wipes will need to pass rigorous testing in order to gain a new and approved "Fine to Flush" logo. As of January 2019, only one product had been confirmed to meet the standard, although there were about seven others in the process of being tested.
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