Having the right amount of supplies is a big part of being a mother, whether it’s diapers, baby wipes, or whatever else you need.
Today we’ll be focusing on baby wipes: how many will you need? How many will you use? How many should you buy at a time? The answer depends on a few different factors that you’ll need to consider.
5 Factors Affecting The Number of Wipes Used
1. Your Child’s Age
In the first month, babies will soil their diapers much more often than they will later on. For this age group, you should probably expect to change their diaper around ten times a day, give or take a few.
After that, you can expect maybe eight changes or so. If you’re using a few wipes per diaper, this will give you a decent idea of how many you’ll use in a day, in a month, and even a year.
2. Your Child’s Diaper Usage
How many times your little one soils their diaper varies a bit – every baby is different. However, things like age and diet should be taken into consideration when you’re keeping an eye on how many wipes and diapers you’re using.
Depending on how fast your child goes through their diapers, you may find yourself with too many wipes or not enough.
3. Whether Your Child Eats Solid Food
Diaper changes become a totally different experience once your little ones start eating solid food. Their bowel movements become… Well, let’s just say they’re more like a grown up’s.
Though they’ll probably have fewer bowel movements in a day at this point, you may find yourself using more wipes to get rid of the mess. It doesn’t sound fun to clean up, but at this point, they’ll likely be potty trained in no time. You’ll get through it!
4. Whether You Use the Wipes For Other Things
Some people use baby wipes for other things besides cleaning bottoms. Does this sound like you? Here’s a quick list of things you may find yourself using baby wipes for:
- Wiping your baby’s face and body
- Cleaning the table and baby’s chair after eating
- Wiping off toilets
- Cleaning stains off of clothes
- Removing makeup
- Sanitizing often-used public areas (such as bathrooms)
These are just a few examples. If you find yourself doing things like this very often, it will probably affect your wipe usage. Not that it’s a bad thing – baby wipes are very versatile.
5. Whether Your Baby Has Sensitive Skin
If your baby has sensitive skin, it may mean that you’ll use fewer wipes. For a baby with sensitive skin, too many wipes can sometimes cause diaper rash, so keep an eye out for any red spots.
If you find that your baby is having this kind of reaction to wipes, it may help to use a soft cloth with warm water to clean with instead, at least until their skin calms down. You can also look for wipes that are marked safe for sensitive skin.
Huggies wipes have variations that are hypoallergenic and alcohol-free. As always, talk to your pediatrician if you feel that there’s a reason for concern. Your motherly instincts are more powerful than you think.
Okay, those are some of the main factors to consider, but what’s the average use?
You probably want to see some numbers at this point. Do keep in mind that the amount you use may vary, but having a baseline may help you save some money in the long run. Here are some rough averages to help you get started.
Wipes Per Week
For a newborn, you can probably expect to use about one 80 pack a week, give or take. After the first month, you’ll likely end up using less.
If you’ve got a newborn, buy those wipes in bulk! If you can find any deals or coupons, grab them!
Wipes Per Month
For a month-old baby, some say that they use over 300 wipes per month. I know that sounds like a lot, but that’s about three 80 packs.
Once they’ve passed the month mark, this can go down to about 250 per month. Again, this will vary based on a lot of different factors; this is just a loose estimate.
Wipes Per Year
So, how many will you and your baby use in their first year? If we add it all up, a rough estimate would be more than 1000 wipes total. Yes, that’s a lot – more than 12 packs of 80 wipes. Being a mother comes with a lot of different costs, and this is just one of them.
Now that you know how many you’re going to need, maybe you’re wondering which specific kind you should get, or how to know which ones to buy.
Your baby has different types of needs, so that means that you may need to purchase various kinds of wipes. Here are some tips to keep in mind for the next time you go to the store.
7 Tips for Selecting the Right Type of Wipe
1. Be Careful With Scented Wipes
If your baby has sensitive skin, scented wipes are more likely to give them an adverse skin reaction. If this sounds like your little one, you’ll want to look for something without a scent listed on the package. It can help with the awful smell, but it won’t be worth the discomfort it’ll cause your baby.
2. Buy in Bulk Once You Know Which Wipe Works for Your Baby
In most stores, the more wipes you buy, the more money you save. However, if you buy one of those super jumbo packs and your baby ends up having an adverse reaction to them, what will you do with the rest?
That’s just a waste of money. If you’re just starting with wipes, buy the smaller packages first to see what works, then start buying in bulk once you find the right one. You can even sign up for a subscription service to have them delivered to your house if you want to!
3. Look at the Ingredient List
Somewhere on the package of wipes, you should see a list of ingredients. For newborns and babies with sensitive skin, you may want to steer clear of wipes with alcohol in them. If you see the words ‘natural ingredients’ on the package, that’s a good sign. Depending on what your baby reacts to, it’s usually good to keep an eye out for what’s in their wipes.
Here’s a shortlist of things to avoid:
- Polysorbate 20
- Parabens
- Formaldehyde
- Sodium benzoate
- Essential oils (they can be great, but not for a baby’s skin)
4. Think About User-Friendliness
If you and your baby are on the go a lot, it’ll be challenging to carry around a giant container of baby wipes.
You also don’t want to wrestle with anything hard to open when your little one seriously needs to be changed! Think about which kinds of containers would be right for you.
5. Grossed Out Easily? Try Thick Wipes
Are you one of those parents that doesn’t like getting their hands messy? Thick wipes are great for keeping anything from soaking through, so they might be a good choice for the more squeamish mom. You won’t have to wear gloves!
6. Compare and Contrast – See Which Brands Offer the Best Deals
Being a mom can be expensive sometimes, so you should look for bargains wherever you can get them. Pay attention to the number of wipes per package and the price per package.
Calculate the cost of each wipe per box by dividing the full price by the number of wipes in the package. This calculation can give you an idea of what kind of deal you’re getting.
However, it’s also good to consider whether the quality is actually worth the amount of money you’re spending.
7. Consider Whether You Want Disposable or Reusable Wipes
Are you the eco-friendly type of mom? Does the thought of throwing away all of those disposable wipes make you cringe? You might want to consider reusable wipes. Here are a few facts about each type.
Disposable wipes:
- Are convenient and quick
- Can be used for more than just diaper changes
- Don’t need to be cleaned – you can just throw them out
- Can be bad for babies with sensitive skin
- Can be bad for the environment
Reusable cloth wipes:
- Are better for the environment
- Are great for babies with sensitive skin
- Cost much less in the long run
- Aren’t as convenient – you have to wash them in the washing machine
- May not be as sanitary depending on how they’re washed
Quick Answer
You can expect to use an average of three to four 80-pack wipes per month for most newborns. After that first month or so, this number will begin to decline a bit. It’s important to remember that you’ll likely use baby wipes for more than just diaper changes!
You probably didn’t think buying baby wipes would be such a big deal, but there’s a lot to consider. Not only is it important to think about what you put on your baby’s skin, but it’s also crucial to consider money and value.
Now that you know more about the subject, you should be able to get more for your dollar, which is always a great thing when you’re a mom. Now go out there and spend wisely!
