Are cloth wipes worth it? Cost comparison & popular brands
Cloth wipes are much better at cleaning and keeping your hand out of poo than disposable wipes, and on top of the massive reduction in waste, you will also be saving a minimum of about $50.00 by using cloth wipes.
If you want to know more about the environmental impact of using cloth diapers and wipes versus disposables check out my article ” Are cloth diapers actually better for the environment?”
How much are cloth wipes?
On average a baby will go through about 9 disposable wipes per day starting the day they are born, and ending the day they potty-train.
So, if your baby potty-trains at 3 years old, they will have used 9,855 disposable wipes!
| Brand | $ per wipe | $ per pack | # In pack |
| Parent’s choice | $0.01 | $13.68 | 800 |
| Pampers | $0.02 | $16.94 | 800 |
| Honest company | $0.08 | $63.97 | 720 |
There are many different brands of cloth wipes, since most cloth diaper brands also make their own cloth wipes.
Cloth wipes also come in many different sizes and materials.
The vast majority of cloth wipes are made of cotton or organic cotton, so in the chart below if it is marked otherwise, they are made of cotton.
| Name | $ per wipe | $ per pack | # In pack |
| Grovia wipes | $1.16 | $13.95 | 12 |
| Thirsties wipes | $2.25 | $13.50 | 6 |
| Bumgenius wipes | $1.24 | $14.95 | 12 |
| Cloth-eez birdseye organic | $0.99 | $11.95 | 12 |
| Cloth-eez birdseye white | $0.91 $$* | $10.95 | 12 |
| Cloth-eez 2 sided wipes | $1.08 | $12.99 | 12 |
| Cloth-eez 2 sided UB* wipes | $1.04 | $12.50 | 12 |
| Cloth-eez Mini wipes | $0.91 | $10.95 | 12 |
| Cloth-eez muslin wipes | $1.07 | $12.95 | 12 |
| Cloth-eez CV* washcloth | $0.99 | $11.95 | 12 |
| Babee Greens deluxe wipes | $3.32 | $19.95 | 6 |
| Geffen birdseye wipes | $0.93 | $11.26 | 12 |
| Geffen high quality cotton | $1.71 | $17.16 | 10 |
| Geffen H/C * jersey wipes | $1.71 | $17.16 | 10 |
| Geffen H/C FT* wipes | $1.82 | $18.28 | 10 |
| Geffen H/C* fleece wipes | $1.89 | $18.95 | 10 |
| Charlie banana wipes | $1.49 | $14.99 | 10 |
| Esembly wipe ups | $1.16 | $14.00 | 12 |
You can also make your own cloth wipes from receiving blankets, or you just use baby wash cloths which are usually very affordable and easy to find.
So, now that we know how much each wipe costs let’s do some math shall we?
Most people get about 2 cloth wipes per cloth diaper, so if you have a stash of 24 cloth diapers, you’re probably gonna want around 48 cloth wipes.
Cheapest cloth wipes vs cheapest disposable wipes
48 Cloth-eez birdseye white cloth wipes at $0.91 each =$43.68
9,855 Parent’s choice disposable wipes at $0.01 each =$98.55
Making the cloth wipes cheaper by $55.00.
Average price cloth wipes vs average cost disposables
48 Cloth-eez unbleached 2-sided wipes at $1.04 each = $49.92
9,855 Pampers wipes at $0.02 each = $197.10
Making cloth wipes cheaper by $147.18
Most expensive cloth wipes vs most expensive disposables
48 Babee greens cloth wipes at $3.32 each = $159.36
9,855 Honest company wipes at $0.08 each = $788.40
Making cloth cheaper by $629.04
Cloth wipe vs disposable cost verdict
From these numbers, cloth wipes are cheaper unless you are buying and entire stash of literally the most expensive cloth wipes I have ever seen.
The cheapest disposables were $98.55
The cheapest cloth wipes were $43.68
And the average cost cloth wipes were $49.92
You only see a problem when you get to the most expensive cloth wipes which were $159.36 for 48, making them $60.81 more expensive than the cheapest disposables.
So, unless you are buying super spiffy cloth wipes, you are definitely going to save money.
If you would like a breakdown of the cost of cloth diapers check out my article ” How much are cloth diapers? Some numbers you should know”
Which cloth wipes are the best?
Grovia cloth wipes
Grovia wipes are 8″x 8″ terry cloth material (similar to bath towel material) that is 88% polyester/ 12% cotton, Fairly and conscientiously made in China, sold in packs of 12.
Thirsties organic cotton wipes
Thirsties cloth wipes are 8″x 8.5″ and are made of 2 layers of 100% certified organic cotton and are made in the USA.
Thirsties cloth wipes also have gender neutral stitching around the edges of the cloth wipes, each 6 pack includes, 2 blue, 2 orange and 2 green.
Bumgenius Flannel cloth wipes
Bumgenius cloth wipes are made of 100% cotton, they are roughly 6.5″x 5.5″ and are made in India.
Cloth-eez cloth wipes
Cloth-eez birdseye wipes are made of 2 layers of either 100% regular cotton and are white in color, or they are made of 100% organic cotton and are more tan.
The only other difference is that the white birdseye wipes are $0.8 cheaper per wipe.
They are 7″x 7.5″ after shrinkage, come in packs of 12 and are, made in Pakistan.
Cloth-eez Two-sided wipes (white) are made with 100% cotton, they are 5″x 8″ before washing, come in packs of 12 and are made in Pakistan.
These wipes are thicker than most wipes because they have “woven terry” on one side (think bath towel) which helps the wipe grab yucky stuff better.
Cloth-eez Two-sided wipes Unbleached are made of 100% cotton, they are 5″x 8″ before washing, come in packs of 12 and are made in Pakistan.
While it may seem that the “white” and “unbleached” two-sided wipes are the same other than color and a slight difference in price (unbleached being $0.4 cheaper per wipe) I feel that they are very different.
While the white two-sided wipes are made with “woven terry” on one side, the unbleached wipes are made with a much thinner “knit terry” on one side.
While both wipes do an excellent job, I personally prefer the unbleached two-sided wipes, to me they are softer and are easier to maneuver since they are thinner.
Cloth-eez Mini wipes are made of 100% cotton, they are 5.75″x 5.75″ after shrinkage, come in packs of 12 and are made in Pakistan.
These wipes are made using “zero twist terry”, this terry has looped ends making these wipes very soft, yet very capable.
Cloth-eez Organic Muslin wipes are made of a single layer of 100% organic cotton, they are 9.5″x 10.5″ after shrinkage, come in packs of 12 and are made in Pakistan.
These wipes are made of the same material as the Cloth-eez Muslin flats and are very large so you can do more cleaning per wipe.
However, for me they are a little too big, once they are folded in half, they are a little easier to work with, but even then, I feel they are still a little cumbersome.
Cloth-eez Square Cotton Velour wipes are made of 100% cotton, they are 7″x 7″ before washing, come in packs of 12 and are made in Pakistan.
These wipes are made with a cotton terry, one side of which is “veloured” this means that it has been brushed to make it softer and fluffier.
Babee Greens deluxe cloth wipes
The Babee Greens deluxe wipes are made of 100% organic cotton that is grown and milled in the USA! they are 5″x 8″, come in packs of 6 and are made in the USA.
While I have not personally tried them, their reviews are very good, having a 4.5 out of 5 star rating on Green mountain diapers website.
Geffen baby cloth wipes
Geffen birdseye cotton wipes are 9″x 9″ and made from 100% organic cotton, (only Geffen wipes that come in a 12 pack).
Geffen high quality cotton wipes are 9″x 9″ before washing, are made of 100% cotton with 1 textured side, comes in a pack of 10, and are made in the USA.
Geffen Hemp/Organic cotton French Terry wipes are 60% hemp/ 40% organic cotton, with 1 slightly textured side.
9″x 9″ before washing, comes in a 10 pack, and is made in the USA.
Geffen Hemp/ Organic cotton Jersey wipes are 60% hemp/ 40% organic cotton, are 9″x 9″ before washing, come in a 10 pack, and are made in the USA.
Geffen Hemp/Organic cotton Fleece wipes are 60% hemp/ 40% organic cotton, 9″x 9″ before washing, come in a 10 pack and are made in the USA. (Made from the same fabric as Geffen Super Absorbers)
Charlie Banana reusable organic cotton wipes
Charlie banana cloth wipes are 9″x 9″, they are 100% organically grown cotton and are made in China.
According to the Charlie banana website, they come with Charlie banana’s ‘Signature’ softness, which comes from using premium organic cotton yarn.
Esembly cloth wipes
Esembly wipes are made from certified organic cotton, are 9″x 9″ and are responsibly made in Pakistan.
How do you store cloth wipes?
You can store cloth wipes pretty much whichever way you want to.
You can store them wet, in a wipe warmer, or in another type of container.
You can just stack them on the changing table with a spray bottle of either water or wipe solution nearby.
Or you can stack them someplace near where you change your baby and just take a wipe or 2 and wet them at the closest sink before each diaper change.
You could also store them in a wetbag that you keep near the changing area.
Cloth wipe solution
When I first started cloth diapering, I thought way too long, and way to hard about what solution I would use with my cloth wipes.
Now, I do really like all the cloth wipe solutions I’ve tried, whether they were homemade, or the Baby Bits sample I got once (Loved the smell of the Baby Bits) I just always found it easier to just use water.
If you are interested in trying out a cloth wipe solution Google and YouTube have a ton of different recipes you can try.
(use caution when using essential oils in your wipe solution, some oils are too strong to be used directly on baby’s skin, and some babies may have allergies to certain oils)
How to use cloth wipes on the go
I usually take 1 cloth wipe, per cloth diaper + 1.
So, for me with my 3 kids in cloth diapers I take (at minimum) 4 cloth wipes.
3 cloth diapers = 3 cloth wipes + 1 extra = 4 cloth wipes.
You can take a separate wetbag for cloth wipes, or you can just throw them in the same wetbag with your cloth diapers.
To get the cloth wipes wet you could either dampen them and then store them in their own wetbag, bring a small container of some kind with either wipe solution or water (water needs to be replaced every day or so it doesn’t mold).
Or if you are going to be changing your baby in a restroom then you could just get the wipes wet at the sink.
I have actually found using cloth wipes on the go to be easier than using disposable wipes.
This is mostly because cloth wipes are so much better at cleaning!
If we have a poop emergency while out running errands, I would much rather have a sturdy, cotton cloth wipe than a small, thin and easy to tear disposable wipe.
Resources
Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) from qualifying purchases made through those links. * Indicates an affiliate link
Article on how many disposable wipes babies need on thegoodnursery.com
Link to Grovia wipes on Grovia.com *
Link to Thirsties organic cotton wipes at clothdiaper.com *
Link to Bumgenius wipes on bumgenius.com
Link to Cloth-eez wipes on greenmountaindiapers.com
Link to Babee greens wipes on greenmountaindiapers.com
Link to Geffen baby wipes on geffenbaby.com
Link to Charlie banana wipes on charliebanana.com
Link to Esembly wipes on esembly.com
Link to Baby Bits wipe solution bits on clothdiaper.com *
Link to the Prince Lionheart wipes warmer on clothdiaper.com *
