If there’s one thing a parent cannot have too much of, it’s baby wipes. Even when your little one has grown out of diapers, you may still find them handy for cleaning sticky fingers or wiping up messes.
Many parents find they keep a stash of wipes with them for the first 10 years of their child’s life!
If you’re planing to add baby wipes to your baby registry, you may be stumped for how many wipes to put on the list. 1000? 2000? 10,000?
Or, perhaps you’ve already calculated how many wipes are going be needed for cleaning your baby’s bum for the first 12 months of their life and are on the look-out for more eco-friendly options. Yes, reusable baby wipes ARE a real thing!
You can make your own or choose options that are not only better for the environment, but will save money, too. (And who doesn’t love to save money?)
This article will answer the common question, “How many baby wipes do I need?” for a baby’s first year, as well as baby wipe alternatives you may have not considered before.
This article is not a substitute for medical advice or consultation
Do I Really Need Baby Wipes?
You need something to wipe baby’s bum after a diaper change, that’s no question. But purchasing baby wipes to throw away is not the only option, either.
Disposable Wipes
Disposable baby wipes are not cost-effective (you literally throw them in the garbage immediately after use), but also carry a greater environmental impact than wipe alternatives.
Further, some ingredients in commercial baby wipes are potential irritants that can be downright bad for your baby’s skin.
Never use disposable baby wipes that contain essential oils or alcohol, this will dry out your infant’s sensitive skin and could lead to rashes, too.
Reusable Wipes
Reusable wipes are in the same camp as reusable cloth diapers, once used, you throw in the laundry, not the wastebasket.
Some parents keep the cloth wipes in a plastic box with a little clean water, while others have a handy spray bottle near by to freshly spray each wipe before use.
But, this does mean that for all those diaper changes, you end up with soiled diapers and soiled baby wipes to wash.
Since it could be messy, carrying around a dry bag for dirty cloth diapers and washcloths, too, wome parents choose to make their own paper towel wipes to pack in the diaper bag when changing diapers in public restrooms or at the park, and use reusable washcloths when at home.
You decide what works best for you when it comes to baby wipes, just remember there are choices and a combined approach might just work best for your family.
1. How Many Baby Wipes Per Day?
Counting the number of wipes used in a day truly depends on several things: your baby’s age, your own ‘wiping style’ and any unexpected messes from tummy troubles.
Newborn babies require more frequent diaper changes; as many as 12 in a day, sometimes. Also, newborns poop more frequently than older babies, so you will need to use more wipes to clean baby’s bump.
As your infant grows, there will be gradually fewer diaper changes (from 10 to 12 in a day, down to 6 or 8 by around 6 months old).
But, to calculate how many wipes you’ll need, you also have to be practical about how you wipe up baby. Some parents are ‘wipe minimalists’ who utilize the soiled diaper to clean up some of the mess and can clean a poo with only one or two wipes, while other parents might use baby wipes like no body’s business and go through 6 wipes for a single poo (Hey, you do what you gotta do. No judgment here).
As every parent will tell you, at some point, you will have to deal with a diaper blowout. Baby will eat something or get their first stomach bug and you’ll need to do more diaper changes and use more wipes than ever before.
Finally, you also need to know your baby. Does your newborn easily get rashes, even just from a wet diaper? If so, you’ll likely go through more wipes per day, just when cleaning baby.
How Many Baby Wipes For Day (On Average?)
While there are several factors to estimate how many baby wipes you’ll likely go through with a newborn verses an older baby, the best guess for how many wipes you’ll need per day is between 20 and 30 (newborn) and 10-12 with older babies.
If that seems like a lot, remember that you do need to use baby wipes for wet diapers, too. Pee is acidic and shouldn’t be left on baby’s skin, as it will dry them out, just like alcohol.
Whether it’s a wet or dirty nappy, you’ll going to need some wipes for every single diaper change.
2. How Many Baby Wipes Do I Need Per Month?
A newborn baby needs the most wipes because they poop more frequently than older babies. Newborns can go through 1000 or more baby wipes per month, but they won’t stay at that rate; they will start to use fewer wipes as their bowel movements change.
As your baby grows they will use fewer wipes (sometimes having only one dirty diaper in a day, and multiple wet diapers). However, you should always calculate a few extra baby wipes, for unexpected messes or tummy troubles, too.
That’s why calculating how many baby wipes you’ll need over a year isn’t as easy as multiplying the number of wipes used the first month by 12.
3. How Many Baby Wipes Do I Need For A Newborn?
There is no way to know exactly how many wipes you’ll need because there’s just too many unknown factors. That being said, most parents need anywhere from 2000 – 3000 wipes during baby’s first 3 months of life.
The first few weeks of baby’s life you’ll go through the most wipes, especially for those newborn diapers (meconium poops) that are especially sticky.
That is A LOT of baby wipes. But remember, if you want to save money, you can opt for making your own baby wipes or choosing reusable baby wipes, instead.
4. How Many Baby Wipes Do I Need For A 3 Month Old?
For babies from 3-6 months of age, you can expect to go through 400- 500 wipes in a month.
5. How Many Baby Wipes Do I Need For A 6 Month Old?
Older babies might use 70-100 wipes in a month until they are potty trained.
However, once they reach this age, you might start using baby wipes for other aspects of baby care, especially if you’re started solid foods (spills, cleaning baby’s mouth), so the rate of wipes per day should still be flexible.
6. How Many Baby Wipes Do I Need In The First Year?
If you’re set on calculating the number of wipes you need over the course of a year (or trying to prepare an entire year’s supply in advance) then the best estimates might surprise you.
Wipe calculations by age:
- Newborn baby – 3 months: 2,500 – 3000 baby wipes
- 3 months – 6 months: 1,200 – 1,500 baby wipes
- 6 – 12 months: 400 – 700 baby wipes
So, the number of baby wipes per year ranges from 4,100 at the bare minimum, up to 10,000.
If you want to know how many packs this factors out to, it is over 100 packs for baby’s first year.
Of course, it’s always a good idea to have extra wipes around, for little milk spills or to clean sticky fingers (which happens more and more as baby grows).
And, remember, you really cannot have too many baby wipes. This is one product it’s okay to stockpile!
How Much Is A Year Supply Of Baby Wipes?
10,000 baby wipes is generally a yearly supply.
Yes, that’s nearly 1000 baby wipes per month, which seems like a lot – but there will be more wipes needed just after baby’s birth and the first weeks, and they will gradually use less (and you’ll get better at wiping with fewer, too) as your baby grows.
If you’re wondering how much is that year supply of baby wipes, you should be prepared to spend at least $300, if you go for one of the popular and cheaper brands. The cost will be higher if you choose eco-friendly wipes made from bamboo and free from nasty chemicals. Then a year supply of baby wipes can be even up to $650!
What To Look Out For In Disposable Baby Wipes?
If you do decide to go the disposable wipes route and don’t mind to buy wipes, make sure to purchase wipes that:
- Are fragrance-free
Perfumes (even from essential oils) are not safe for baby’s sensitive skin – so skip any sort of fragrances.
- Are alcohol-free
Hand sanitizer wipes or other products include alcohol as a cleaning ingredient – but this is not safe for your baby’s bum. Avoid any form of alcohol in baby wipes (and never add it when making your own wipes at home).
- Avoid any harsh chemicals
These may be listed as soaps or anti-bacterial additives, which sound clean, but actually are not safe to be used in baby wipes.
- Look for natural fibers: like cotton, bamboo or recycled paper
Finding baby wipes that are made of natural fibers does require a little more work, but it’s certainly worth it! This means your wipes are biodegradable and won’t contribute to even more landfill waste.
What Do You Do If You Run Out Of Baby Wipes?
Have you ever wondered how parents managed before wet wipes were invented? Or worried you won’t have enough wipes during a snow storm?
Many parents depend on wet wipes as the only approach for diaper changes, but that’s just not true. There are plenty of options if you don’t have a baby wipe on hand:
- Wipe them with plain water.
- Give baby a bath for very messy situations.
- Use toilet paper for smaller (and drier) messes.
- Make a fresh ‘wipe’ with a damp paper towel and throw away after.
- Recycle an old T-shirt or flannel (cut into strips and dampen with warm water) and wash with your cloth diapers.
Alternatives To Disposable Baby Wipes
I have an entire post about how to make your own disposable baby wipes and best alternatives, but below you can find a brief list of the best options:
- Reusable wipes + baby safe wipe solution
- Washcloths
- DIY wipes from paper towels
- Wash with water
- Damp flannel strips
One of the many benefits to making your own baby wipes (other than simply saving money) is that you know what’s in them. No nasty chemicals or harmful ingredients against your newborn’s sensitive skin.
Some natural mama’s favorite baby wipes are just recycled flannel strips, sprayed with fresh water before use. That’s it! Easy, straightforward and healthy for your baby.
How Many Reusable Baby Wipes Do I Need?
So, if you cringed when you read the number of wipes used over a month and are looking for other options (like homemade water wipes or reusable options to go along with your cloth diapers) you’ll still need to have enough reusable baby wipes to make it through the week.
A good estimate for number of reusable baby wipes to have on hand is 50 wash cloths or flannel strips.
These can be washed and reused, without the need to do laundry every single day (hey, laundry can get really tough with a newborn).
If you find you run out of cloth wipes, you can always use a damp paper towel or wash baby with simple water for a few diaper changes, just until your cloth wipes are clean.
The good news here is that while cloth diapers need time to dry before use again, the cloth wipes don’t! You can safely use wet cloth wipes when changing babies nappies.
Final Decision: How Many Baby Wipes Should I Stock Up On?
If ther’s one thing you can count on with babies, it’s dirty diapers, and plenty of diaper changes.
So, whether you decide to go with disposable wipes or reusable ones you are going to need some type of baby wipe for your little one at every diaper change.
If you want to start stocking baby wipes now, having a stash of 4000 – 5000 wipes is a good start. Since newborns can fly through over 1000 wipes per month, you should make sure to have extras on hand.
If you do purchase packs and packs of baby wipes, make sure to check the expiration date first. While water wipes might not really have a ‘shelf-life’ like edible foods do, you also don’t want to have boxes and boxes of dried out wipes in your nursery, either.
The purpose of this article is informative. It’s not a substitute for professional medical advice or medical care. Remember: safety first! Consult your doctor/pediatrician in case of any doubts. The author of this article does not accept any responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, from any information or advice contained here.
Hello Moms! I am Zooey. I am a wife and a mother of three amazing kids: almost 5-year-old Haley and 2-year-old twins Jesse and Matthew. I am a jogger, cooker and blogger.If you have a question or a comment, do not hesitate to write to me! 🙂