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 toilet had not entirely succeeded, according to their test.
Invention American Arthur Julius is seen as the inventor of wet wipes. Julius worked in the cosmetics industry and, in 1957, adjusted a soap portioning machine, putting it in a loft in Manhattan. Julius trademarked the name Wet-Nap in 1958, a name for the product that is still being used. After fine tuning his new hand-cleaning aid together with a mechanic, he unveiled his invention at the 1960 National Restaurant Show in Chicago and, in 1963, started selling Wet-Nap products to Colonel Harland Sanders to be distributed to customers of Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Production
Ninety percent of wet wipes on the market are produced from nonwoven fabrics made of polyester or polypropylene. 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.
Uses
Wet wipes can serve a number of personal and household purposes. Although marketed primarily for wiping infants' bottoms in diaper changing, it is not uncommon for consumers to also use the product to clean floors, toilet seats, and other surfaces around the home. Parents also use wet wipes, or as they are called for baby care, baby wipes, for wiping up baby vomit and to clean babies' hands and faces.
Baby wipes Baby wipes are wet wipes used to cleanse the sensitive skin of infants. These are saturated with solutions anywhere from gentle cleansing ingredients to alcohol-based "cleaners". Baby wipes are typically different pack counts (ranging up to 80 or more sheets per pack), and come with dispensing mechanisms. The origin of baby wipes most likely came in the mid-1950s as more people were travelling and needed a way to clean up on the go. One of the first companies to produce these was a company called Nice-Pak. They made napkin sized paper cloth saturated with a scented skin cleanser. 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 entry barriers.
Toilet wet wipes Toilet wet wipes are sometimes preferred to standard toilet paper. Many brands sell toilet wet wipes, claiming they are "flushable". However, they do not decompose in septic tanks as they are made of polyester or polypropylene. In 2013 a Consumer Reports article said that none of the leading brands could pass their test. Fresh'n was a United States toilet paper substitute, a moistened flushable biodegradable toilet towel, created as a test product by the American Can Company in the early 1970s. It was marketed with the slogan, "I don't use toilet paper." It was to be test marketed in Omaha and Phoenix and while American Can reported a 10% market share initially. Fresh'n never made it to retail shelves in the Arizona test market.
Personal hygiene Wet wipes are often included as part of a standard sealed cutlery package offered in restaurants or along with airline meals. Wet wipes began to be marketed as a luxury alternative to toilet paper in the mid 2000s 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.
Cleansing pads Cleansing pads are fiber sponges which have been previously soaked with water, alcohol and other active ingredients for a specific intended use. They are ready to use hygiene products and they are simple and convenient solutions to dispose of dirt or other undesirable elements. There are different types 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.
Industrial wipes Industrial-strength cleaning wipes are pre-impregnated with a powerful cleaning fluid that cuts through the dirt while the high performance fabric absorbs the residue. They have the ability to clean a vast range of tough substances from hands, tools and surfaces, including: grime, grease, oil- and water-based paints and coatings, adhesives, silicone and acrylic sealants, poly foam, epoxy, oil, tar and more.
Healthcare Medical wet wipes are available for various applications. These include alcohol wet wipes, chlorhexidine wipes (for disinfection of surfaces and noninvasive medical devices), and sporicidal wipes. Medical wipes can be used to prevent the spread of pathogens such as norovirus and Clostridioides difficile.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
