Hand picked a wet wipes in package box, Wet wipes in a woman's hand

27 Ways to Use Baby Wipes That Don’t Require a Baby

Recently, in my never-ending quest to organize my home, I came across the half-full case of baby wipes I’d purchased more than five years ago when our younger grandson was born. My first thought was that since Sam is all potty trained now, I should find someone with a baby or donate them to the church nursery—both good ideas provided those wipes are still good.

 

Hand picked a wet wipes in package box, Wet wipes in a woman's hand

That’s when my mind flooded with all of the tips, tricks, and ideas I’ve gathered over the years for alternative uses for handy-dandy baby wipes. I did a quick search to discover even more baby wipe tips, tricks, and clever ideas. Here are a few of my favorites—plus a bonus.

Dirty keyboard

It’s a good idea routinely to power down first, then give a computer keyboard a good shaking to get rid of dust, debris, and loose particles that can accumulate between the keys. But don’t stop there. Use a baby wipe to clean the dirt, gunk, and dried spills that tend to build-up on the keys and surrounding areas. 

Piano keyboard

Yes, works on those dusty, sticky keys, too. For a pianist, there’s nothing quite so lovely as smooth, impeccably clean and dust-free piano keys.

Makeup remover

Even if you have super sensitive skin, a baby wipe is ideal to remove makeup, especially stubborn black eyeliner. Wipes will quickly dissolve stubborn mascara in seconds and are especially kind to sensitive skin. They’re also cheaper than most “beauty wipes” found in the skincare aisle.

Nail polish cleanup

Wipe away excess nail polish when you’re doing your own manicure. They can quickly fix any mistakes like polish touching cuticles, with minimal effort. They’re also useful for giving a little extra moisture to cuticles once the manicure done, polish completely dry.

Flyaway hairs

We’ve all been there. Your hair do looks great, but for a few errant flyaway hairs sticking out! Don’t grab the hair spray. Instead, grab a baby wipe and gently pat down those flyaways. Works great! Use the same tip on unruly eyebrows.

Toilet tissue

A baby wipe is very soft and gentle, designed to clean up a baby’s bum. That’s what makes it an ideal substitute for toilet tissue when you didn’t notice the roll was empty. Caution: Even if the packaging insists those baby wipes are flushable, don’t do it. Statistics show that many emergency calls for a plumber are the result of flushed baby wipes.

Hair dye stains

It’s nearly impossible to keep hair dye away from the forehead and neck areas when applying to yourself. But not to worry. A baby wipe can whisk away those stains quickly and easily.

Stain lifter

Quality baby wipes are amazing for getting out stains from just about any surface—cotton clothing, painted walls, and even carpet. If that stain is fresh, give it a gentle rub before it sets and watch how that stain lifts off.

Switchplates

Light switches get a lot of direct contact. All that touching makes them them get dirty and discolored. Clean them up with a baby wipe and they’ll look good as new.

Latex paint cleanup

When cleaning up after painting with latex paint, use a baby wipe to remove that paint from your hands. Works great!

Remove makeup from clothes

Accidentally got some foundation on your blouse? Quick! Grab a baby wipe before it sets and wipe it off. It works pretty much instantly. This is a little-known secret in the retail industry. Clerks often use baby wipes to take remove make-up from clothes after people have tried them on.

Dusty houseplants

Use a baby wipe to remove that unsightly layer of dust on houseplant leaves and get them super shiny, too. Just make sure you are cleaning and polishing only the top side of those leaves. The underside is where that plant breathes and you don’t want to disturb that side in any way!

Leather furniture

Use a baby wipe to perform a quick wipe down. It will collect any dust from your leather sofa or chair and give it a temporary shine—just the quick fix you’ll be happy to know about when guests pop over at short notice.

Car interior

I keep a package of baby wipes in the console of my car so that when I’m stuck at a red light, construction area, or another kind of delay, I can pull one out to quickly clean the dashboard, steering wheel and just about every surface I can reach. It’s amazing how much cleaning I can accomplish during these brief periods of time. Baby wipes are also great for wiping your hands after pumping gas and for mopping up small spills in the car. Leaves a nice fresh scent, too.

Hemorrhoid wipes 

Instead of paying more for specialty hemorrhoid wipes, pick up a container of Baby Wipes with Aloe, then pour your own witch hazel into the container for a fraction of the cost of Preparation H Medicated Wipes with Aloe and Witch Hazel. 

Clean houseplants

A baby wipe is ideal to remove dust and then shine the leaves of your favorite houseplants. Caution: Clean only the top of the leaves as the oil in the wipe could damage or plug up the leaves’ delicate undersides that allow it to breathe. 

Dust mop

This is clever. If you’ve inadvertently run out of disposable cloths for your Swiffer or other dust mop, attach a baby wipe instead for a quick clean up. It will grab the dust and leave a little shine behind. 

Stain remover

Baby wipes are remarkably effective to remove lipstick or other makeup stains from a blouse or other garment. In fact, some people say a baby wipe works better than a stain remover pen. That being the case, it sure makes a lot of sense to keep a stack of baby wipes in your handbag or carry-on luggage when you’re on the go.

Bugs and bird droppings

Remember that pack of baby wipes in the car’s console? It will come in handy when your car gets abused by fowl or bugs. A baby wipe won’t damage the paint, but it will easily remove stuff that can if allowed to remain very long.

White deodorant marks

So annoying isn’t it, to get all ready to walk out the door only to notice streaky, white deodorant marks on your dark color shirt, top or dress? Not to worry. Pull a baby wipe out of the package and rub it on the stain for a simple fix—quick and easy.

Hairspray overspray

A baby wipe can effectively clean up hairspray that has landed on wood surfaces in the bathroom—floor, cabinet, door and its frame. Do this regularly to prevent stubborn hairspray build-up.

Shine shoes 

A baby wipe will clean and shine your leather shoes and just about anything else made of leather like furniture, handbags, belts, jackets and boots. Try it on your white leather sneakers. Seriously, you won’t believe how a baby wipe will remove the dirt and leave no marks. 

Markers and crayons

If you or your kids are the crafty-types, you’ve had your share of marker and crayon left on tabletops or other surfaces. It might take a little scrubbing but baby wipes work pretty well to clean those marks away without damaging the surface below.

Moisten envelopes

If you hate licking envelopes to activate the glue, use a baby wipe to do that for you. Works like a charm. 

Chalkboard cleaner

You can remove writing and all the white haze from a chalkboard—or any surface that has been treated with chalkboard paint—without damaging the surface at all. Cleans up whiteboards, too!

Carpet and upholstery stains

I have dozens of readers who swear by baby wipes to remove coffee and other stains from carpets and upholstery. The secret is to get to those stains as quickly as possible. Good news: It really works! To make sure the oil in the baby wipe doesn’t sit there to attract more dirt in the future, be sure to rinse well with a clear water and a clean white cloth. 

Clean pets

There are uses of baby wipes for pets too! Baby wipes clean up muddy paws. Wipes work wonders on furniture and the couch too—wipes are a handy “magnets” for pet hair.

Bonus

Make your own baby wipes

It’s easy to make your own wipes that you can keep in an old baby wipes container, a plastic storage container with a lid, or even a resealable plastic bag. Here’s how to do it:

Combine in a bowl or large measuring cup: 2 tablespoons each of baby oil and baby shampoo (or baby wash), 1 tablespoon white vinegar (to inhibit mold), 2 cups boiled and cooled (or distilled) water plus 1 or 2 drops essential oil (optional) to make it smell good.

Get a roll of high-quality paper towels. Cut the roll in half with a serrated knife to create two short rolls that look toilet tissue, or tear off sheets by hand and pile them in a stack. Remove the cardboard cores from the short rolls.

Pour some of the liquid in the bottom of your container of choice, then a half roll of paper towels, and finally pour the rest of the liquid over the top. There you go—homemade any wipes. Left for an hour or so, that half-roll of paper towels will absorb all the liquid. Apply the lid. To use, open the container and pull a wipe from the center of the roll.

Dried out baby wipes

Use this same procedure to rescue that container of dried out baby wipes you’re about to toss in the trash. In most cases, evaporation is the culprit and adding a little distilled water to the package to moisten the wipes is enough to restore them back to usefulness. In some cases though, those wipes need a little extra boost because they are super dried out. In that case do this:

Make up the same solution as above, as you would to make your baby wipes from scratch. Slowly pour a small amount over your dried out package or container of baby wipes (take it easy because you don’t want a dripping mess).

Close the baby wipe lid and turn it upside down. Rotate the container a few times to allow the mixture to soak into the wipes.

Repeat as necessary until the wipes are pleasantly moistened.

As for my leftover stash of baby wipes, I opened one of the packs and was pleasantly surprised to find it really wet and totally useful—good to know since I’ve decided to donate half of the stash and keep the rest for all of the reasons and uses above.

This post was originally posted in Aug. 2018 and has been updated and expanded 8-27-20.

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  1. Kathy says:

    I use them when I’m cardmaking to clean my stamps off and there is an idea where you put ink drops on baby wipes and it’s your ink pad..love them while crafting!

    Reply
  2. kimberly says:

    I use baby wipes to clean my CPAP mask daily. I also make my own disinfecting wipes by adding antibacterial kitchen cleaner spray to the wipes tub. Sooooo much cheaper.

    Reply
  3. Sheryl says:

    Do the “regular” adult type of wipes work for the same situations you list or do we need to have the Baby Wipes? We buy the Kirkland brand (Costco) moistened wipes and I’m just not sure if they are interchangeable with the Baby Wipes?

    Reply
    • Jill says:

      Sheryl, you can absolutely use those adult wash clothes the same as baby wipes. I keep a pack in my car and use them in the bathroom to pickup my long hair off the floor after brushing it.

      Reply
  4. Wanda Swanberg says:

    To prevent the deodorant masks on your clothes, fold up the bottom 6” of your shirt before you start to put it on. Then up & over your head. Any deodorant is on the inside of your shirt. Unfold the shirt. Much easier then trying to find the bottom edge when it is wadded up in your armpits!!

    Reply
  5. Robyn says:

    We keep a package of the water-based wipes in a ziplock bag in the back of our car with our biking gear. At the end of a ride, it just feels good to cool down and wipe the dirt and sweat from your face!

    Reply
  6. Diane says:

    Love this! I recently rediscovered my love of baby wipes as well. When my kids were little I used them for so much beyond “baby” needs. Then, at some point I stopped buying them. But, I am back in the game again. I keep a pack in my car, my work bag, at home… everywhere!!! It’s nice to know I’m not crazy – or alone! 😉

    Reply
  7. Lynnell Caldwell says:

    When my kids were babies, I used baby wipes on the hot car seat to cool it down. Car seats have greatly improved over the years, but back then it was a plastic cushion where baby hands would rest. It would be blistering hot! Being in Southern California, it would really heat up and the baby wipes worked like a champ.

    Reply
  8. Terri says:

    You know that area where the wall-to-wall carpet meets the baseboard, and your vacuum cleaner just doesn’t get down into that crevice as well as you’d like? With your fingers, drag a baby wipe along in that crevice and it will grab all the nasties down in there. (This only works if your back can handle bending over and you can shuffle along at the same time–you might have to talk someone into doing it for you!)

    Reply
  9. Spice Weasel says:

    thank you from the bottom of my well..bottom. Your suggestion about re-hydrating dried out baby wipes has been a life saver. I can’t believe how much more comfortable I am now. Your timing was impeccable.

    Reply
  10. chibibarako says:

    I was introduced to baby wipes as a costumer. When I’m in full Klingon greasepaint, and I need to be human before I get home, baby wipes are the easiest most portable way of dealing with the situation.

    Reply
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