Here’s something you might not know… Baby wipes aren’t just for babies!

Can adults use baby wipes? Absolutely!

You can use baby wipes to clean kitchen counters or to wipe down the inside of your car. You may be surprised at how versatile these disposable wet wipes are. You may even continue buying them after your baby outgrows diapers because they’re so convenient to have on hand. We seriously love them!

Here’s a list of 40 ways you can use baby wipes that have nothing to do with soiled diapers.

Baby Wipe Uses for Personal Care

Baby wipes should be part of your personal care supply. Here are a bunch of reasons they’re a cost-effective and versatile product to always have on hand.

• Remove makeup: Less expensive than a makeup remover wipe, but just as effective in removing foundation from your face.

• Improve a manicure and pedicure: Use baby wipes to clean up excess nail polish or wipe away any mistakes.

• Clean up hair dye stains: A quick swipe of a baby wipe will clean off any hair dye that gets on your hairline and neck during your DIY dye job at home.

• Control flyaway hairs: If your hair is being uncooperative, a baby wipe will do the trick, especially if you don’t have any hairspray at home.

• Wipe away oil and shine: If you have an oily face, a baby wipe can help control shine with a gentle blot on your problem areas.

• Remove tanning lotion stains: Did you overdo the tanning lotion a bit? Or apply it unevenly? No worries - run a baby wipe over the areas that are too dark and you’ll be good to go!

• Cool down: During the hot summer months, we recommend keeping a packet of baby wipes in your refrigerator. Nothing feels better than a cool refreshing baby wipe on your face when you come in from sweltering heat and humidity.

Baby Wipe Uses for the Kitchen and Bathroom

The nursery isn’t the only place to stash baby wipes. Having them in the kitchen and bathroom will make clean-up a lot easier!

• Clean surfaces: Wipe off counters and other surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom in between deep cleans so your home always looks spotless.

• Mop your floor: Attach it to a mop handle and shine up your floors. They’re gentle enough to use on almost all flooring types in your kitchen and bathroom.

• Clean appliances: Baby wipes are perfect for wiping down your refrigerator (inside and outside, including the door handles), microwave, oven, stove, and dishwasher. They’re also great for wiping down small kitchen appliances like your Instant Pot, air fryer, slow cooker, food processor, toaster oven, and coffee machine.

• De-grease pots and pans: The texture of the baby wipe can help loosen or remove stubborn grease before you hand wash pans or put them into the dishwasher.

• Wipe down your trash can: Even if you always use a trash can liner, food bits and stains can still leak or splatter on the inside of the bin. Give it a wipe down every so often so it doesn’t start to smell.

Baby Wipe Uses for Cleaning

It’s not just the kitchen and bathroom that can benefit from baby wipes. Here’s a list of ways you can use baby wipes for general cleaning all over your house.

• Dust furniture: Baby wipes are a great way to capture dust on coffee tables, side tables, book shelves, etc. The dust sticks to the wet wipe so won’t get everywhere.

• Wipe down light switches and door handles: Any high-touch points should be frequently cleaned throughout your house.

• Freshen up houseplants: Brighten up your home garden with baby wipes! They are gentle and non-toxic so are perfect for dusty leaves.

• Clean cobwebs: Attach a baby wipe to the end of a mop or broom (or insert it into the holes of a Swiffer) and use it to clear cobwebs.

• Remove stains: Rub a baby wipe on a stain to help remove it (or at least keep it from setting). This works on clothing (goodbye deodorant and makeup stains!), sheets, carpet, and sofas.

• Clean walls: Do you have a little Picasso drawing masterpieces on your walls? Baby wipes can get rid of most crayon and paint stains without ruining the paint job.

• Wipe down plastic toys: This is especially helpful if you have young kids who like to put toys in their mouth.

• Polish leather: A gentle wipe can help improve the look of leather couches, shoes, and jackets!

• Clean your screens: Everything from your smartphone and tablet to your laptop and television will benefit from a gentle wipedown with baby wipes if you don’t have lens or screen wipes available.

• Wipe down remote controls: Most people know to wipe down their phones daily, but very few people regularly wipe down their television remote control. That thing is nasty, especially if you like to snack and channel surf at the same time.

• Wipe down muddy shoes and boots: Use baby wipes to wipe off dirt and grime so dirty shoes and boots don’t track mud into your home.

• Clean your pets: Wipe the dirt and mud off your dog’s paws or clean up shedded fur with baby wipes.

How to Choose and Use Facial Wipes

Face wipes provide you with a quick and easy alternative to your regular facial cleansing routine. They allow you to remove makeup and oil from your skin without using water or cleansers. Although facial wipes can be a time saver and are extremely convenient, they should not replace your daily cleansing routine. Facial wipes are filled with a number of chemicals that can actually damage your skin. If you need to use facial wipes, choose ones that are alcohol-free and gentle on the skin, rinse and moisturize your face after use, and use them sparingly.

Look for cleansing wipes if you have naturally oily skin, or moisturizing wipes if your skin is especially dry.

Fragrances smell nice, but the chemicals companies use to make facial wipes aromatic are often really bad for your skin; you’re always better off with unscented wipes.

You can spot-clean your skin or brush your face gently in a circular motion, but you want to be careful around your eyes since facial wipes may irritate them.

Rinse your face when you’re done to remove any excess chemicals and moisturize your skin if necessary.

Check the ingredients in face wipes. Facial wipes can be filled with chemicals and preservatives that can be harmful to your skin. When shopping for facial wipes, read through the ingredients and select wipes that do not contain formaldehyde-releasing chemicals. These chemicals, such as 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol, are used to increase the shelf life of the face wipes.

Although these chemicals reduce the chance of bacteria build-up, they can be damaging to the skin.

Formaldehyde-releasing chemicals are a form of carcinogen, or cancer-causing agent.

You can buy a dictionary that's dedicated to cosmetic ingredients. This is a great way to research different products

There is no end in sight for innovation in the personal care wipes market. Each year, a new wave of wipes hits store shelves, offering busy consumers a convenient way to clean and nurture the face and body. Need to exfoliate your feet? How about a dose of hemp seed oil to calm your skin? There’s a wipe for that.

“We believe that the personal care wipes market will continue to grow at rates experienced in recent years,” says Doug Arnold, senior vice president of contract manufacturer Kleen Test Products. “The combination of great formulas and specialized nonwoven substrates provides consumers with a level of convenience and performance that is unmatched by other formats. As Generations Y and Z were growing up, wipes were present in many of their homes and they became consumers. As the marketplace demographics continue to evolve, we expect to see the household penetration rate for personal care wipes continue to rise.”

Globally, the personal wipes market delivered $10.1 billion in retail sales in 2018 (U.S. fixed exchange rate), according to market tracker Euromonitor International. Because of their wider use—and the fact that they’re cheaper—baby wipes continue to dominate the category and represented a 57% value share in 2018. Through 2023, all categories are expected to see growth with general purpose wipes and moist toilet wipes expected to experience the highest growth.

While the majority of sales of wipes are still coming from developed markets, where categories are more established, some of the growth is coming from the developing markets, according to Svetlana Uduslivaia, head of Home & Tech Americas at Euromonitor. “There is still room for more product penetration as modern hygiene trends and products are making their way into the households.”

Innovation also helps to support consumer interest and demand, she adds. “In smaller categories, such as intimate wipes, we continue to see efforts to position wipes as part of daily feminine hygiene alongside other fem care products. However, in the developing regions and even in developed, most wipes are seen as more of a discretionary category, with the exception of perhaps baby wipes that are well ingrained into the developed regions routine for a multitude of purposes.”

Pet Wipes

Pet wipes are an easy way to help keep your pet clean between baths. Whether your pet needs spot cleaning or an overall freshening, the right pet wipes can help. Every smart pet owner should keep a stash of pet wipes on hand to keep their furred friends looking and smelling their best.

Pet wipes can help you take care of your best furry friends, but it’s important to use the right ones. Many of us are aware of ingredients that can damage our own skin, and your pet’s skin is just as delicate. Cats and dogs are extremely sensitive to perfumes and irritating ingredients. We often use these wipes on delicate areas like their ears, nose, and butt, and gentleness is key.

In our review, we tested products that contain only natural, soothing ingredients that would treat your pets with the tenderness they deserve. We tested these with our own cat and dog volunteers to make sure the wipes were easy to use, reasonably durable, and tolerable to our animals.

Overall, it was a tough choice between Petkin and Earth Rated. Both are excellent, and Earth Rated wipes are also compostable, which makes them a green solution. However, their scented version can be irritating, and our tester pets hated the smell. The unscented version was excellent, however.

Petkin’s wipes made it to the top spot because they are mild, have a safe scent, and are usable for both cats and dogs. Pogi’s were an excellent choice for people who want an eco-friendly pet wipe with a mild formula. We liked PrimePets because they are gentle and affordably priced. Our testers also gave high marks to Nature’s Miracle for removing tough odors. Here are our picks.