PHP Flushable Baby Wipes

***What are they?***
PHP flushable baby wet wipes are baby wet wipes that you can flush down the toilet (I know – you already guessed that part!). They are biodegradable, not tested on animals and claim to be ‘earth friendly’.

***What are they like?***
The wipes come in packs of 100, in a plastic bag (not biodegradable I don’t think, tsk tsk!) with a sticky flap that can be resealed to keep the wipes fresh. The wipes themselves are extra large (24cm by 22cm) and made from a fairly see-through, but tough, papery material. They are not as soft as the ‘cotton like’ wipes currently available, but are soft enough not to feel rough on sensitive bits. They are scented, and as far as I know unscented varieties are not yet available. The smell is very pleasant and not overwhelming. The wipes seem fairly wet compared to some other brands, but I think that this is largely down to the material they are made of.

***Are they any good?***
The major advantage of these wipes over others is mainly for re-usable nappy users. If you are already throwing away wipes with disposables, being able to flush the wipes won’t be much of a bonus really! But if you are using cloth, then being able to flush the wipes with the waste with out worrying too much about your drains is a big help. The advise on the packet is that no more than 3 wipes are flushed at any one time, (luckily we have resilient drains as I have flushed wads of them before!) and probably wouldn’t be suitable if you have an elderly or sensitive drain system (I have known the joys of a blocked cess pit in a previous home!).
These wipes are quite different from the major brands, like Huggies and Pampers wipes. They are not textured, which makes removing poop slightly more difficult. Saying that, the average ‘orrible toddler nappy can usually be dealt with, with around 3 wipes, due to their size. They leave my sons skin clean and don’t dry it out. As I mentioned earlier, these wipes are relatively wet, which some people don’t like as it can spread poop around (all together – ewwww!). Personally I have not found that to be a problem with these wipes, and it is an advantage when cleaning off a crusty toddlers face! On the subject of face cleaning – these wipes come about second favourite (after Tesco’s value ones) with my son in the taste test. Why every time he insists on trying to eat them I don’t know, but if your little angel is similarly inclined then that might be good to know!
I know many people use wipes to remove make up, but I’m afraid I can’t comment on how good they are at that (its been a long time since I could be bothered with all that palaver – I find a brown paper bag quicker and just as efficient!). But anything that can shift dried on Weetabix without causing a tantrum will probably remove most make up with out a second thought!

***What’s not so good?***
The only thing that really annoys me with these wipes is the packaging. They come in a plastic bag (which is quite environmentally unfriendly for a product that says environmentally friendly on the front!) with a flap that lifts up and it supposed to reseal. It does, but only about twice! Luckily the wipes don’t dry out even with the flap open, but it is annoying. The other problem is the way they are packed into the bag. It makes them hard to get out, and once you do get one out, then you have to unfold it. This is not a very easy thing to do, and when you add an escaping toddler with a dirty bum into the picture…. I find that I have to get out a few wipes before I being changing ds, which is inconvenient if you need more than you think you did!

***What do they cost?***
The wipes cost £2.95 (including VAT) from www.thebabycatalogue.co.uk . I am not sure if they are available elsewhere, but I have seen other PHP products (like nappy liners) in Mothercare, and if I wasn’t imagining it a supermarket. This is just under 3p per wipe. This compares well with Huggies (4.7p per wipe) and Johnsons (3.5p per wipe), but is more expensive than cheaper brands like boots own (2.5p per wipe). I have only seen one other flushable wipe for sale, which is the Bambino Mio type. These are far more pricey than the PHP wipes, at just over 6p per wipe!

***Would I recommend them?***
I would certainly recommend them to cloth nappy users, as a convenient wipe. They are perhaps best not used all the time, as anything more robust in texture than toilet paper does risk getting caught in the plumbing. But I find that they are easy and good to use, especially when out and about where washable wipes may not be as convenient.