Review: Swipes Lovin' Wipes

Reviewer: Lynda Hardy

Sometimes, you come across a product you didn't really know you needed until you try it. SwipesLovin' Wipes is one of those products for me - put simply, this is a disposable moistened wipe that is specifically intended for adults, to quickly freshen up before or after sex. Now, we all have our methods for that, I'm sure (including sometimes regretfully saying no because we are a few too many hours away from our last shower), but if you're like me, none of them have been particularly satisfactory - either it generates laundry, is a sponge-bathing hassle, or you're using a product deliberately scented to smell like a baby at a time when you don't want to be smelling baby fresh, thanks anyway!

But even so, I'd never thought that there might be something simple designed for the purpose. When they arrived, I started to explain them to my husband, but I didn't get very far.

"So we should start the review NOW, right? For science!"

That's one of the wonderful things about Swipes - they allow for spontaneity, like when you just have to stop right in the middle of a review to go play (for science!). For parents of young children, being able to take advantage of small windows of opportunity, even if you haven't got the time or energy to go all-out with pre-romance preparation can be the difference between keeping your romance alive and rarely having an intimate moment at all. Swipes even come in a travel-sized pack that allow for spontaneity away from home.

Beyond the obvious advantage of having moistened wipes available, there are several other reasons why you want to choose Swipes Lovin' Wipes rather than raiding the baby aisle at the grocery store:

Swipes Lovin' Wipes is a woman-owned small business that is entirely made in the USA and deliberately focused on creating an eco-friendly product. For me, that hits just about all of my joy-buttons! The moistening fluid is not full of chemicals, and the wipes are touted as being safe for septic tanks, flushable and even compostible.

I was slightly concerned about the packaging - with no plastic bin, it was eco-friendly, yes, but I have had negative experiences with 'resealable' packaging like this that doesn't really reseal and then the items inside dry out well before I've had a change to use them. I shouldn't have worried, though, as this is an ingenious opening that doesn't just stick. The lift up portion is stiff and springs closed when you let go of it, and the seal both releases easily, and reseals firmly - no fumbling or failing to close it back up when your mind is on other things!

Swipes Lovin' Wipes comes in two varieties - cucumber scented and unscented. I liked the light cucumber scent - it is not strong or overpowering, but it is pleasant. My husband prefers the unscented, and for those who may have fragrance sensitivities that is the best choice. Each does a fine job!

One thing that my husband was really leery of was the suggestion that these wipes are flushable. Our older home comes with older pipes, and we already know the plumber better than we'd like to. In the course of discussing how counter intuitive it would be to deliberately put an eco-friendly product in the trash, we decided to experiment a little (for science! Again! No, really!).

I already had a box of baby wipes on hand - they're a storebrand version that claims to be comparable to Pampers Sensitive Wipes. These are not to be flushed, unless you're committed to putting your plumber's kids through college! Nor are they recyclable or compostible, so every use means another bit of trash for the landfills.

The reason toilet paper is flushable is because it breaks down fairly rapidly. The reason undyed, unscented toilet paper is septic tank safe is because it has no chemicals that will interfere with the septic tank. Swipes claim they are safe for both but since we have no septic tank we wanted to focus on how fast they break down.

So, here are the two wipes - the textured wipe on the left is the store brand. It's fairly thick and pretty good quality for a wipe. On the right is Swipes Lovin' Wipes - slightly thinner but quite soft, and not textured. If I were to stop right here, I'd choose the store brand, thinking thicker and textured is better (at least, until I remember the additional chemicals and asked myself why do I need textured other than that textured is marketed as 'better'?)

I got two small bowls, dunked one of the wipes into each one and filled them with water. After only an hour, I checked for the first time. No change on the left - but on the Swipes side, there were tiny tendrils of cloudiness. No telling if that's breakdown or just some of the fluid.

Twelve hours later, I looked again - still no change on the left, but more cloudiness from the Swipes and they were looking a good bit thinner. Even after a half a day, it was becoming clear that the wipe itself is starting to disintegrate in the water.

After two days, this was the result. Absolutely no change from the store brand - the water was clear, the wipe looked exactly as it did. The Swipes wipe? Well - it looked like waterlogged toilet paper, and the water itself felt slightly thick. Very obviously, there's been some good breakdown. I wish I'd thought to include a bowl of actual toilet paper, because I'm pretty sure it would be breaking down only a little faster than this is!

Finally, I drained the bowls, giving each wipe a little squeeze to get rid of excess water. I then gave the store-brand wipe a good tug, which is why it's stretched out. It held together without breaking. Keep in mind, this is something they actually advertise! But ask yourself why your baby wipe needs to be strong enough to survive days of being underwater?

When I tried to open up the Swipes wipe so I could tug at it, too - I didn't even get that far. Just the process of laying it flat split it in several places. I am sold - I tossed the storebought wipe into the trash regretfully, and put the remains of the Swipes wipe into the compost bin.

"So, hon, it's going to compost fine. What do you say? - can these be flushed or not?"

"I guess so.... the picture tells the tale, and I can't argue with that... Can we "experiment" some more?"

"For Science?"

"Science!!"

Yes, we have a new code word. Thanks, Swipes!

In addition to being available in some local drugstores, such as Walgreens, you can purchase Swipes online. You can also check them out on Facebook.

*** 

This post was originally posted at WAHM Review and is being cross posted here by the original author.  I received no monetary compensation for this review, however I was provided with the product for free for purposes of review.  All opinions are my own. Click here see our full disclosure policy.