There are now wipes for cleaning your counters/sinks, your floors, and even Oil of Olay (I think) has come out with their own "facial" cloths (although I'm pretty sure that many women already use normal baby wipes on their faces). Has anyone used any of these products? Do they work? I bought the Swiffer wet cloths (I swear, they smell just like those wetnaps my mother used to carry in her purse when I was little), and they worked okay. I've been kind of afraid to buy the disinfecting ones for fear that I'd accidently wipe my baby's butt with Mr. Clean and then wash the counter with Babyfresh - but they sure look handy for cleaning grungy toys. Is this just the height of laziness or what? (It's housecleaning day, so I'm actually avoiding doing any real cleaning right now).

-- Anonymous, November 18, 2000

Answers

The Oil of Olay facial cloths are wonderful! I'd NEVER use ordinary baby wipes on my face, because baby wipes are made with mineral oil, which my combination skin would not love. Yuck. The Oil of Olay facial cloths are highly recommended, though -- they did wonders for my flaky winter skin.

I bought some of the Flash (UK brand) antibacterial wipes for my bathroom, but I'm wary of using too much antibacterial stuff. In fact, my husband use antibacterial liquid hand soap and I use normal liquid handsoap.

-- Anonymous, November 18, 2000

I've tried the Biore cloths that you use to remove makeup, and they were ok - I got them in a gift basket and took them on holiday with me thinking they might be convenient. They worked fine, but I just don't like the sensation of wiping a thin, clammy cloth all over my face. I like the idea of the housecleaning ones - but only if they work. I'm all for anything that reduces the amount of cleaning supplies I have and for making chores more convenient, but I'd rather do it the long way if the convenient thingies didn't work that well.

-- Anonymous, November 18, 2000

The Oil of Olay cloths (I probably sound like an evangelist, here) are good because they're dry -- you just get them a little wet and they lather up, then you wash your face and toss them. They're very expensive here (£7, about $12USD) for thirty, which would last me fifteen days. As it is, I'm only using them to take off my makeup, and washing with a mild cleanser the rest of the time. Apparently they're much cheaper in the US and at the Tesco down in Hackney, east London.

-- Anonymous, November 18, 2000

Baby Wipes are one of those truly miraculous inventions where you think: "Jesus! Of course! Why didn't they think of this before?" I discovered them taking care of grandkids and won't do withouth them now. I keep a big container in my desk drawer, in the center console of the truck, in the shop, hell I keep them everywhere I think I might need them. I use them to clean my face, hands, surface spills. They can be expensive, but there's a generic brand that Wal-mart sells called "Equate" that goes for $2. If they're gentle enough for a baby's ass and stringent enough to clean up poop, they oughta work on make-up, huh? Or has this become a status thing, too?

-- Anonymous, November 18, 2000

I saw an ad for wipes to use for people who are unable to bathe properly (elderly and/or bed ridden purhaps?). They're suppose to clean, disinfect, and deoderize the skin. Sounds like they would be great for care givers if they really work. Baby wipes are great for baby bottoms but sometimes nothing works on a major blow out like the old bathtub. Where were these things 20, uh, 30 years ago? Those were the days of the washcloth amd soap.

-- Anonymous, November 18, 2000

...and Pine-sol in the diaper bucket, Oma.

-- Anonymous, November 18, 2000

Bubba, I would gladly use baby wipes on my face if they were made without mineral oil. My face is dry, but gets shiny (read: greasy) sometimes, and putting mineral oil on my skin would make it worse -- and give me tons of zits. Everyone's skin is different, though.

Baby wipes are good for wiping down phones -- especially pay phones -- before you use them.

-- Anonymous, November 18, 2000

I understand. I went and checked my tub of "Equate" Baby wipes, and altho they didn't have mineral oi, they did have lanolin, as well as some scary looking ingredients I've never heard of before which might not be good for sensitive facial skin. The astringent listed was citric acid, which is a natural de-greaser. It's too bad you can't use them, because each sheet is 6X6.75" and 140 come in a tub for 2 bucks and change. $12 sounds really high and having to add water would spoil the purpose for me.

-- Anonymous, November 18, 2000

Oh yeah, the pine sol. After rinsing the diaper in the toilet of course. I think disposables were just coming out about that time (early 70s) and were just too expensive for everyday use. They were for road trips (long ones, not in town).

-- Anonymous, November 19, 2000

I feel like I'm a hundred years old right now. I just had a conversation with a young man about how neat Baby Wipes are and he said: "Yeah...and they're really great for tidying up after unexpected sex." The he picked up his coffee cup and walked away humming. Unexpected sex? To my generation, "unexpected sex" is sexual assault. I mean, "unexpected" sex? What? Like having a traffic accident? There must be something going on in the younger dating scene I'm totally unaware of. When my generation has sex, no matter how seemingly casual, there are SOME preliminaries. Unexpected sex? "Oh, just ignore me while I use you to masturbate."?? What? Like bumper cars or something? "OOps...excuse the quick prod"? Hmmmm. Or is it auto-erotic? See somebody you like and it's like Bingo! "Excuse me while I go in the bathroom and use a Baby Wipe. I seemed to have had some unexpected sex in my shorts."?? Unexpected Sex...the next rock band. Maybe I'm becoming a curdmudgeon, but some of this younger generation stuff makes me wry.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2000

Kinda gives new meaning to "Oops! I Did It Again," huh?

.oO(Well, I wasn't expecting that!)

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2000

Hahaha. Good one, Paul. I really am having a day. (Republicans making witty sex jokes.) I better go back to bed. My whole world is tilting.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2000

Bubba, I guess you don't watch Ally(Cat) McBeal. She had some unexpected sex in a car wash last season. I don't think she needed any baby wipes to clean up since she was in the car wash. Of course, nothing on that show has anything to do with any reality I know of. But, I'm just saying that if you watched Ally McBeal you would know about "unexpected sex".

-- Anonymous, November 22, 2000

Uh, who the fuck is Ally McBeal?

-- Anonymous, November 22, 2000

Oh...my wife filled me in. In a car wash huh? Clean sex! And automatic. Just bend over and the brushes do the rest. Heh.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2000

Ally McBeal happens to be a show that Gwen recaps for money on Mighty Big TV.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2000

BTW, I've read a bunch of recaps on MBTV, and Gwen wipes the floor with 'em all. Gwen, your Ally recaps are awesome. I watch the show every week and can't wait to read your recaps. Great, I guess I AM addicted to something, and it's Gwen's recaps! :-)

Bubba, the car wash sex episode was so absurd, it was good for a laugh.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2000