Best emergency shower and hygiene wipes

John AdamaStaff - September 16, 2017

Don’t turn into a wild beast after three days without a shower! We spent 16 hours researching and testing over 20 of the most popular wet wipes for your survival kits.

[See the full post at: Best emergency shower and hygiene wipes]

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This was an excellent post, but it failed too take into account two important factors:
1) Longterm storage. Can the wipes be stored for a long period of time? Can they be rehydrated if they dry out?
2) Cost. There are significant differences in unit cost that were not explicitly taken into account.

 

Thanks for the feedback! Only way we’ll know what’s most helpful to people. I hadn’t originally included unit cost since the winners were clear due to other factors and the price points were low, but I’ll make note to include both your suggestions when we update the article.

 

I too would like to know about long term storage. Specifically how long an unopened and open pack will last before needing to be replaced. I don’t know if you guys can get that info. Very helpful write up overall.

 

Will measure that more precisely for the update. Anecdotally, they’ll stay moist for a few months (trailing off along the way), provided you re-seal the bag well.

 

Great informative post! Something stuck out to me, however: “Each wipe-shower started on the left foot and followed the same path and method across the body.” This is fine for testing, but normally when using the same wipe over multiple body parts it makes sense to follow the same sanitary order as sponge bathing and go from more sanitary areas to less sanitary areas: something like face, then underarms, then groin, buttocks, and finally feet at the very end.

 

Thanks, makes sense, and will keep it in mind for any future tests! I think in this case it was OK, because we were essentially testing the relative “duration” of each wipe, so as long as it was apples to apples I think that likely came out accurately.

 

Yup, makes sense, and again I think it’s probably fine when your testers are otherwise bathing regularly and not in an emergency situation. Someone in the field using these in place of a bath, however, should not mimic your testing method but should follow sanitary order for hygiene/health purposes.

 

Another useful info here, John! There were times that there wasn’t any water supply in our area (I live on the top most floor of the building) and not having a bath made me “unhuman”, to say the least. I smirked a little at title of the article but suddenly realized that these situations will not be funny once SHTF. So, again, I’m having myself going back to your website over and over again and learning new things. You and your team are doing a helluva job testing out these products. My utmost respect to your dedication — Eric.

 

Thanks so much for the kind words, Eric! It’s actually just me for now, but I’m working to get more content out more quickly.

I used to look at survival situations and think creature comforts were something you could hand waive away. But after spending time in the bush, not feeling clean is easily one of the most annoying things. Plus it’s easy to solve and has a big ROI – not the least of which is if you feel better, you think better, and thus you’re more likely to avoid stupid decisions.

 

Great review.  Would love to see this updated to know which are recommended for their antimicrobial properties.  I just bought a pack of the Sea to Summit Wilderness wipes at REI and it is not clear if they will kill germs. I have some KleenHanz which clearly state that they kill 99.99% of germs.  I also picked up some NoRinse Body Wash at REI for less than $2, which might work, but again no statement by the manufacturer or reviews that discuss thei antimicrobial properties.

 

Thanks! FWIW, we’ve heard some companies are gun shy when talking about antimicrobial properties, since there’s been recent government action against products making those claims too broadly.

 

Thanks for the post.  I think there is an error on the best wipes title/image.  The name and supporting paragraph in one section states Clean Trek Towels but the image and one of the headers is for Combat Wipes Active. I understand that Clean Trek Towels were taken off the market, but you may want that section to reflect your original Clean Trek Towels recommendation.  It looks like I purchased 4 packs a few years ago, so I guess I got lucky.

 

Thanks for all the details, John.  I have liked the Surviveware Biodegradable wipes.  They are a large 9×12″ (if I recall correctly) and aren’t scented which is a plus in my book.  The passed the ‘entire body’ test and come in several packaging options – individual and multipacks.  They aren’t cheap but will compost according to their tests.  Something else I’m looking for whenever possible in my prepping.

 

Another brand of body cleaning wipe that I came across lately is made by a brand called Klean Freak. They have giant 11X11 whole body wipes that are incredibly strong, made with natural ingredients, and come in many scents like peppermint, tea tree, coconut, citrus, and more.

 

I got these for my bug out bag a few years ago on your recommendation. Hadn’t used them. My sister has been doing a lot of bike camping and found she was allergic to the wipes she had, so I offered her these- she loves them! Gotta get another pack now…

 

Ugh just realized – I had the originally recommended product, Clean Trek. Just checked the article update saying that it is no longer available. Will try one of the other recommendations.

 

I’ll check the individually wrapped Surviveware Biodegradable one that has been in my glove box since my post 2+ years ago.  It’s been in 100F degree temps for a good part of that time.    Would be good to learn if it’s still viable.  I’ll edit this post once I do.  

 

Thank you both for your input and experiences! It really helps guide others to what people like.

 

Well, the Surviveware biodegradable individually wrapped wipes are all dried out after 2+ years in my car’s glovebox.  They state 1-2 year shelf life, so this is as advertised.  And also what the review article states.  But also, I couldn’t easily find an expiration date on the individual package.  

I guess I expect longer given I’ve had alcohol wipes last ages.  

 

Which brand of wipes did your sister have a reaction to? 

 

I don’t know what brand they were, but they had almond oil in them and she’s allergic to tree nuts! 

 

That would be a difficult allergy to live with. You have to check labels on everything, even body wipes.

 

That is such a common allergy, too.  Remarkable that a manufacturer would include it.  

 

Since many of the recommended products have been discontinued, I’d like to suggest looking at ones marketed to long-term care homes for washing people who can’t get up to bathe. (this is probably the rationale behind the ones that recommend using multiple wipes – avoiding spreading potential infections from more germy areas to less germy areas).  I’ve used these kinds of wipes when camping and since they are marketed to LTC facilities, the prices tend to be better (assuming you can find them in a quantity that isn’t outrageous)

 

That’s a great tip! Where do you find such wipes?

 

Same! I’m a paramedic, and oftentimes when transferring a patient out of an ICU, I’ll ask the nurse if I could take the (unopened) “bath wipes”. Their response has always been “Sure. Just gonna throw them out anyway.”

Also, as a backpacker, traveling light means not carrying a heavy “wet” brick. So I’ll leave the wipes open, let the water evaporate, and now have a package of DRY wipes that rehydrate easily with a little canteen water.