Wet wipes or moist toilettes are small moistened paper towels that can be used to cleanse the hands, refresh the face, or commonly to clean up the diaper area when you are changing a baby. The first types of wet wipes came in small individual packages, and usually were moistened with scented water. The rubbing action of wet wipes did help to get the hands or face a little clean, but many people used them more to refresh than to cleanse.

When antibacterial soaps became popular, many wet wipes with antibacterial properties were offered. Generally, these wet wipes contained water, fragrance and alcohol. These do help to more effectively cleanse hands, especially when access to handwashing apparatus is limited. Alcohol content helps wet wipes fight some viruses as well, and many schools now offer wet wipes or waterless handwash to children in each classroom for use on the way to lunch, or after trips to the bathroom.

Wet wipes are useful for cleaning up quick spills, especially those on carpets, or pet messes. When they contain alcohol they can help to disinfect areas of the carpet where blood has spilled, or where pets have made messes. Specialized forms of wet wipes are those designed for use prior to giving urine samples that test for bacterial infections. Using antibacterial wet wipes prior to collecting urine can help keep the test from becoming corrupted by bacteria present on the skin.

Wet wipes used to clean a baby's bottom are often simply called baby wipes. In most cases, it’s undesirable for these to contain alcohol, since they can cause dryness and irritation to a baby’s skin. Some recent introductions include “flushable wipes,” not always a good idea if you have a septic system, and wipes with moisturizers or aloe vera. Many pediatricians recommend avoiding wet wipes when babies have excessive diaper rash, but instead to cleanse the area with soft reusable flannel cloths soaked with water. Though wet wipes for babies are convenient, they’re not always the best choice.

Babies are relatively constant sources of messes of all types, and many moms keep wet wipes handy for quick spit-ups, food spills and the like. Moms may also use antibacterial wet wipes to sanitize grocery carts, restaurant tables, or swings in the playground to reduce the exposure to germs. It’s not a bad idea to pack wet wipes in children’s lunches, so they can cut down on some germ exposure by washing their hands prior to eating.