How Many Baby Wipes Does a Baby or Toddler Need per Month and per Year?

When it comes to budgeting for your new baby’s toiletries, a good chunk of the budget should be allocated to baby wipes. So, the real question is: how many baby wipes does a baby or a toddler need?

Cleaning your baby’s skin with baby wipes helps keep the pH balance in check. It’s also a great way to keep exploring hands clean. But not only do babies need such wipes – toddlers need them, too, such as my two-year-old daughter.

In this article, I’ll be exploring the question of the number of baby wipes needed. I’ll be comparing the quantities babies use versus the quantities toddlers use. My article will help you in your cost calculation for creating your monthly or yearly budget.

Why Do I Need to Know How Many Baby Wipes We’ll Use in a Month and a Year?

Having an idea of the amount of boxes or packets of wipes you’ll go through can potentially save you some money in the long run. Wipes are one of those items you can buy in bulk and possibly save money that way. Knowing how many wipes you’ll need will also help you plan in advance so that you aren’t in a situation where you run out at the most inconvenient of times.

The amount of wipes you’ll need also depends on the type of wipes you’re buying. Different types of wipes have different thicknesses, different soap and water levels. Using the right wipes might mean the difference between using two wipes or four wipes.

One of the wipe products quite popular with parents at the moment is the WaterWipes Textured, Sensitive, Unscented Baby and Toddler Soapberry Wipes. These hypoallergenic wipes are made with purified water with just a hint of soapberry extract to ensure your baby’s sensitive skin remains clean and soft.

Another popular option that can be used for both newborns and toddlers is the Amazon Elements Baby Wipes, Sensitive. These handy flip-top packs are popular because they’re fragrance, alcohol, and preservative-free which means there are no harsh irritants to cause a rash. Because they’re hypoallergenic and suited for gentle skin they’re ideally suited to newborn babies as well.

The Dr. Butlers Organic Soothing Baby Wipes don’t only clean your baby’s skin but also contain chamomile and essential oils to moisturize delicate skin. Designed specifically with newborn babies’ skin in mind, these soft bamboo wipes are extra thick and slightly bigger than your average wipe. Chamomile oil not only cleans sensitive skin but soothes a fussy baby as well.

Budgeting for a Newborn — What is it Going to Cost Me in Baby Wipes?

Prices of baby wipes depend largely on brand, type, size, and quantity in the packet. This is why I don’t want to discuss the price of a packet of wipes. If you buy bulk you may be able to bring the price down.

Does a Newborn Need More Baby Wipes Than an Older Baby?

You might think newborns use a lot more wipes than toddlers, but it’s actually the other way around. Newborn babies require diaper changes 8 to 10 times a day. On average, a single diaper change uses about 4 wipes for a poop clean-up or a single wipe for a pee change.

Newborn babies also don’t need their hands and faces wiped as much as they aren’t eating solid foods or reaching out and touching everything.

It also depends on the type of wipes you’re using. If you’re using a quality product like The Honest Company Designer Baby Wipes you will probably end up using less. Honest Wipes are hypoallergenic and are made up of 99% water. These pure and gentle wipes are ideal for sensitive bums and hands. Using a plant-based, ultra-thick wipe means you’ll be able to wipe up a lot more with just one wipe.

Do I Use More or Less Baby Wipes With my Toddler?

When your baby starts toddling around, you’ll start using more baby wipes. Diaper change becomes less at this age, approximately 5 to 6 times per day. Even less while potty training takes place in the latter toddling stage.

Diaper changes for poops could require as many as six or seven wipes to clean up and usually about two to clean a pee change. Bear in mind your toddler is starting to adjust to different types of food and juices and you’ll see the evidence of this with each diaper change.

Toddlers are also eating in high chairs, spreading food all over. They’re eager to touch and experience the texture of everything. Everything needs to be wiped down all the time!

A firm favorite among parents chasing after busy toddlers is the WaterWipes Baby and Toddler Soapberry Wipes. These wipes are textured making it easier to clean up after messy toddlers. With its hypoallergenic properties there’ll be no risk of rash or allergies.

How Many Baby Wipes Does a Baby and Toddler Use in a Month?

There is no hard and fast rule for the number of wipes you’ll need. There are a lot of different factors determining the number of wipes you’ll use. Some of these factors include how much your baby or toddler eats, what they’re eating and how often. It also depends on how fanatical you are about cleaning. A new parent might be inclined to use more wipes than necessary because they feel the need to clean and disinfect everything all the time.

On average, in the first twelve months, you can estimate about 240 to 300 diaper changes per month. Assuming you use about four wipes per change, you’ll use about 960 to 1200 wipes per month. But, this is just an estimate. As we’ve mentioned before, there are different factors that make it more or less.

Babies from 1 year start to use about 180 diapers a month up to toddlerhood. Toddlers and their busy schedules would require a lot more wipes. With older babies and toddlers you can easily end up using as much as 1260 wipes just for diaper changing.

By now toddlers should be learning to wash their own hands, so you could save on a few baby wipes. But busy moms suggest that if you work on this amount, you should be well within range.

How Many Baby Wipes Does a Baby and Toddler Use in a Year?

If I based my calculations on the figures per month, you’re looking at the following usage of baby wipes for a year:

• 11520 to 14400 baby wipes for your baby’s first year.
• 15120 baby wipes for your baby’s second year and up to toddlerhood (and I haven’t included the amount to use beyond diaper changing!).

When looking at these figures you can start to get a sense of how many baby wipes you need to get for your baby’s or toddler’s use.

To give you more of an indication of the wipes you might need for different age groups, I’ve drawn up a handy table breaking it down by age.

Estimated Wipes Used by a Toddler

While your little one is toddling around, here is an estimated amount of wipes you’ll need. Again, this might vary depending on the types and sizes of wipes you’re using as well as how often you’re cleaning hands, faces and toys. This table includes my estimate for those extra baby wipes needed beyond diaper changing.

Who Else Uses Baby Wipes in the House and Why?

Wipes can be used in the house for a number of different purposes. The advantage of there being many uses means the wipes won’t go to waste. Baby wipes are so versatile that everyone from baby to dad can use them.

Some of the uses for wipes around the home include the following:

• Disinfecting appliances and toys
• Cleans dog paws
• Clean up craft materials before and after crafting
• Clean up spills in the car
• Removes makeup
• Cleans scuff marks, handprints or crayon and pencil marks off of walls
• Clean tables at restaurants
• Cleaning pacifiers
• Dusting household plants
• Blowing or wiping snotty noses
• Taming or wiping static
• Shines or dust off shoes
• Keep your herbs fresh by wrapping them in damp wipes
• Cleaning cuts and scratches

As a matter of interest, here’s a video clip of things you can do with the containers of all the baby wipes you’ll be using!

Alternatives to Baby Wipes

It’s obvious. Wipes are necessary when it comes to taking care of your baby or toddler. But, what if you still feel it’s an unnecessary expense or you’re not entirely convinced of their eco-friendliness? Fortunately for you, there are other options to conventional wet wipes.

One such alternative option is the HIPHOP Panda Store Baby Washcloths. This ultra-thick, fully absorbent baby towel provides a healthy alternative to pre-packed wipes. They’re fully reusable bamboo Rayon washcloths that are fully hypoallergenic and prevent babies and toddlers from getting rashes or allergies. They’re also chemical-free, easy to wash, and very durable. These washcloths are a wonderful alternative for you and the little ones!

Final Thoughts

When it comes to calculating the number of wipes you’ll need for your baby or your toddler, it’s important to add more to the equation. There will always be unforeseen days when the diaper load is more than expected. 🙂 Note that many times you can return or exchange baby wipes in different stores so you can easily buy more than you think you need.

Every parent will agree, you can never have enough baby wipes, no matter how old your little one gets! Now you should be better equipped also when trying to decide how many wipes to buy when stocking up on some wipes.

And don’t forget to consider the topic of whether baby wipes expire when decising how many to purchase.