Baby Wipes - Do they expire?

hi ladies,

i have just got a huge amount of baby wipes and nappies from my SIL. she bought them online with some deal or something.

They are Huggies brand but they are obviously not made for sale in Australia cuz the packaging looks completely different to stock sold here and also there is a lot of Asian writing on them. I think the nappies would be fine even though they aren't the "Australian" stock, but my main concern is with the wipes. There is a date written on the packets but i have no idea if it is a manufactured date or an expiry date. They all seem to have dates of May - October 2010 on them? Do wipes expire? if this is their expiry date would you still use them or throw them out? I feel bad doing that since they were a gift from my SIL (and it is about 8 packets of 80 wipes!) but i dont want to use something that could harm my baby's skin? I cant really ask the manufacturer cuz all that stuff is written in another language that i dont understand!

just wondering what you guys would do?

I wouldn't use the wipes personally cos I don't use wipes full stop because of the harsh chemicals in them, have and always will use just cloth and water.

They do have an expiry date as they like everything lose their freshness.

I wouldn't think they would expire and the dates might be packaging dates? but I would more concerned about what chemicals are in them. A lot of wipes are full of alcohol and other chemicals that I wouldn't want near my face let alone my babies bum. I would ditch them personally but that's just me.

I use wipes, Huggies in fact. I would have no hesitation in using them. Given they are in a sealed packet they should be fine, but when the packet is opened wipes can dry out. I add water to them and use them. I have never come across a wipe which is 'out of date' but I guess they would smell dodgy if they had turned bad??

If you don't want them, send them this way!!

Being from an unknown Asian country I would not use them. The regulations and safety standards can be very poor. But like em, I use cloth wipes 99% of the time, so I'm not really sure about expiry etc.

I, personally, wouldn't use anything on my baby if I didn't know its origin. A lapsed expiry date would be enough for me to chuck 'em, but the fact that they could come from a country with few or no quality control standards would concern me a great deal. But I have also been called paranoid before... ;)

Open wipes dry out after about 8 months.

Guess how often I use wipes then! (My mother always buys me loads cos I never have any in.)

I preferred warm water and a flannel as that was just easier and cheaper for me. And I didn't have to worry about throwing a pooey wipe in the bin or what do you do with human faecal matter on something you can't flush?

I am a baby wipes user (on my baby) but wipes are great for lots of other things around the house :) I use them for all sorts of cleaning jobs ie the fronts of my kitchen cupboards, cleaning the inside of the car, spot cleaning the kitchen floor, wiping pencil off the walls, cleaning spills off the carpet .... The list is endless! So if you are a bit wary of using them on bubs, there are plenty of other uses for them :)

Yes. They do expire :) if you look at the aussie packs they have an exp date.

If you decide you don't want to use them, maybe you should offer them to someone else rather then just chuck them. Or as suggested by a PP, you could use them for other things.

(personally, so long as they aren't dried out, I would think they should be fine).

I clean the interior of my car with baby wipes.. While I'm waiting at the lights and what not.

I would be kind of weary of the chemicals used in imported packs of anything. But cleaning other stuff in the house, why not. Not gonna harm the walls or the car... If it takes the colour or paint off the walls at least you know what it might do to Bubbas rear... Haha (jk)

I am a wipes user, avid. And a disposable user, wipes get wrapped in nappy and nappy goes into our nappy disposable wrapper.

Add some cleaning products and use them for that?

i think i will test a few out and use them for me first and a good idea about cleaning with them. and i can clean the nursery surfaces with it as well. I wouldn't have thought to use them for anything else. and the car is a good idea.. the inside of my car does need a good wipe down! thanks for you advice guys!