Something Cheeky? - A review

Even once I had got my head wrapped around cloth nappies, I was reluctant to delve into the world of cloth wipes.

It was admittedly an irrational fear. I had already conquered poop on cloth, and it didn't kill me! In fact, my continued use of disposable wipes actually added an un-necessary step in my nappy changing routine, in that I still needed to bag up poopy wipes and throw them in the dustbin, in addition to tossing the dirty reusable nappy in the bathroom pail.

In the end, however,  it wasn't convenience or cost or even eco-friendliness that made me switch to cloth wipes, as seems to be the case with most people. It was, in fact, nappy rash that I am almost certain was caused by our disposable wet-wipes. During a flare-up, we'd revert to cotton wool and water, and the rash would disappear, as soon as we returned to the 'convenient' sposie wipes, back the rash would come. It was a frustrating cycle, that led to a trip to the doctors with an infected bot. *sigh*

One of my fellow September Mummy's suggested Cheeky Wipes after success with their own little one and I was more than happy to give them a try. Cheeky wipes were stocked at my beloved Cheeks and Cherries online stockist and so it was easy to throw them in my 'basket' along with another cloth nappy, at my next visit.

I opted for the 'Cheeky Monkey mini- kit', designed for those already using a cloth nappy system and that therefore do not require a place to store dirty wipes before they are washed. The kit came with 25 15cm x 15cm washable cotton wipes made from terry towelling, a storage container, a 10ml bottle of the Fresh Wipes oil blend (lavender and chamomile) and the most gorgeous Monkey-foot wet bag.

The instructions that accompanied the kit made getting started simple. Add 2cm of water to the empty container, add a couple of drops of the essential oil, pop the wipes in the container, turn the wipes over once, and give them a little squeeze to saturate them. Done. (Even my husband could do it *wink*)

When it came to putting the wipes to the test, I was pleasantly surprised at how well they worked. To be honest, I was hoping to see a change in Oscar's rash, and that alone would have put a big smile on my face, but when it came down to it, I found that it actually also made changing dirty nappies easier, and less dirty. The texture of the cloth is not, by any means rough, but it does have a slightly abrasive quality, which means rather than smearing the contents of the nappy around baby's bot and thus needing several wipes, the wipes actually cling to the poop and remove it efficiently. We moved on to try them on our toddler, George (now 2.5yrs), and on even the muckiest nappy, we did not need to use more than TWO wipes!

The stubborn rash that we had been dealing with in Oscar, subsided quickly and has not returned, at all! I put this down to the lavendar and chamomile oil, as lavender and chamomile aid in soothing sore skin, and have anti-fungal properties.

The container is large, and closes with a snap on each side. It is easy to open one handed with a little practice, but a little harder to close. My only wish for these, would be that a fill line be added to the inside of the container, so the appropriate amount of water could be added.

The Monkey-Foot wet-bag (oh my the wet bag), is gorgeous. I chose the spa damask print, as pictured above, and it is every bit as lovely in real life.  Aside from its gorgeousness, it also fulfils its function perfectly and makes traveling with cheeky wipes easy. The bag is lined with waterproof fabric, and the stitching is sealed so that wet cannot wick through the holes. Simply pinch a few wipes from the plastic container and store in the bag when out-and-about, once used, throw into your dirty wet bag that you will already be using for your cloth nappies. Simple!

I can honestly, not find fault with these wipes at all, and am adament that we will never return to disposable wipes. I only wish I had found these earlier!

If you have any questions about the wipes, please do ask. I would love for others to fall in love with these wipes as we have.

* I did not receive this product free to review.