As people's requirements for health and hygiene increase, the use of wet wipes in daily life is becoming more and more common. There are a wide variety of wet wipes products on the market, which can be roughly divided into two categories according to their functions: ordinary wet wipes and disinfectant wet wipes. Although the two look similar, both are portable, liquid-containing soft paper towels, they have significant differences in ingredients, uses, production standards, etc., especially the difference in "wet wipes liquid" directly determines their use effect and safety.

1. Ordinary wet wipes: cleaning as the main, skin care as the auxiliary

The main function of ordinary wet wipes is to clean the dust, sweat or grease on the surface of the skin, and they are daily care products. Their wet wipes liquid usually contains purified water, a small amount of softener, fragrance and moisturizing ingredients, such as glycerin, aloe extract, vitamin E, etc. This type of liquid has mild ingredients and is suitable for daily use by most people. Some also emphasize "special for babies" and "sensitive skin", and are mainly used to clean the face, hands or body surface.

Ordinary wet wipes themselves are disinfected, but they do not have the ability to sterilize or disinfect other items. This means that they cannot effectively remove bacteria or viruses on the surface of the skin, nor can they be used to wipe public items to achieve disinfection effects.

Summary of features:

Wet wipes liquid composition: water + skin care ingredients, no disinfectant;

Main function: clean skin, moisturize and hydrate;

Scope of use: baby care, daily cleansing, hand cleaning;

Cannot replace: alcohol, disinfectant or professional sterilization products.

2. Disinfectant wipes: sterilization as the main function, while taking into account cleaning

Disinfectant wipes are a type of functional wet wipes with bactericidal, antibacterial and disinfection functions. In addition to water and basic moisturizers, the wet wipes liquid also contains special disinfectant ingredients, such as 75% ethanol, benzalkonium chloride, parachloro-meta-xylenol, grapefruit seed extract, etc. These ingredients can effectively kill common bacteria, fungi and even some viruses, such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, etc.

Disinfectant wipes are not only sterile products themselves, but can also be used to wipe and sterilize small areas of the skin, and can also be used to clean public facilities such as elevator buttons, door handles, mobile phone screens, etc. Especially in public places, medical institutions or during the high incidence of the epidemic, the use of disinfectant wipes has become particularly important.

Summary of features:

Wet wipes liquid composition: contains bactericidal/disinfectant active ingredients;

Main functions: sterilization, disinfection, cleaning;

Scope of application: hand disinfection, scratch cleaning, surface wiping;

Precautions: irritating, avoid large-scale use or contact with eyes.

3. Differences in the composition of wet wipes liquid: One of the core differences

The formula of "wet wipes liquid" is the core indicator to distinguish between ordinary wet wipes and disinfectant wipes. The liquid of ordinary wet wipes is mainly mild and moisturizing, usually using multi-filtered pure water, combined with skin care ingredients, pursuing low irritation and comfortable experience. The liquid of disinfectant wipes needs to take into account both cleaning and sterilization, and the composition design tends to be functional, safe and stable. The chemical ingredients used need to meet national or industry standards, such as the "Regulations on the Hygiene and Safety Evaluation of Disinfection Products".

The quality of wet wipes liquid directly affects the performance of wet wipes. For example, disinfectant wet wipes containing high concentrations of ethanol can evaporate quickly and are not easy to remain, making them easy to carry and quickly handle; but at the same time, they may also cause dry skin and even slight stinging. On the contrary, the liquid of ordinary wet wipes focuses more on moisturizing and skin comfort, and is more suitable for frequent use.

4. Purchase suggestions: identify ingredients, test batch number and shelf life

When purchasing wet wipes, in addition to clarifying the use requirements (cleaning or sterilization), you should also focus on the formula instructions, production license number, and implementation standards of the wet wipes liquid on the package.

High-quality wet wipes, whether ordinary or disinfectant, should have the following characteristics:

No obvious irritating odor;

The texture of the wet wipes is uniform and white, without obvious impurities;

Not easy to fluff or shed when used;

The packaging is intact and sealed, and the production batch number and expiration date are indicated.

Especially for disinfectant wipes, make sure that they contain nationally recognized bactericidal ingredients and are approved by the health department. Since the bactericidal ingredients have certain volatility and degradability, once the wet wipes expire, the disinfection effect will be greatly reduced or even ineffective. Therefore, be sure to check whether the product is within the shelf life before purchasing and using it.

5. Practical use suggestions

Daily outings: give priority to wet wipes products marked "sterilization" or "disinfection", which can cope with a variety of scenarios;

Home use: Babies, pregnant women or people with sensitive skin should choose ordinary wet wipes without fragrance and alcohol;

Exercise or travel: You can carry a pack of disinfectant wipes with you to wipe sweat and public contact items in time;

Medical care: Use disinfectant wipes certified by disinfection grade to avoid cross infection.

Conclusion

There is not much difference between ordinary wet wipes and disinfectant wet wipes in use, but the focus is different. Ordinary wet wipes are more suitable for baby skin and can also be used for daily cleaning; the requirements of disinfectant wet wipes are to have certain sterilization and cleaning effects while cleaning. The composition and formula of wet wipes liquid determine the essential difference between the two. Therefore, when we buy wet wipes, it is not that wet wipes with disinfection function are necessarily good, but we should choose products scientifically and reasonably according to our own usage needs.