How Many Baby Wipes You Need – Day/Week/Month/Year Breakdown

If you have a baby on the way, you may wonder how many baby wipes you need. It’s a sensible question since you want to be prepared, but doing the math off the top of your head might not come quickly. 

Wipes are a parent’s best friend; they are there to clean bottoms, pick up spills, take last night’s makeup off, and help remove mysterious stains from your clothing. However, the number of wipes you go through depends on your child’s age, although I’ll discuss additional contributing factors. 

For example, a newborn baby has several more diaper changes a day than a one-year-old. But, seriously, you’ll be amazed at how many newborn diapers you go through and how much your tiny baby can produce in one diaper change. 

New parents may be inclined to buy more wipes because they don’t know what to anticipate. However, it’s better to stock up on wipes than diapers (although you need those, too) since babies grow quickly. Buying baby wipes isn’t rocket science, but it’s wise to understand how many wipes you’ll go through daily and throughout your baby’s first year of life. 

Let’s take a closer look at how many wipes you should anticipate going through daily, weekly, monthly, and over your baby’s first year. In addition, I’ll fill you in on my favorite wipes and how many you should keep on hand to ensure you don’t run out. 

 

How Many Baby Wipes You Need – Daily

On average, you’ll go through about 20-30 wipes daily during the first few months of your baby’s life. 

You typically change your newborn baby’s diaper 10-12 times throughout the day, so you naturally will go through more wipes. For example, a wet diaper only requires one wipe, while poopy diapers need a few more, especially if the poo gets everywhere. 

However, once your baby reaches three months, you’ll probably only change them 8-10 times daily, while a six-month-old is changed roughly 6-8 times a day. As your child gets older, you likely will only need 10-15 wipes daily. However, babies can surprise us with major blowouts, so always ensure you have plenty of wipes on hand. 

In addition, you may use a few extra wipes for girls since more strategy is involved. You must remember to wipe front to back on baby girls when changing a bowel movement to prevent bacteria from entering their vulva, which can lead to an infection. Changing babies right after they pee is also best to avoid a yeast infection. 

Regarding boys, if your baby is circumcised, you will want to ensure no poop stays inside any crevices. As a tip, place a wipe over your baby boy’s penis during a change to prevent an Old Faithful situation; I learned that the hard way. 

 

How Many Baby Wipes You Need – Weekly

Every week, you will go through about 175 wipes for infants and an average of 100 for older babies. 

However, it depends on how much of a wiper you are. For example, some people can get away with three wipes for a poopy diaper, while others require ten, especially if this is the first time you’ve changed diapers. 

Generally, you’ll go through 3-4 baby wipes packages weekly, depending on the size of each package. In addition, you want to consider wipes you’ll use for other tasks, like cleaning hands or a messy face, wiping the high chair down, cleaning a dropped pacifier, or using them while you are running errands. Therefore, you likely will go through closer to 200 wipes weekly between diaper changes and random tasks. 

Another thing to consider is whether your baby requires diaper cream. For example, if your baby has a diaper rash, you’re likely slathering on cream to help the situation. So, when it comes to wiping, more wipes will be involved because there is an extra substance to clean, even if they don’t have a soiled diaper.

 

How Many Baby Wipes You Need – Monthly

It can get overwhelming when you consider how many wipes you need monthly; however, you’ll likely go through nearly 1,000 wipes each month. 

Again, this number includes wipes used for diaper changes and various household tasks, but you want to factor that into how many you plan to buy monthly. 

Moms (and you, too, dads) have enough on their plate when they have a baby, so you don’t want to worry about whether you have enough wipes for the month. 

You’ll quickly realize how beneficial wipes are and probably will continue using them even when your baby is out of diapers. I’m guilty of this, especially for removing makeup and wiping surfaces. In addition, I always have an extra pack in the car, which constantly comes in handy since my youngest gets carsick.

 

How Many Baby Wipes You Need – Yearly

While it might make you gasp, you’ll need about 10,000 – 12,000 baby wipes yearly. 

It seems crazy and might have you looking into reusable wipes, but since babies require daily changes until they are fully potty trained, you’ll go through thousands of wipes in a single year. 

As you enter the potty training stage, you’ll notice you’re using fewer wipes; however, you should still have them on hand for accidents. In addition, if your little one is using a training potty, you’ll probably want them to help clean it out. Remember, most toilets can’t handle wipes being flushed, so ensure you dispose of them properly. 

Once your child reaches their first birthday, they will only require about 5-6 changes during the day since they are likely sleeping through the night. (Fingers crossed!) As they enter their second year of life, the number of wipes will significantly decrease, and you’ll notice your supply doesn’t replenish as quickly as it used to. 

Before you know it, they will be out of diapers, and you no longer need to have a subscription for wipes and only occasionally pick them up from the store. Ok, it’s a little sad, but it’s fantastic when your expenses begin to reduce for baby products. It’s bittersweet.

 

How Much You Can Expect to Spend on Wipes in The First Year

You will spend between $200 – $300 on wipes during the first year of your baby’s life. Remember, this price can vary depending on where you buy your wipes and what brand you choose. So, for example, if you go to a store like Costco, you’ll likely get a better deal on a bulk order rather than buying a single package from Target. 

When my kids were in diapers, I only bought a single pack when I was in a crunch because it’s always financially smarter to buy bulk packages of wipes. 

In addition, certain brands and types of wipes are more expensive than others. So I quickly narrowed down my favorite kinds of wipes and anticipated how much I would be spending. 

Finally, I highly recommend clipping coupons when you find them because the cost of wipes can add up over time. Also, if you sign up for a subscription through Amazon, you can save a few bucks monthly and ensure you don’t run out of wipes. The more you know, right?

 

How Many Packs of Baby Wipes Should You Stock Up On

There is nothing like changing a dirty diaper, reaching for a wipe, and realizing you have none—cue facepalm. So, you should always buy more wipes than you typically use. As long as they are stored correctly, they will stay fresh. 

Also, consider having a diaper and wipes party instead of a traditional baby shower, as it’s an excellent opportunity to stock up on much-need necessities. 

You should have a stockpile of at least two-three extra packs of wipes, but thankfully, extra wipes are only an Amazon purchase away. Sometimes you’ll find yourself using tons of wipes, and then you’ll go through a lull where your baby manages to keep poop inside their diaper. High five, baby. 

Finally, ensure you only open one pack at a time because wipes dry up if not closed properly. However, you can rinse a dried wipe in water in a pinch.

 

My Personal Favorite Baby Wipes

The best baby wipes, in my opinion, are Pampers Sensitive Wipes because they were the most gentle on my baby’s skin. I avoid wipes with added ingredients like alcohol, preservatives, and fragrance. I promise that your baby’s bottom does not need to smell like lavender or cucumber. 

I also like Huggies Natural Care Wipes, which are made of 99% water and extremely gentle on the baby’s bottom. You’ll develop preferences for wipes, just like you do every baby product, so once you find one you like and your baby responds well to it, I recommend sticking with it.

If you prefer not to use disposable baby wipes, cloth wipes are an excellent alternative. For example, the Hiamo Reusable Wipes are effective at cleaning messes, eco-friendly, and are made from a bamboo/cotton blend.