Wipes Warmer FAQ

Here are a few frequently asked questions about wipes warmers, diaper wipes and other changing accessories. If your question isn’t answered here, feel free to get in touch, and I will happily add it to the list.

Do wipe warmers really work?

If you’ve ever attempted a romantic bath or shower with your loved one, you already know that “warm” is such a subjective word. What might be perfectly toasty to you could be scalding hot or icy cold to someone else. If you’re expecting your wipes warmer to serve up piping hot diaper wipes with tendrils of steam floating above them, you’re going to be disappointed.

In my humble opinion, a wipes warmer is designed not so much to “warm” the wipes, but rather to take the chill off them. A more accurate name would be “wipes luke-warmers.”

Every wipes warmer claims it will not dry or brown wipes. Is this true?

One word: pffft.

Unless you’re really dedicated to the care and maintenance of your wipes warmer, your diaper wipes will occasionally dry out and turn brown. (And if you are that dedicated, I really have to wonder about your priorities.)

Think about it: Wipes don’t clean very well without moisture. Heat and air suck the moisture out of wipes. If you don’t remember to periodically add water to your wipes warmer, your diaper wipes will dry out and turn brown.

If you’re like me, you will forget to add water to your wipes warmer for days … or weeks. Then one day, you’ll reach into your wipes warmer and pull out a baby wipe the color and texture of whole-wheat toast. Always keep a spare package of cold wipes handy for moments like these.

If your wipes do dry out and brown (a little), you can usually just rinse the wipes clean and they’re fine. You’ll probably rinse out all the fancy lotions and perfumes in the wipes as well (which you probably don’t need anyway).