Baby Wipe Warmers
Baby Wipe Warmers: The Gift for Your Friend Who Has Everything Else
There are two types of good gift-givers: the ones who give you something you asked for, and the ones who give you something you didn’t know you needed. If possible, play it safe and be the former. If that’s not possible—let’s say their wedding registry is full, or they tell you they own everything they need—aim to be the latter. Despite getting into gift-giving (and receiving) later in life, this rule seemed obvious to me. Apparently, it’s not obvious to others.
People don’t need another version of something they already own. A better coffee maker? Maybe. More clothes? You better be sure that’s their style and size. When in doubt: baby wipe warmers. You can improve lives and have them think of you every time they pull out a warm wipe. It fits in the smallest apartment. To me, it screams easy luxury without being too showy.
I had horrible acne in my teens, which didn’t fully go away even after the max Accutane dose and vigorous use of cleansers. When I started dating a vain cheerleader, I learned some of her beauty tips. One stuck with me: use a non-scented baby wipe on your face and other areas. So I did, after going outside and sweating, or between meetings. A combination of aging, excessive baby wipe baths, and weekly washings of bedding and towels (hottest temp) saved my face. I stopped talking to one of my most shallow exes long ago, but I still use her wipe advice and think of her because of it.
Wipes aren’t just for people with babies. I don’t have a baby. Life doesn’t always offer the dignity of a proper face wash. A warm wipe is a tiny, beautiful act of self-respect. I could’ve guessed rebranding them as “Dude Wipes” and other machismo-soaked names would make them sell like sliced bread. Once you switch from unsliced to sliced, it’s hard to go back. By the way, since unscented is the move, the splash of eucalyptus or mint that turns a “baby wipe” into a “manly wipe” is just marketing and low-T decision-making. The cheapos are fine.
Baby wipe warmers do what they say: make sure your baby wipes are warm. Think spa towel, but convenient. Sadly they’re never quite warm enough. One day I’ll learn how to make a “baby wipe heater” that gets them towel-on-an-airplane hot, for adults. Still, it beats a dry paper towel or doing a ton of laundry any day.
I’ve gifted these warmers to friends who probably rolled their eyes before trying them. Some never opened the box. Some asked, “Are you hinting at something?” But most call me after a month to tell me their lives were transformed. Once they try them, they convert.
One caveat: don’t flush wipes. Plumbing systems weren’t built for wipes, even the ones that explicitly say they’re “flushable.” Yeah, it’s annoying. Follow the rules, unless, I guess, you’re using a port-a-potty, where anything is flushable. Don’t destroy plumbing. Have some respect.
In a perfect world, we’d all have fresh, heated towels delivered to us throughout the day like royalty. But in this imperfect world, a baby wipe warmer is close enough. It’s a gift for tired humans who still value feeling clean. When you gift it, you’re not just handing over a box—you’re giving someone a future moment of unexpected comfort.
Trust.
