Wet wipes, made fron non-woven fabrics, are found in many industries and are growing in number each year. Here is a brief summary about the characteristics of the non-woven fabrics used in manufacture of wet wipes.There are several techniques to bond together fibers in a non-woven fabric. The bonding can be done using heat (creating thermobond fabrics), chemicals, air or water.

Spunlace  (Also called Hydroentanglement) is a bonding process for fibers either by carding, airlaying or wet-laying, the resulting bonded fabric being a nonwoven fabric.The bonding process uses fine, high pressure jets of water which penetrate the fibers web, hit the conveyor belt and bounce back causing the fibres to entangle.

The Fibers used : Spunlace non woven fabric uses short staple fibers, the most popular are Viscose and polyester. Sometimes Polypropylene (PP) is used. Most wet wipes are manufactured from fabrics that are blends of Viscose and Polyester. Other raw materials, such as cotton,bamboo, or Tencel  are also used. These fibers are all natural and are derived from plants.

The GSM (grams per square meter) of the fabric define the weight of the fabric (typically coincides with the thickness of the fabric). Typical GSM ranges from 20  to 90.

Various considerations when choosing the type of Fabric for your wet wipes :

The intended use of the wipe –  is the product intended for cleaning surfaces or for cosmetic purposes? Should the fabric hold a lot of moisture? Should the wipe leave the surface streak free as much as possible? lint free as much as possible?

Natural – If you want to choose a natural non woven fabric you can choose between 100% viscose (viscose is made from cellulose which comes from plants and trees), cotton, bamboo, or Tencel.

Biodegradeable –  Natural fabrics are considered biodegradeable by most people although chemical solutions are used in the manufacturing process of viscose and bamboo making them less eco-friendly.

Flushable – There is a growing demand for wet wipes which will not clog the sewer pipes, especially for after toilet wipes and intimate wipes. Although we recommend that you check your country’s regulation before using this claim, there are standard tests defined by INDA and EDANA (the international associations of non woven producers) which a fabric should be tested for in order to be defined as flushable.