Megan CurtinIt was a muddy day in the city, my two dogs came running through my apartment, and you could see a trail of rather cute but destructive muddy paws behind them. It was at this moment in time I knew I had to look into a dog bath alternative.
While my building does have a pet spa, I don’t have time every day to go into the room, wash them and then dry them. I may work from home, but I still have a life and after a week of rinsing paws I started researching alternatives.
Once I found out a thing such as dog wipes existed, I was intrigued, pleased, and instantly sold on the idea. The only thing left to do was research the best brand, and lucky for you, I am here to share that information.
So who makes the best dog wipes? The answer is Earth Rated.
Contents
Who Is Earth Rated?
Earth Rated was founded over a decade ago in 2009 by five best friends, who all still work with the company today. They began with poop bags, a staple now in every pet parent home.
In 2010 just a year after their creation they participated in the US trade show. Between then and 2013 they partnered with their first distributer and begin to hire additional employees.
The years 2014 to 2017 was a big growing year for them; literally, they moved into bigger office spaces and launched a new product: their stain and odor remover.
In the years 2018 to 2019, the company got its passport stamp and started entering the European market. In this year alone their team grows 57%.
They are a company that makes earth-friendly pet products that are not only helpful for pet owners but healthy for them and the planet around us all.
Their Mission
They want to keep the pet’s household, neighborhood, and earth clean! All their products are cruelty-free, and all their packaging is made from recycled material. Being a vegan myself I obviously found this as a major plus.
The Company That Gives Back
I like supporting companies that support animals and people, and this company floored me by exactly how much they have donated and given back.
While their stats grow as the year’s pass, to date they have:
- Helped 2,916 organizations
- Supported 7,038 events
- Donated 8,160 blankets
- Donated 6,842,200 poop bags
What Are Dog Wipes Used For?
Dog wipes are equivalent to baby wipes, but maybe even better? Yeah, I’m gonna go ahead and say they are better. They can be used for a wide range of reasons, some of which you might not have even thought about.
Cleaning Paws
I was looking for an alternative to rinsing my dog’s paws every time I let them out which is what lead me to discover these wipes in the first place. They not only clean the mud, dirt, pee, poop, and other city germs off their paws but they help sanitize them.
Looking at the wipe before and after picture really gives you an idea of just how much of the outside is brought in with your dogs. Even for those who may not live in the city like myself, country life can be just as dirty.
A thing that shocked me the first time I cleaned my dogs’ paws was how much random debris gets in them. When you look at the wipe after it has been used, you can see little mud and rock debris on the wipe, which was what got taken off and shows exactly what gets caught in between dog toes.
In the winter it can be a real lifesaver to get the salt out of their paws, which can cause chemical burns and can ruin your floors. In summer it gets rid of unwanted pollen particles that can worsen human allergies and cause dust buildup around your home.
Having clean paws is essential for pet health becuase dirty paws will hide any wounds and those who have abrasions can get infected when stuff gets inside them. Paw cleaning wipes act as a prevention and solution to paw issues.
Clean paws are not only good for the dog but are beneficial to all human health, which can be a great thing especially if you have small children to play on the floor. Remember, just becuase you can’t physically see dirt or germs on your dog’s paws doesn’t mean there isn’t any there.
Cleans Dingleberries
Anyone who has a dog knows that sometimes a little something gets left behind after a messy number two hits. It’s not always a full-blown disaster that needs bathing, but a little droopy poo.
Stop reaching for napkins and paper towels and reach for an Earth Rated pet wipe instead.
The moistened towelette will help you clean the poo off more quickly and effectively leaving behind a fresh bum. No more poo stamps on your carpet, couch or the unfortunate bed surprise.
Personally using these paw wipes makes the whole act of cleaning your dog’s butt feel less invasive and more sanitary.
Cleans Full Body Areas
I don’t know what it is but my Cav-a-poo(cavalier & poodle), loves to go outside, take a dump and then roll around the grass five feet away. It’s the oddest routine I’ve ever seen but not the only dog to do this.
While his post poo victory roll is somewhat cute and somewhat annoying, I no longer am a nagging mom and try to get him to stop. Instead, I let him enjoy his accomplishment and bring him inside to wipe him off with one of these disinfecting dog wipes.
Clean Around Ears And Eyes
I saved this one for last and post it with caution. These wipes are for external use only and should not be used to take eye gunk OUT of the eye but can clear eye gunk AROUND the eye area.
As their site even states, the skin around the eyes and ears are uber-sensitive so thee areas should be used with delicate motions only when it is for sure needed.
Dog Earth Ingredients
Cooper, my cav-a-poo is here to share with you the wonderful ingredients found in these dog wiping products.
But before we get into that, it is important to note that moisturizing wipes can be much needed for dogs’ paws.
When you use standard towels, napkins or paper towels it can leave the dog’s paws chapped and irritated. Imagine using those things to try to clean your hands every day, ouch.
Moisture found inside these wipes helps the paws stay moist and prevents them from drying out, which is really bad for dogs in colder weather climates, as well as dry ones.
Are Earth Rated Dog Wipes Hypoallergenic?
Yup! The ingredients are carefully selected and include shea butter and aloe for soothing use on skin. Made to be free of parabens, sulfates, and alcohol so they’re mild enough for daily use.
It is key to know that dog wipes such as these are the only wipes that should be used on dogs. Human wipes contain chemicals and other ingredients that can be harmful to dogs and in some cases can be detrimental.
What are Earth Rated wipes made from?
They are made from LenzingTM Viscose Fibers. For those unfamiliar with Lenzing fibers, they are fibers that are soft and smooth, gentle on skin, and excellent at absorbing and releasing moisture.
I ordered both scented and the lavender wipes to switch up the routine. I typically use the lavender wipes before bed and use the unscented ones throughout the day.
Looking back I would probably order just the lavender ones because I am a smell queen and lavender is my absolute favorite scent. lavender gives off a calming scent that helps reduce stress and anxiety.
My pom-a-poo has sensitive skin so I mainly use the unscented ones on him and use more of the lavender on Cooper the Cav-a-poo.
The ingredients of each wipe are as follows:
Lavender:
Water, propylene glycol, glycerin, chamomilla Recutita flower extract (chamomile), aloe barbadensis leaf extract (aloe vera), shea butter, caprylhydroxamic acid, butylene glycol, hydroxy acetophenone, caprylyl glycol, Lavandula angustifolia oil (lavender essential oil), Cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract, Punica granatum extract (pomegranate), tocopheryl acetate (vitamin e), citric acid, sodium citrate, gluconolactone.
Unscented
Water, propylene glycol, glycerin, chamomilla Recutita flower extract (chamomile), aloe barbadensis leaf extract (aloe vera), shea butter, caprylhydroxamic acid, butylene glycol, hydroxy acetophenone, caprylyl glycol, Cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract, Punica granatum extract (pomegranate), tocopheryl acetate (vitamin e), citric acid, sodium citrate, gluconolactone.
If you are unsure of which wipes to use get the unscented wipes and do a test swipe on a small area. If your dog has sensitive skin for sure get unscented, if your dog has been fine with other products go ahead and get the lavender ones.
The unscented wipes still have a “fresh” smell to them due to the vitamins in it and eliminate any bad smells that your dog may walk into the house with. The best way to describe it is a clean smell free of any perfume and they help deodorize.
Textured Dog Wipe
Each wipe is designed with a thought out a textured pattern which helps in the removal of dirt and debris between the paws and dog fur itself.
A flat cloth simply glides over a surface where a textured one has grooves that actually pick up and locks in dirt, germs and everything else that shouldn’t be there.
Precise Cleaning
There are other ways to clean your dog after a walk or letting them outside but they aren’t very precise.
Sprays aren’t direct to your dog only and they will land on your floor, walls, clothing, and furniture around the space in which you are spraying them. This can ruin what it lands on and isn’t healthy to breathe in.
Wipes are a good alternative to dog shampoo because it hits the spots you directly need to clean and takes a fraction of the time to use without involving water, bathtubs, or dog dryers. Dog wipes are the perfect solution to washing your dog without a bathtub, which is a great sigh of relief because not every home has one.
IF you are someone who likes to wash your dog weekly this can be a great shampoo substitute for weeks you are overbooked and have zero extra time. It is in a way, waterless dog shampoo and conditioner.
Grade A Packaging
Besides researching wipes I ordered a few different brands, and let me tell you, they are not all made the same. This is something you might not even think about before ordering them but it is something you will be glad you know.
Hard Plastic Closure
One of the things that stands out to me besides the wipe itself is the packaging.
Other brands use a simple sticky sticker as the lid or covering of the wipes themselves. With over 100 wipes inside the bag using a sticker is probably the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen. Not only does the lifting, closing, lifting, closing over 100 times take the stick off the sicker, but the picture from the wipes also dulls down and eliminates the stick in general.
With competitor brands, I had to constantly keep the bag upside down to keep the sticker covering the hole which was super annoying and didn’t fully prevent the wipes from drying out. The sticker doesn’t allow for a full seal tight close so I never even got to use the full 100 wipes because they ended up drying out.
With Earth Rated dog wipes you get a solid, permanent hard plastic lid. This plastic lid makes pulling the wipes out not only easier than the competitors but gives the packaging an airtight feature; thus keeping them moist until the very end.
The hard plastic closure is sturdy and super reliable and when compared to the sticker packaging is just so much more advanced. When you are wrestling with two dogs first thing coming through the door the last thing you need is a flimsy package to fight with just to grab a wipe out. Earth Rated allows me to control my dogs, two leashes, my keys and grab a wipe with ease.
Compact Packing
From the picture, it may look like the competitor has a larger wipe because the packing is much larger but, in fact, each wipe is the same size.
I personally prefer the Dog Rated packaging size becuase it fits more convent on my entry table and doesn’t take up an obnoxious or obvious amount of space.
If you want to save wipes and be more product conscious I suggest using one side of the wipe on one dog and fold it over and use the back of the wipe on the other dog. Or if you only have one dog use one side for their paws, flip it over and use the second side to freshen up their body.
You could also tear the wipe in half and use just halves which would give you 200 wipes of cleaning power! I do this with my face wipes and it saves me so much money in the long run.
Are Dog Wipes Flushable?
BB is here to tell you that no, these wipes are NOT flushable.
Even if you live somewhere without a private septic tank like an apartment or condo complex, you still shouldn’t flush these down the drains.
While they are USDA-certified and 99% biobased they are not flushable. You can, however, put them in your compost bin.
These are made in compliance according to ASTM D6400-12 standards.
ASTM D6400-12 standards mean it meets standard specifications for solid material biodegradation which tells compost plants it is okay to have these products in their municipal or industrial facilities.
Earth Rated Dog Wipes Are Paw-fect
These dog wipes aren’t just a fad, but a lifestyle. I will continue to use these as long as I have dogs and are the number one choice for a dog bath alternative.
The work great for small or large dogs and whatever they bring home with them no longer have to live with you inside.
Say goodbye to dirt, germs, pests, and odor and say hello to a clean, earth-friendly home.
If you are a pet owner and you deal with cleaning up pet hair, check my article on the best brooms for pet hair.
Megan Curtin
