Disposable Dry Wipes for Healthcare Facilities: A Purchasing Guide

By Kevin Leoncio, Account Representative, Essential Cares Supplies, Inc.

"Dry wipes" covers a lot of ground. It can mean a heavy absorbent wiper used for general cleanup, a soft nonwoven washcloth used with water or a separate cleanser, or a cut-sheet product bought by the bag. A purchase order that says only "dry wipes, 12 x 13" will be filled with whatever matches those words, and two bags with the same count can differ in weight, thickness and sheet area.

This guide is for buyers sourcing dry disposable wipes and washcloths for healthcare, long-term care and institutional use. It covers the dry versus premoistened distinction, what basis weight (gsm) means, how to compare count and sheet size, how to turn a case quote into a cost per sheet, and what to ask a supplier to send. It is about general patient-care and cleanup wipes. Disinfectant wipes are bought against label claims and are a separate subject that this article does not cover.

Dry versus premoistened: what changes for the buyer

A dry wipe is supplied without added liquid. A premoistened wipe is supplied with a liquid already on the sheet, such as a lotion or cleansing solution. For purchasing, the practical differences are:

• What you are specifying. A dry wipe is specified mostly by the nonwoven: material, weight, size and count. A premoistened wipe adds a formulation, and the formulation is a second set of questions (ingredients, fragrance, alcohol content, and whatever the label states).
• How it is packed. Premoistened products come in sealed packs or tubs so the liquid stays in. Dry products can be bagged or boxed. Ask the supplier how the pack is closed and what the label says about storage.
• How it is used. A dry wipe needs water or a separate product if the task calls for wetting. That is a workflow decision for your own protocols; it is not something a supplier can settle for you.

Because the two formats are different products, do not compare their prices per sheet and call it a like-for-like comparison. ECSI's listings show the difference in naming: the Wet Wipes Adult 9 in x 13 in listing describes aloe, vitamin E and lanolin, and the Wipe Heavy Absorbent Dry+ listing is named as a dry product. They are different products and are not offered here as alternatives to each other.

Basis weight (gsm) in plain terms

Basis weight is how much a unit area of fabric weighs. INDA, the association of the nonwoven fabrics industry, defines it in its glossary as "the weight of a unit area of fabric," with grams per square meter and ounces per square yard as examples. GSM stands for grams per square meter.

What that means when you read a spec sheet:

• A higher gsm means more fabric mass per square meter. It does not by itself tell you how absorbent, soft or strong the wipe is. Fiber type, construction and finishing all contribute.
• Two sheets with the same gsm but different sizes weigh different amounts per sheet, which is why sheet size has to sit next to gsm on the RFQ.
• Ounces per square yard and gsm are the same kind of measure in different units. One ounce per square yard is about 33.9 gsm (28.35 grams divided by 0.836 square meters).
• Gsm is a manufacturer-stated figure. Ask which test method the figure comes from and whether it is a nominal value or a measured average.

Illustrative arithmetic (hypothetical numbers): a 12 in x 13 in sheet is 156 square inches, which is about 0.1006 square meters. At a hypothetical 60 gsm, one sheet would weigh about 6.0 grams (60 x 0.1006). If a quote offers a sheet of the same size at a lower gsm, the difference in fabric per sheet is real, but whether it matters for your use is a call for your own users and protocols.

Sheet size, count and the units on the quote

Sheet size is nominal in most listings, so ask for the dimensions in the same unit you use on your RFQ and whether the figure is the cut size or the folded size. Count needs the same discipline as in any case-pack comparison. Write down sheets per bag, bags per case and sheets per case before comparing anything. The UOM and case-pack conversion guide covers the general method.

Here is what two wipe items on the ECSI site list. The sizes and counts come from the listing names and pages; no price is shown here.

These are two different products in two different formats. The table is a list of configurations, not a recommendation or an equivalency claim. The dry listing does not state material, size or gsm on the product page, so a buyer comparing it to anything needs the spec sheet first.

Cost per sheet: an illustrative example

The prices and sizes below are hypothetical, with round numbers, and are not ECSI prices.

Quote B has the lower case price and the higher cost per sheet. Because its sheets are smaller, the gap is wider again when you measure by area. Neither number tells you which wipe your staff will use more of, so use cost per sheet for budgeting and specification fit for the decision. If one product takes two sheets for a task that another does in one, run the math on cost per task, not cost per sheet.

Storage and handling

Follow the manufacturer's labeled storage instructions for the specific item, and ask for them in writing if they are not on the carton. As general receiving practice: keep cases off the floor, store them away from moisture and from chemicals that could contaminate the packaging, and note on the receiving record if bags arrive torn or wet. Ask the supplier for case dimensions and weight if shelf space or manual lifting limits are a constraint.

What to request from a supplier

1. Manufacturer name and part number for the exact item.
2. The product specification sheet.
3. Material composition, as the manufacturer states it.
4. Basis weight (gsm or oz/yd2) and the test method behind it.
5. Sheet dimensions, and whether they are cut or folded size.
6. Sheets per bag, bags per case, sheets per case, and the dimensions and weight of the case.
7. Whether the item is dry or premoistened, and for premoistened items the ingredient list and any label statements you rely on.
8. Manufacturer statements on any material concerns you have (latex, for example), requested for the specific item.
9. Storage instructions and, if applicable, dating on the product.
10. Substitution rule: no substitutions without written approval, or a defined review process.

Common mistakes

• Comparing price per case without dividing by sheets per case.
• Ordering by size only and ignoring gsm, or the reverse.
• Treating a dry wipe and a premoistened wipe as the same product class.
• Assuming "heavy" or "absorbent" in a product name states a measured property. Ask for the spec.
• Accepting a substitute with the same count but a different size.

If you are building recurring supply lists for several departments, the dialysis facility disposable supply guide and the skilled nursing facility disposable supply purchasing guide show where wipes sit next to gloves and other recurring items, and the underpads purchasing guide covers the item most often ordered alongside them.

Related ECSI Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

• INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry: Nonwovens Glossary of Terms (definitions of basis weight, nonwoven and GSM).