Music festivals, camping and cycling to work can be smelly and grimey affairs, especially if there are no showers in which to get washed. Wet wipes are an alternative, but are so small they're hardly effective. Epic Wipes, however, are towel-sized wipes designed especially for body cleansing.
The idea for Epic Wipes was conceived by company founder Dr. Aeneas Janze for soldiers in Afghanistan who had no access to showers, although body-sized wipes do exist elsewhere already. Janze saw that soldiers needed a portable yet effective means of cleaning themselves up.
He felt that normal wet wipes were too small and flimsy for effective body cleansing. In addition, he viewed the resealable packages as being less hygienic than is ideal and found that many wipes contain ingredients that aren't actually good for people to use, such as endocrine disruptors and carcinogens.
A three-year development process ensued, during which Janze tested multiple formulas and materials. The resulting product measures 31.5 x 19.7 in (80 x 50 cm), and folds down to fit comfortably in pockets. The company says this is sixteen times larger than a typical wet wipe and is able to be used with two hands, with users even able to clean their backs in the same way they'd dry them with a towel.
Epic Wipes are made from bamboo fibers processed into viscose and are 100 percent biodegradable, with recyclable packaging. They also contain ingredients that rank among the safest on the non-profit Environmental Working Group's (ESG) Skin Deep database, including chamomile, calendula and eucalyptus.
A Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for Epic Wipes is ongoing. Pledges from US$14 will be rewarded with four of the wipes, and higher pledges will get you more, assuming all goes to plan with the roll-out. Delivery is expected to take no longer than 6-7 weeks.
The video below is the Kickstarter pitch for Epic Wipes.
Sources: Epic Wipes, Kickstarter
