Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn commissions from qualifying purchases via links to Amazon in this post.

Intro

(Updated October 2025)

Staying clean when you have a disability can be hard. If you spend any time in the online disability and/or chronic illness community you’ll see a common theme is people lamenting just how much energy is needed to take a shower. And that’s assuming you can even take a shower in the first place!

Whether you have a physical disability that makes it difficult to safely get to the bathroom or a mental illness which destroys all of your motivations regarding self-care, the end result is the same: days if not weeks can go by without soap and water coming anywhere near your body.

You don’t even need to ask me how I know.

Because of my own experiences in this area, an idea occurred to me when I was writing up the list of supplies to keep on hand in case of emergency. Namely, how useful could body wipes be to help stay clean if washing with soap and water was too difficult?

I set out to test that very thing.

What we have here, then, are the results of weeks of me trying out various products to see how they worked. The baseline comparison was against not taking a shower at all. Each brand of wipe was tested for the same amount of time between showers. My activity level stayed the same as well. In other words, it wasn’t as though one brand had the challenge of dealing with me after I ran a marathon while the others had weeks of me never leaving my couch. (They all got to deal with me pretty much never leaving my couch. Did I mention I'm disabled? Yeah.)

When possible I tested the wipes as a full body clean, same as a shower, though while avoiding any parts that, for the sake of delicacy, let’s just say I’d want to be extra cautious about. Ahem. (Luckily I have a bidet.)

For each wipe I made note of what I felt would be key considerations for many of those dealing with chronic illness or disabilities: ease of use, how well it cleaned, how did it feel against the skin (for those with skin sensitivities), and how did it smell (for those like me who get migraines from certain smells).

Here are the results. As you’ll see, there are two which came out way ahead of the others but I’ll show you what I had for all the ones I tried so you can get the idea of what it was like and make your own judgements. And of course full caveat that this is only based on my personal experience, nothing here should be taken as medical advice, I’m just sharing what I went through on the odd chance it may be helpful.

Note! Since the original publication of this article, people have told me how helpful they've found it. In particular, it's been popular for not only those who can't always take a shower in general, but for those who are temporarily unable to do so, such as after getting surgery. Because of that, I've also added a recommendation for an alternative to washing your hair that's better than dry shampoo and a good stop gap for when you need to shave.

Let’s get to it!

Rating Daily Body Wipes

In general, all of the wipes tested came out even in terms of feeling cleaner compared to the baseline of the same amount of time without a shower or sponge bath. Granted, I wouldn’t want to go meet royalty having done nothing but used the wipes for a week or more but at the same time I did feel clean enough that if I had to race to the store for an emergency I wouldn’t be offending everyone around me. (Bearing in mind this also assumes clean clothes, use of deodorant, and so on.) There was a clear benefit in how I felt in body and also spirit for having used the wipes so just as a concept I recommend trying them if you find regular washing to be difficult for you.

In terms of how the individual wipes worked, here’s what I found along with reader feedback.

Best Full Shower Replacement

Medline ReadyBath Select Unscented Body Cleansing Cloths

Sturdy and Big!

Medline ReadyBath Cleansing Cloths are the closest thing to full on washcloths I have ever seen. They are so thick and sturdy I honestly kept double checking that I wasn't accidentally pulling two or even three out of the package at a time. They are of a large size too - again, much like proper washcloths - making them easy to use for a full body cleaning (and I am not a small woman, believe me). The unscented makes them great for those of us with fragrance issues or other sensitivities. And I liked how the packaging was easy to open and close, good for both keeping them fresh and for anyone with weakness in their hands.

As for cleaning, it's a good clean! The sturdiness of the cloth means you can get a good scrub in even on a hot and sweaty day. They're moist enough to clean but don't leave you feeling damp or like you've got a sticky residue once you're done. And as I say, the size means you can get all over without feeling like you're just moving dirt around. There's plenty of clean cloth to use.

I will caveat that they are so good and sturdy that they might feel wasteful to use if you're not going for a full shower replacement. If you're hoping for a quick spot clean hop on down and try the Cetaphil Wipes instead. But if you need a complete clean and a shower or bath isn't possible, put these in your Subscribe & Save without hesitation. Can't recommend them enough.

Best For Daily Use

Goodwipes Really Big Body Wipes

Most popular with readers!

Goodwipes Really Big Body Wipes were hands down the best of the bunch when it came to feeling like you took a shower without taking a shower. The wipes were the size of a washcloth which meant you could use one wipe to clean your entire body (and my body is not small, believe me). They have unscented but even the scent on their scented versions is mild. I tried the lavender scent and it did not make me worry about migraines even though floral scents are among the worst for my triggers. After use my skin felt clean and not like I needed to rinse or moisturize.

These have overwhelmingly been the most popular among readers of the site as well. People seem to love the size and ease of use. I've heard from more than one reader who made these a regular in their Subscribe & Save.

The one caveat I'll add is that they are so popular the specific kind I link is often sold out. I do my best to keep the links updated, but you may find that the scent or exact type is different. But the Goodwipes brand is good in general and I still hear from readers raving about it, so it's still worth checking out.

Second Best for Daily Use

Cetaphil Face and Body Wipes

Cetaphil Face and Body Wipes were not my personal favorite but I do think they have advantages which may make them worthwhile for people with needs different from mine. To begin with, their scent is much milder than any other wipe that I tested, to the point that even with a migraine I have to struggle to figure out what the scent is (mildly antiseptic is the best I can manage).

The wipes also don’t leave your skin with that slight dry feeling that I had with other wipes I tested, so if someone had problems with dry skin this might be the better option for them. Though the trade off is that your skin does take slightly longer to dry after you use the wipes on them. Not forever, certainly not more than a minute, but for me I felt like I needed a rinse after using the wipes instead of being able to use the wipe and move on with my life.

The package has the hard plastic cover which is good. The wipes themselves are sturdy but sized oddly. They’re narrow rectangles compared to the wider rectangles or squares of the other wipes. This isn’t a deal breaker but I found it made it harder to get a good scrub in because you had to make sure your hand didn’t slip off the wipe while you were using it.

So if you have extra dry skin or scent sensitivity and don’t mind an odd size these might be the best wipes for you.

Fair warning that over on Amazon there is a version of these which claims to be a three pack (as opposed to the two pack that is linked here). If you read the customer comments you'll see that many have tried ordering it - myself included - and gotten a single pack instead. Contacting customer service only gets another single pack. Best I can figure is that this is either a mislabeled product or a database error. But either way do NOT order the three pack. Stick to the doubles if you go this route.

Best When You're Low On Water

Scrubzz Disposable Rinse Free Bathing Wipes

Scrubbz Rinse-Free Bath Sponges work by getting them wet and using them to soap yourself up. The downside to this, of course, is that it requires you to have access to water. So if you're looking for something you can keep by your bedside to use when you've got enough energy to try wiping yourself down a little, this would not be the way to go.

The upside is that if you do have access to that little bit of water - and it doesn't take much. I didn't measure but it wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't more than a tablespoon or two - it feels like a really good clean.

The sponge lathers up like a proper washcloth, bubbles and all. It's more than enough for a full body wash, and as I've said before I am not a small person by any means. By the time I was done I felt like I'd taken a proper shower. I could see how this would be an amazing thing to keep on hand if you were camping or otherwise stuck without the ability to take a proper hot shower or bath (where my Hurricane Sandy people at?)

There are more downsides though. First, it's disposable so you're kind of keenly aware of how much you're adding to landfills by using it. Not a huge concern if your needs are temporary, but if you're looking for something to keep in a regular rotation you might prefer any of the above mentioned wipes instead.

The next is that it says no rinse but in my experience that was not the case. I felt amazingly clean and like I had just stepped out of a shower when I finished wiping myself down, but it didn't take long for my skin to feel icky and like something was on it. I had followed the instructions and wiped myself down with a towel to get the lather off, but it wasn't enough. I didn't feel right until I wiped myself down with a wet washcloth.

Doing that did get rid of the residue, but it does go to show that unlike the above mentioned wipes where you can just scrub yourself down and be done, this does require an extra step of needing that wipe off. Which might not be a big deal, but if you're working with limited energy that's something to consider.

Best If You Don't Mind Scent

Dove Baby Wipes

Dove Baby Wipes were not originally in my top picks. I preferred Dove Go Fresh Deodorant Wipes, which were my top pick for daily use. They left me feeling clean without also leaving my skin feeling dry or in need of a rinse. The only downside was that the scent was a bit strong even when I didn’t have a migraine. I was able to get used to it with time but still, it was something I had to get used to.

However, as far as I can tell Dove has discontinued making the Deodorant Wipes. You can still get the Baby Wipes though which have many of the same features. So they might be a good alternative if you're fond of Dove products.

Honorable Mentions

The Honest Company Flushable Wipes For Sensitive Skin

The Honest Company Flushable Wipes For Sensitive Skin have to come with the caveat that this is based on outside recommendations and I haven't tried them myself yet.

That being said, they are fragrance free so great for those of us with smell sensitivities. They also have a plastic closable seal which helps keep the cloths moist and easy to dispense.

Those who use them say that they are great for daily cleaning with nice and thick cloths that stand up to using them for more than wiping your face. They also report no feeling of residue afterwards.

I would caution against flushing because things that claim to be okay to flush tend not to be. But otherwise these do seem to be a popular alternative.

Bliss Lemon & Sage Refreshing Body Wipes

Bliss Lemon & Sage Refreshing Body Wipes were the ones I was really rooting for. Their scent was the best for me as it was a mild citrus which didn’t trigger my migraines and actually was nice to smell. But unfortunately nothing else about these wipes made them worthwhile. The wipes were flimsy and didn’t stand up to any sort of cleaning. I mean I’ve had wet naps at restaurants that were more sturdy than these.

On top of it the packaging was awful. These are what taught me that the hard covers are the best because the supposedly resealable tab gave out fairly quickly. On top of that the wipes themselves didn’t dispense easily and often came out in clumps of multiple wipes that I then had to try to stuff back in for use later. I ultimately threw the package away after using maybe half of it because it was too hard to get the wipes out to use, never mind how the wipes themselves weren’t that great to begin with.

I suspect these are intended for people to throw into a bag and use if they want to quickly wipe their face to feel refreshed after a long plane ride or day at work, not for any real attempt at feeling clean.

Bonus Recommendations

If You Can't Wash Your Hair

Drench Shampoo Caps No Rinse

Drench Shampoo Caps work great if you're not able to wash your hair. To test them out, I went without washing my hair for enough days that both my hair and scalp felt icky. I then followed the instructions of putting the cap on, massaging it for 3 minutes, and taking it off. I ran a comb through my hair and that was it.

My scalp felt wonderfully clean. A+ marks there immediately. My hair didn't feel dirty but at the same time it didn't feel fully clean? Like the comb marks stayed in my hair as though there was some kind of product in it. Not to be too gross on main but I honestly couldn't tell if that was a residue from the cap or the oil in my hair.

To check I then repeated the process the next day and after that my hair felt cleaner too. You wouldn't mistake it for the soft and fluffy feel that you get washing your hair with proper shampoo and conditioner and water, but it was still unmistakably clean.

As a final test, I then tried it again when I'd washed my hair and then waited a couple of days. Basically as long as as normal cycle between washes. With that I only needed one go round to get the same feel.

So my conclusion is that the caps work great and just bear in mind if it's been a while since you've been able to wash your hair you might need to put a little more effort in. But still nice and very clean feeling.

My caveats are that it does require massaging into your scalp, so if you have problems lifting your arms for 3 minutes you might need someone else to do the massaging for you. There's a scent I can't fully identify. It's not medicinal like a hospital but it's not flowery either? Not unpleasant but still a scent. It didn't bother me but I didn't try it with a migraine. If you're scent sensitive that's something to bear in mind. Also my hair is fairly short - just above my shoulders - so it was easy to get it all in the cap. If I had much longer hair I could see that being a pain to try to manage. The instructions do give suggestions on how to handle that, but since I wasn't able to test that out I can't speak to how helpful those are.

Also it does suggest putting it in the microwave to warm it up. I am a polar bear by nature so I was fine for it being cold. But I could tell it was cold, even when it'd just been sitting on a shelf in my closet. So if you're at all sensitive to cold I would toss it in the microwave to warm it up a little first.

But otherwise absolutely recommend it, I'm keeping extras handy for when I need them.

If You Can't Shave

Palmperfect Shaver

Full disclosure that I don't need to worry about shaving my face so I can't speak to any recommendations there. But I can talk about if you need to shave your armpits or legs.

The Palmperfect Shaver is, well, perfect if you're looking for a temporary fix. Note I'm saying temporary. This isn't meant to be a shaver you use for life, replace the blades on, anything like that. Certainly not at this price point, let's be real.

However, for the price point it is an excellent little shaver. It won't get you as smooth as a razor blade. But it will help keep your underarms and legs under control if that's the kind of thing you're into.

I've tried it in the shower and completely dry and it works fine both ways. No pinching or pain or anything like that.

It's advertised as being able to work on your bikini line but I did not test that part. I'll be honest that given how it's built I don't know that I'd want to. Frankly it doesn't seem a good shape for it? But for running along your legs and underarms it works fine, pretty quickly, and gets the job done. If you're stuck in a post surgery recovery and need something to help get you through, I'd recommend this no problem. Especially since as I say, you can't beat the price.

Outro

And that’s it! I hope this list proves useful to you. It was certainly interesting to spend my time playing scientific guinea pig with myself. On the whole I found this a worthwhile experiment and definitely recommend putting wipes into your daily rotation if washing in general is hard for you. Hopefully something on this list can help bring ease and a feeling of comfort to your day. Thanks for reading!