Does The UnWipe Really Turn Your TP Into a Flushable Wipe?
We used it at home and at Penn Station in NYC. Plus, in our lab, we tested the company’s claim that it strengthens ordinary toilet paper.
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When I travel, I don’t expect to find the softest toilet paper in the airport restroom, or for a luxury bidet to magically appear in every hotel bathroom. And, for many of us, installing a bidet attachment in our bathroom at home isn’t something we can or want to do, either. But it’s hard to deny that cleaning ourselves with some form of moisture—whether that means using a bidet or flushable wipe—is more effective and comfortable than wiping with dry toilet paper.
And if you experience digestive issues—including the 25 to 45 million Americans living with irritable bowel syndrome—finding a wiping method that’s gentler on your skin may be an even higher priority.
Want to try The UnWipe?
Buy The UnWipe on Amazon and The UnWipe.
How Does The UnWipe Work?
The UnWipe is a soft silicone device that features a sponge inside, a textured piece with ridges and holes placed over the sponge, and a cover to keep everything contained when you’re not using it. The company doesn’t provide dimensions for this product, so I measured it myself: 4.0x3.25x1.0 inches (length by width by depth)—I was easily able to slip this into my purse, and depending on how generous your pockets are, it could fit there, too.
Photo: Consumer Reports Photo: Consumer Reports
It’s simple to use: Remove the attached cover, which remains tethered, and add a small amount of water to the reservoir beneath it. A sponge below absorbs the water, but be careful not to overfill it, or the excess will spill over. The final step is to press toilet paper down onto the textured component of The UnWipe—just enough to moisten the paper, but not soak it. This creates bumps and ridges on the toilet paper—the bumps are supposed to help lift residue, and the ridged grooves “capture” but don’t “smear” when you wipe yourself.
Photo: Michael Einreinhof/Consumer Reports Photo: Michael Einreinhof/Consumer Reports
When you’re finished using the device, hold it upside down over a sink to drain it of water and place the cover over it for portability if you’re on the go. If you’re at home, it’s better to leave the cover off and let it dry between uses.
The UnWipe is simple to use: Fill it with a little water and press clean toilet paper on top of its textured surface—that's all it takes.
Did The UnWipe Strengthen Toilet Paper in Our Lab Tests?
The most interesting claim this company makes is that The UnWipe “gives your own toilet paper the strength, subtle wetness, and cleansing grip that dry paper alone does not have.” We put that claim to the test in our labs using a force gauge to measure the strength of three materials: dry Caboo Toilet Paper (one of the poorest performers in our toilet paper tests), Caboo Toilet Paper moistened with The Unwipe, and Kirkland Signature Flushable Wipes. The company doesn’t claim that The Unwipe makes toilet paper as strong as a flushable wipe, but because it’s designed to transform toilet paper into a disposable wet wipe, we thought the comparison was worthwhile.
Since Caboo is a 2-ply toilet paper, we followed The UnWipe’s recommendation and used 5 sheets each time we tested its strength, dry or wet.
We found that moistened toilet paper in The Unwipe required an average of 0.79 newtons of force to tear, and dry toilet paper required 3.99 newtons of force, making the dry paper 3.2 newtons stronger. Flushable wipes also proved to be stronger, requiring 1.67 newtons more force to tear than toilet paper moistened with The UnWipe.
Bottom line: The UnWipe won’t strengthen your toilet paper. It will actually make it more vulnerable to tearing, since you are wetting the paper.
How did it fare in real-life testing at home and while out and about?
