I was skipping along at my local Home Depot store when I came upon a display for Crocodile Cloth original wipes.
The package boldly says: wipes are wimpy.
Okay, so these aren’t wipes, they’re cloths. These are described as all purpose cleaner hand & tool cleaning wipes.
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I have been using WypAll hand and tool wipes and continue to love them. Those waterless cleaning wipes allowed me to kick the habit of commandeering baby wipes for the workshop.
The Crocodile wipes – sorry, disposable pre-moistened cleaning cloths – are 15″ x 10″ in size and you get 100 to a pack.
They promise a bigger, tougher, fiercely clean. Okay. I snapped a photo so that I could take a closer look later.
I took a look at Amazon (of course), and they have an 80-count pack of Crocodile Cloth multi-purpose wipes, and for less than the original wipes.
Home Depot’s 100-count pack is $15.88.
Amazon’s 8-count pack is $8.79 at the time of this posting.
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The multi-purpose cloth marketing is also a little different. “Don’t just clean, attack.”
Original vs. Multi-Purpose? Crocodile Cloth says that the difference is in the number of sheets per pack (100 vs. 80), and that the multi-purpose cloths are biodegradable.
I love my WypAll hand and tool wipes, but the tubs aren’t as portable as flat-pack wipes like these. I’ll give them a try.
Now, the only question is do I go for the less expensive and biodegradable wipes, or the “original?” Seeing as how Amazon’s user reviews seem quite positive and optimistic, I think I’ll try the multi-purpose pack first.
Crocodile Cloth also makes pre-moistened wipes for other applications.
If you’ve used any of this brand’s cleaning wipes before, what have your experiences been like?
TonyT
I noticed they make a variety of wipes (for Grill, Auto, Marine, Power Scrub, Paint, etc). I wonder how much difference there is in the real world.
Stuart
The difference might be in the detergent used.
Koko The Talking Ape
These disposable wipes are polyester, and eventually turn into microscopic plastic particles in our water, food, etc.
Old t-shirts, plus Goop, work great. Also they’re free.
Stuart
As mentioned in the post, the multi-purpose ones are advertised as being biodegradable. I don’t know how they compare to the “original” formulation, but that could potentially give them less environmental impact.
Koko The Talking Ape
Oops, and it’s on the container too.
But I’d still want to know more. Some “biodegradable” garbage bags are plastic that just breaks up into smaller bits of plastic (so they’re maybe worse than regular plastic bags.)
Aha, the SDS says the fabric is “poly-viscose.”
https://crocodilecloth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/6620-Crocodile-Cloth-Multipurpose-SDS-v1_0_EN.pdf
Poly-viscose is a blend of viscose, a kind of rayon, and polyester.
So. Not biodegradable.
Peter
Thank you.
Jeff Anderson
Sorry, but this is incorrect. While viscose is a kind of rayon, its definitely not polyester. Two wildly different materials.
That said, while Viscose is definitely biodegradable, it’s not always sourced in a sustainable manner. The processing required is also pretty heavy on dangerous chemicals that no one wants to have around.
I’d be interested to hear more from the Crocodile Cloth people as to how their viscose stacks up in terms of sustainability against say Stella McCartney’s or Eileen Fisher’s work with viscose material. There are ways to do it right.
But to be clear, viscose is biodegradable in every sense of the word and contains no micro plastics. Its cellulose.
Koko The Talking Ape
Right, I didn’t punctuate that correctly. I meant their cloth is poly-viscose, which is of viscose (a kind of rayon) and polyester.
The viscose part is biodegradable, but the polyester is not.
So the cloth isn’t biodegradable.
Crocodile Cloth
Good catch, perhaps there’s an SDS issue here or the current SDS wasn’t uploaded. We’ll submit to the compliance team to review, update if necessary and re-upload. Let us know if you see anything else, thanks very much!
Koko The Talking Ape
Sure, I’ll do that. Or, and this is just an or: Or, I dunno, you all could do the jobs you are legally required to do?
This is a pretty major screwup already. SDS and false advertising claims are no joke.
Jeff Anderson
Just to be clear, this is how you address someone professionally. Company rep shows up to help clarify any questions, and we’ve got people threatening legal action. This is why companies don’t want to reach out and deal with customers.
Thank you Mr Crocodile for coming here and putting up with us. People are allowed to make mistakes. Companies too. Not sure whose bright idea it was to let the Gorilla have internet access. Was better when you just had that kitten.
Tim D.
I’m in agreement with Jeff. Thanks to crocodile cloth for taking the time to read/respond to comments.
Thanks Koko for adding meaningful data to the conversation, but I do hate to see such confrontation right out of the gate.
Koko The Talking Ape
@Jeff
Who is threatening legal action? Reporting a fraudulent advertising claim is not the same as filing a lawsuit.
Anyway, we all know Mr. Crocodile will not be personally affected in the least. And he was civil, and so was I. And there’s the end’t. 🙂
Tommy
My wife bought them for me at HomeDepot. They are big and come in handy. Love these things.
DRT42
I use and like the bucket of orange wipes (GoJo, I think). The only issue with the bucket is that I have had two buckets crack right where the snap cap seals. No seal = wipes dry out. The flat pack might have greater longevity. I will probably give it a try.
Ed Lindler
I bought some at Home Depot a week or so ago. I have been using them to clean up excess spackle & caulk on a Habitat job. They have held up really well & seem to stay moist longer than the Grime Boss wipes that I had been using. Sometimes, like on this job, we don’t have ready access to a water supply so good moistivity is a real plus & these seem to work well in that regard. I’ll likely buy more after these are used up.
Shane
I picked up a pack at HD a couple of weeks ago. They are large, which I like and they get the job done. Don’t seem to cut grease as well as others but they will clean your hands. WypAll are still my all around favorite.
Dario
https://ultragrime.com/ are good alternatives, a4 sized cloths that will remove solvent based paint from your hands in a pinch (learnt the hard way)
Jim Felt
Sadly AmazonUK came up as a source. And since they must(?) direct ship it’s $20+ just for shipping. Something I’ve never seen on AmazonUK before. So no.
Crocodile Cloth
UltraGrime and Crocodile Cloth are both Nuvik products – Crocodile Cloth is the US brand 🙂 https://nuvikglobal.com/
Davethetool
I haven’t had much luck with ANY pre moistened cleaning wipes whether for hands or general cleanup. Whether in a tub or dispensing pack like these, they dry out. Buying 2 gallon ziplock bags works well for keeping the packaged ones moist I have found. Then as far as the cleaning is concerned, again not as good as using separate hand or spray cleaners and paper towel or rags. . Many hand cleaners are waterless like goop so you can lather on and wipe off. You will have the “goop”’stink on your hands afterwards but can eventually wash it off with soap and water. I have also found Dawn dish detergent does a fairly decent job of cleaning hands and rinsing with water afterwards as far as grease. It won’t touch paint and caulk however. I use foaming dispensers that use less product and economical for Dawn detergent.
Nate
If you open your pack of wipes and find they have dried out, just pour some water in there to moisten them again, they didn’t lose their cleaning properties and work good as new when moist again.
Crocodile Cloth
Davethetool – if you send me an email at [email protected], i’d be glad to send you a sample to try of our products 🙂
Koko The Talking Ape
Hello, Crocodile Cloth! I’m wondering if we should report you to the FTC for false claims of biodegradability. Even if the product meets a technical or legal definition of “biodegradeable,” it isn’t biodegradable in the usual sense of the word.
Or you could remove the claim from the packaging and marketing voluntarily, just to be you know, good people.
Crocodile Cloth
Our wipes which say ‘biodegradable’ on the packaging are made of 100% plant-based fibers. We’d be glad to discuss more, please reach out at [email protected].
Koko The Talking Ape
Your wipes aren’t 100% plant based fibers. Your SDS says it’s “poly-viscose,” which is a blend of polyester (synthetic and non-biodegradable) and viscose (a kind of rayon, and biodegradable.)
https://crocodilecloth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/6620-Crocodile-Cloth-Multipurpose-SDS-v1_0_EN.pdf
So no, your wipes aren’t biodegradable.
Jeff Anderson
Dude, give the guy a break. Viscose is plant matter (cellulose). It’s biodegradable in EVERY sense of the word. Stop threatening him with the FTC. He’s not doing anything even remotely wrong. No need to remove any claims, because they’re all true. The SDS you’re using as proof backs up these claims. Chill.
Koko The Talking Ape
Really, give him a break?
When I say I might report “you,” I mean the company, not the human being. If I did that, he personally won’t be affected. He likely won’t even know it happened.
The SDS backs up MY claim, which I’m sticking by. The SDS says the stuff isn’t “viscose,” it’s “poly-viscose,” which is partially synthetic and not biodegradeable.
Jeff Anderson
DAWN is magical. You can really see it just break oils off the skin really. I do occasional works with inks that usually leave me stained, but finally stared washing with Dawn and a stiff brush. Amazing clean.
It’s not always easy to find in my area, but there is a pink version of Dawn that is made for keeping hands smooth or something. It still works great, but doesn’t leave my hands feeling completely stripped.
Koko The Talking Ape
Dawn does work really well. I’ve been partial to it ever since they used it to clean animals and birds coated with oil from the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The animal people actually tested various detergents, and found Dawn worked best.
I don’t use it for washing dishes because they don’t have a fragrance-free version. Seventh Generation does, and it works great, and is cheap to boot.
DHCrocks
I’ve been using the Crocodile wipes from Home Depot for a while now and they are awesome. Its a cloth and not paper so its super strong and doesn’t fall apart, even if cleaning concrete floors it holds up well. I have an opened package that is a about 6 months old and it is still moist. Good at cleaning up paint and caulking from my hands. It doesn’t seem to bother my skin, even used it to wipe my face before. These are my favorite disposable wipes.
Tim D.
I’ve been a big fan of wipes like this (gojo, then tubotowels) in my shop, as I don’t have running water. This makes getting my hands semi-clean, so I can head inside with leaving grease handprints all the way to the kitchen sink.
I saw these, and for the size/volume, thought they looked to be a competitive price to tubotowels. I ended up buying a pack to try, but haven’t opened them yet.
Dave
Menards carried them and later discontinued them when no one would pay that much. At a few bucks a pack it’s a deal and I bought a few packs. It’s not worth much more. The first think you need to do is add 2 to 4 cups water and or or other cleaner to the package and let it soak.
Today they are on sale at Menards for $6/ea. That $15 special deal at HD is only a special deal for them.
It’s not the best cleaner and the wipes don’t scrub and they don’t degrease. It’s not great on the grill, car or kitchen counter but it is better than the little one’s. It’s just a wipe.
Oscar
Menard’s and HD are selling different products, i’ve tried them both. The HD ones are good, and the nice thing about the HD ones is that they’ll clean and degrease but they’re still nice to use on skin, very much an all around use product. This is very much my go-to wipe for cleaning.