Scrunchy Wipes Ingredients Explained (Plain English)
If you've ever flipped over a pack of wipes and felt your eyes glaze over at the ingredient list, you're not alone. Scrunchy All-Purpose Wipes keep it short: eight plant-based ingredients on a 100% cotton wipe. This guide walks through each one in plain English — what it is, what it does, and why it earns its spot.
TL;DR:
- Scrunchy All-Purpose Wipes are 100% cotton soaked in an 8-ingredient, plant-based, EWG Verified solution — the same ingredients as the Scrunchy concentrate.
- Seven of the eight ingredients are EWG "A" or "B" (low concern); the one exception is a banana-plant extract (grade C) used as a natural preservative.
- There's no synthetic fragrance, no quats, no formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, and no plastic in the cloth.
Key Takeaways
- Scrunchy All-Purpose Wipes are 100% cotton saturated with a simple 8-ingredient, plant-based solution — the same EWG Verified formula as the Scrunchy concentrate, with every ingredient disclosed.
- Seven of the eight ingredients are EWG "A" or "B" (low concern); the one exception is a banana-plant extract (grade C) used as a natural preservative in place of synthetic ones.
- The cloth is 100% cotton, not plastic — so it cleans without shedding the microplastics that polyester and polypropylene wipes leave behind.
Why the Ingredients in a Wipe Matter
A wipe is different from a spray you rinse away: whatever is in the cloth gets left behind on the surface, and from there it can transfer to hands, food, and whatever your baby touches next. So "what's in it?" is a fair question to ask of any wipe. The good news with Scrunchy is that the answer is short — eight plant-based ingredients, and you can look up every one.
Scrunchy All-Purpose Wipes are 100% cotton saturated with the same EWG Verified solution as the Scrunchy Multi-Surface Concentrate — just eight ingredients. Below is each one in plain English, with a link to its entry in EWG's Guide to Healthy Cleaning (their A-to-F safety rating for cleaning-product ingredients).
The 8 Ingredients in Scrunchy Wipes, Explained
1. Purified Water (Aqua) — EWG A
The base everything else dissolves into. It's purified rather than tap water, so there are no dissolved minerals to leave spots or film behind — and it's what keeps each wipe soft and moist in the pack.
2. Coco-Glucoside — EWG B
The main cleaning agent, made from coconut oil and fruit sugar. Cleaning agents (surfactants) are the molecules that grab onto grease and grime so it lifts off a surface instead of smearing around. Coco-glucoside does that gently, without the petroleum-based solvents in conventional wipes. EWG rates it "low concern."
3. Decyl Glucoside — EWG B
A second plant-sugar cleaning agent that works alongside coco-glucoside. Pairing two mild, sugar-derived cleansers gets you real cleaning power without one harsh detergent doing all the work. Also EWG "low concern."
4. Glycerin — EWG A
A plant-derived humectant — it attracts and holds moisture. It's the reason the wipe is gentle on skin: when you use one on your own hands (not just a counter), glycerin helps keep them from drying out.
5. Sodium Citrate — EWG A
The plant-derived salt of citric acid. It acts as a pH balancer and mild water softener, keeping the formula in the acidity range where the cleaning agents work best — even in hard water.
6. Sodium Gluconate — EWG B
A gentle water softener made from glucose. Hard-water minerals can dull a cleaner and leave streaks; sodium gluconate ties those minerals up so the formula cleans effectively and rinses cleaner.
7. Citric Acid — EWG A
The mild acid found in citrus fruit. Here it fine-tunes the formula's pH so it cleans well and stays stable in the pack — the same food-safe ingredient that gives lemons their tang.
8. Musa Sapientum (Banana) Leaf/Trunk Extract — EWG C
The most unusual — and most important — ingredient. This banana-plant extract does double duty: it's a natural preservative that keeps the formula fresh, and it adds gentle enzymatic cleaning. It's the reason Scrunchy can skip the synthetic preservatives (like methylisothiazolinone) most "natural" cleaners still rely on. In full transparency, at EWG grade C it's the highest-rated (least "clean") ingredient in the formula — but it's a plant extract doing the job a lab-made preservative would otherwise do, and it's what makes the EWG Verified formula possible.
What this means for your family: Seven of the eight ingredients are EWG A or B ("low concern"). The single C-rated ingredient is a banana-plant extract used as a natural preservative — there specifically to avoid the synthetic preservatives that raise bigger flags.
What Scrunchy Wipes Leave Out
Just as telling as what's in them is what isn't. Scrunchy All-Purpose Wipes contain no:
- Synthetic fragrance or "parfum" — the label loophole that can hide dozens of undisclosed chemicals
- Quats (quaternary ammonium compounds) — the disinfecting agents in most conventional wipes, linked to respiratory and skin sensitization with repeated exposure
- Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (like DMDM hydantoin) or methylisothiazolinone
- Dyes, alcohol, or harsh solvents
- Plastic fibers — the cloth is cotton, not polyester or polypropylene (more below)
What Does "EWG Verified" Actually Mean?
Not all EWG labels are equal, and the difference matters. EWG Rated (A/B/C/D) is an algorithm score based on the ingredients a company chooses to disclose — no audit, and a product can score an overall "A" while still containing a single D-rated ingredient, because the score averages out. EWG Verified (what Scrunchy holds) is the stricter standard: the company submits its full formulation, EWG audits it, and the product can't contain ingredients of concern or hide anything behind "fragrance." When you see EWG Verified, the whole formula has been checked — not just run through a calculator.
The Wipe Itself: 100% Cotton
The formula is only half the story — the cloth matters too. Most wipes, even ones marketed as "natural," are made from polyester or polypropylene: petroleum-based plastic fibers that shed microplastics onto the surfaces you wipe. Scrunchy wipes are 100% cotton — a natural plant fiber that actually gets stronger when wet, traps dirt in its twisted-ribbon structure, and leaves no plastic residue behind. (More on this: why cotton outperforms plastic wipe materials.)
Two Honest Notes on Using Them
- They're a surface and hand wipe — not a diaper wipe. They aren't formulated for a baby's skin during a diaper change; keep a dedicated pack of baby wipes for that.
- They're not food-contact certified. After wiping anything food or skin will directly touch — a high chair tray, a snack lid — rinse it with water first. That's standard practice for every surface wipe, EWG Verified or not.
Good Brands to Buy
- Scrunchy All-Purpose Cleaning Wipes — the wipes this guide breaks down: EWG Verified, 100% cotton, quats-free and fragrance-free, individually wrapped. A surface and hand wipe (not a diaper wipe); rinse food-contact surfaces after use.
- Scrunchy Multi-Surface Concentrate — the same EWG Verified 8-ingredient formula in a bottle. Diluting it into a reusable spray is a lower-waste alternative to pre-moistened wipes.
- Scrunchy Non-Toxic Home Starter Kit — pairs the concentrate with the Brightening Powder, two reusable bottles, and a year of ScrunchyAI. One dilution handles every surface; made in America with global components.
When you compare other brands, hold them to the same test: a fully disclosed ingredient list (no unnamed "fragrance"), no quats, no formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, and a natural-fiber cloth rather than plastic.
Pregnancy and Sensitive Skin Note
During pregnancy, skin sensitivity increases and the body's ability to metabolize certain chemicals (including some preservatives and fragrance compounds) may be altered. The same applies postpartum while breastfeeding. Choosing fragrance-free, quats-free wipes for all surface cleaning during this window is one of the higher-impact low-effort swaps available. It costs no extra effort and substantially reduces daily chemical exposure.
If you have a known MTHFR variant (a genetic variation that affects how your body processes certain compounds, including some synthetic chemicals), reducing exposure to formaldehyde-releasing preservatives is worth prioritizing.
FAQ
Q: Are "antibacterial" all-purpose wipes safer than regular ones?
A: Not during routine household cleaning. "Antibacterial" almost always means quats have been added. And the NIH's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has flagged these compounds as being associated with potential reproductive and developmental concerns, particularly with repeated exposure during pregnancy. For general household surfaces, removing dirt and residue with a clean, non-toxic wipe is sufficient. You do not need to disinfect every surface daily, and the quat trade-off isn't worth it. Save disinfection for situations of actual illness, and choose an EPA-registered disinfectant for those targeted moments only.
Q: Do "fragrance-free" wipes always mean no fragrance chemicals?
A: Unfortunately, no. "Fragrance-free" means no added fragrance ingredient is listed by name, but masking fragrances (added to cover chemical smells without technically being a "fragrance") are not always disclosed. Some products also use essential oils as a fragrance alternative. During pregnancy, certain essential oils can act as skin sensitizers and aren't uniformly studied for safety at cleaning product concentrations. The safest approach is to look for wipes that are both labeled fragrance-free AND have a fully transparent ingredient list with no unspecified "fragrance" or "parfum" entry. EWG Verified products like the Scrunchy All-Purpose Cleaning Wipes require full ingredient disclosure as part of their certification, so there's no guesswork involved.
Q: Is it safe to use all-purpose wipes on a baby's high chair tray?
A: It depends entirely on the wipe. Many conventional all-purpose wipes are not formulated for food-contact surfaces and leave a chemical residue (including quat-based disinfecting agents and synthetic fragrance compounds) that can transfer directly to food. Babies who mouth the tray edge or eat finger foods off the surface are particularly exposed. If using a wipe on a high chair tray, choose one that is food-contact safe, or rinse the tray thoroughly with water after wiping. The Scrunchy All-Purpose Wipes are quats-free and fragrance-free, though like all cleaning products, rinsing food-contact surfaces before placing food is always the safest practice.
About the Author
Jenn Smith, RN BSN, is a registered nurse, mom, and co-founder of Scrunchy Living. She writes evidence-based guides to non-toxic living, pregnancy-safe products, and clean home practices for modern families.
Shop These Recommendations
| Product | Why It's Worth It | Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Scrunchy All-Purpose Wipes | EWG Verified, 100% cotton, quats-free and fragrance-free; 8 disclosed plant-based ingredients. | |
| Scrunchy Multi-Surface Concentrate | The same EWG Verified formula in a bottle; one 1:11 dilution cleans every surface. | |
| Scrunchy Non-Toxic Home Starter Kit | Concentrate + Brightening Powder + 2 reusable bottles + a year of ScrunchyAI. |
From Scrunchy Living: Want to decode any product's label the way we just did with these wipes? ScrunchyAI scans an ingredient list and tells you what each ingredient is and whether it's a concern — in plain English, in seconds. Start your free 14-day trial →
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Medical Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider or OB-GYN before making changes to your health or home environment during pregnancy or the postpartum period.