All photos by {accordingtoame}
What are "my needs," you ask? Well, because I like to keep my gadgets clean, non-greasy and not harbor germs (did you know cellphones are some of the germiest surfaces around?!!) and I want to do so in the safest way possible for the device, I need a wipe that will not do damage to the components, will not damage the screen (many screens have coatings to resist oil that are easily damaged) or my case/screen protectors, that is not "too wet", that is preferably not alcohol based, that dries quickly, doesn't require additional steps, and is super portable (i.e. not a little spray bottle and cloth situation.) That's not asking the world of a little piece of dampened cloth, now is it?
Device-specific wipes have been the best solution I have found thus far. Zagg was one of the first I tried, and was one of the first I liked, in part because it is a one-stop job--none of this wet wipe then dry wipe, or spray on this solution then wipe with this special cloth nonsense. I also really liked that it was a drier wipe than I found elsewhere, while also keeping the device clean, sanitary, and not damaging anything. They're also very easily accessible, sold at Target stores and Best Buy locations nationwide making it really quick to stop in and grab another pack or two if I am running low (as well as an entire cart full of crap!) Zagg wipes also come in two sizes, which is ideal for a multitude of devices. I use the XL wipes on my husband's iPad and my Mac screens regularly since I am a "screen toucher." (*hangs head*)
However, as great as they have been, there have been a few downsides. The regular wipes tend to dry out within even a seemingly well-sealed package very quickly, which is why I store them inside two Ziploc bags, and even that doesn't really prevent it. I think that's partly from a smaller seal than the one on the XL package which is larger and overall "better."
I tend to use one wipe every few days, unless one of us is ill, then sometimes more than one a day. Unless I go through a package very quickly, they dry out before I am finished. On the opposite end, the XL wipes are often too wet to start with, even on a month old package, and I have to wait a minute before I can use them on any device or I get streaks, or standing liquid. If I am in a pinch, I'll wring them out a little first and just use them.
When I started seeing the Well-Kept wipes pop up around on blogs and in magazines like People Style Watch, the packaging caught my eye immediately, and I liked that the brand was started by a woman, Neeley Kolsch, who was getting herself out there to stump for her product. I have NO idea who started Zagg...not a clue...and have never seen it in any publication, I only found them because I used their screen protectors. So knowing the name behind the product? HUGE. Even bigger? She gives back. Philanthropy is cool, yo.
Each brand/type comes in a similar tab-seal package, though obviously the packages for the Well-Kept wipes are infinitely more attractive and appealing to my design sensibilities. I have a photo of each side by side below. I am hoping that I will not need to do the Ziploc bagging with the Well-Kept like I do with the Zagg, because I am hoping the larger seal keeps them damper longer.
Zagg Wipes, Well-Kept Wipes, Zagg XL Wipes
Zagg Wipe, Well-Kept Wipe, Zagg XL Wipe
Notable difference. Besides the size difference, the difference in the material was interesting and my initial reaction to the Well-Kept was "Hmm..." The original Zagg is kind of a fabric-y, flat "cloth" paper towel. A much stiffer version of Viva paper towels is perhaps a good comparison. The XL Zagg is most like a baby wipe or like an antibacterial wipe from Target or CVS--note that they're not the same material, I want to make that clear because I have a feeling that's part of why the moisture is more easily retained by the XL. The Well-Kept is a thinner, perforated, and not really a cloth-like material. Kind of like a wet-ones wipe or wet-nap wipe. When I posted about this, er, post on my Instagram feed and tagged Well-Kept, I learned that their fabric choice was deliberate since the "wipes have oil absorbing properties." Good to know!
Here are more close-up shots for more comparison.
Zagg on left, Well-Kept on right
Zagg on left, Well-Kept in middle, snippet of the Zagg XL on the right
Well-Kept on left, Zagg XL on right
Well-Kept on left, ZaggXL on right
When the Zagg wipes (original) are fresh, they're just slightly dampened, just enough to get the device clean, and not soak it. Since the XL wipes are designed for larger devices, they are much wetter, more like a baby wipe. For a phone, they're too wet to start. For an iPad or computer screen, still maybe a tad too wet but if you wait a few seconds they dry a little and work much better. The Well-Kept out of the package is more like the XL in the regard that it's pretty wet, but it's solution smells and feels more alcohol-based and as a result dries VERY quickly on the surface and leaves no streaks.
So like I said above, my initial reaction of the Well-Kept was met kind of with a question mark. At first I was kind of unsure how this would work out, since besides being so wet and not being wowed immediately by the material, the solution smells alcohol-based and many of those solutions tend to mar screen protectors and eat away at the oleophobic coatings on touchscreens, which makes me avoid them. The Zagg doesn't have that same noticeable scent, and I have not really identified what it's cleanser really is, which frankly could be good or bad, ignorance thus far had been bliss.
Can you see the Well-Kept solution evaporating?
All clean!
PS: When you order yourself some of these wipes, check out their newest pattern, Karogoto, benefitting the community of Karogoto, Kenya.
Does you use a gadget wipe? Do you have a favorite product? I'd like to know down in the comments!
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