DEV Community: Ross

Are scented wipes bad for babies? What fragrance actually does to newborn skin

Ross — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 08:02:14 +0000

Scented wipes are not recommended for babies, particularly newborns — fragrance (listed as 'parfum' on ingredient labels) is one of the most common causes of contact dermatitis in infants, and baby skin absorbs more of what touches it than adult skin does. Most major dermatology and paediatric guidelines say fragrance-free is the safer default from birth, and there is no benefit to a wipe smelling nice — that is entirely for the parent, at the baby's expense.

Why does fragrance irritate baby skin specifically?

Newborn skin is structurally different from adult skin. The stratum corneum — the outermost protective layer — is thinner and still developing during the first year of life, which means substances applied to the surface penetrate more readily and the skin barrier is easier to disrupt. Fragrance compounds (there are hundreds of individual chemicals that can hide behind the single word 'parfum' on a label) are well-documented contact allergens. In adults with intact, mature skin, fragrance allergy often develops after years of repeated exposure. In babies, the barrier is already compromised by default.

The specific problems fragrance can cause on baby skin:

Contact dermatitis — redness, dryness and irritation in the area where the wipe was used, most commonly around the nappy area
Sensitisation — repeated early exposure to allergens can prime the immune system to react more strongly later in life
Microbiome disruption — some fragrance compounds have mild antimicrobial properties that can interfere with the normal bacterial balance of skin, which matters most in the first few months when that balance is being established
Masking other ingredients — fragrance is also sometimes used to cover the smell of preservatives or solvents that wouldn't otherwise pass the 'sniff test' for a baby product

None of this means a single scented wipe will cause lasting harm. But if you're using wipes ten or fifteen times a day on a newborn's nappy area, the cumulative exposure adds up quickly.

What does 'fragrance free' actually mean on a wipe label?

This matters more than it sounds, because 'fragrance free' and 'unscented' are not the same thing — and manufacturers know this.

Fragrance free means no fragrance compounds have been added. The product should not contain parfum or any ingredient added solely to produce a scent.

Unscented means the product has been treated so it doesn't smell — which often involves adding a masking fragrance to neutralise the smell of other ingredients. So an 'unscented' wipe can still contain fragrance compounds.

If you're choosing wipes for a baby, always look for 'fragrance free' and then check the ingredient list for 'parfum'. If you see parfum on a label marketed as suitable for sensitive or newborn skin, that's a red flag worth taking seriously.

Other ingredients worth scrutinising on baby wipes:

Phenoxyethanol — a preservative linked to skin irritation; the French food safety agency previously recommended avoiding it in products for infants under three
EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) — a chelating agent sometimes found in wipes, which can enhance skin penetration of other compounds
Alcohol — drying and disruptive to the skin barrier, inappropriate for regular use on baby skin
Essential oils — natural does not mean safe; many essential oils are potent skin sensitisers and should not appear in baby wipes, even in trace amounts

Are 'natural' or 'organic' scented wipes any safer?

Not necessarily. Natural fragrance compounds — plant extracts, essential oils, botanicals — can be just as allergenic as synthetic ones. Lavender, for example, is a common contact allergen. A wipe that smells of chamomile or orange blossom because it contains those extracts is not a fragrance-free wipe, whatever the packaging implies.

The relevant question is not whether the fragrance source is natural or synthetic — it's whether fragrance is present at all. For a newborn, the answer should be: it isn't.

Do newborns actually need wipes, or is water enough?

For the first few weeks, many midwives and health visitors recommend plain warm water and cotton wool for nappy changes — particularly for meconium (the thick, dark first stools), which is easier to remove with water and cotton. This is genuinely good advice for the newborn period.

Once you move to regular wipes, the key criteria are:

Fragrance free (check for 'parfum' — not just 'no added fragrance')
Alcohol free
No phenoxyethanol or EDTA
Made from natural fibres rather than synthetic (plastic-fibre wipes are rougher and less breathable against delicate skin)

For wipes you're using at home and on the go from the newborn stage onward, dinky wipes sensitive ticks all of those boxes — 100% cotton, fragrance free, no phenoxyethanol, no EDTA, no plastic fibres. The pack is deliberately pocket-sized so it fits in a changing bag without taking over the whole compartment, but the wipe itself unfolds to full baby-wipe size.

What if my baby already has a reaction — is it definitely the fragrance?

Not necessarily — and this is worth being careful about. Nappy rash, contact dermatitis and eczema can all look similar and can have multiple causes, including:

Prolonged contact with urine or stool (the most common cause of nappy rash)
The specific fabric of a nappy
Washing powder or fabric softener on reusable nappies or clothing
A new food introduced during weaning
A viral illness affecting the skin temporarily

If your baby has persistent skin irritation, a rash that spreads or looks infected, or symptoms that don't clear up within a few days of switching to fragrance-free products, speak to your GP or health visitor. This post is practical guidance, not a diagnosis.

That said, switching to a fragrance-free, plastic-free wipe is a sensible first step that won't do any harm and may help considerably.

What about wipes for older babies and toddlers?

The case for fragrance-free doesn't go away when your baby turns one. Toddler skin is tougher than newborn skin, but it's still more permeable than adult skin, and fragrance allergy can develop at any age with repeated exposure. There's also no practical reason to use a scented wipe — clean is clean, and a wipe that smells of baby powder isn't cleaner than one that doesn't.

The habit of reading the ingredient label before buying wipes is worth keeping throughout early childhood, and honestly beyond it. Fragrance is the single most common cosmetic allergen in Europe — on wipes, it's avoidable, and avoiding it costs nothing.

Common questions

Can scented wipes cause nappy rash?

Fragrance is a recognised skin irritant and contact allergen, so yes — scented wipes can contribute to nappy rash, particularly with repeated use on the nappy area where skin is already under stress from moisture and friction. Switching to a genuinely fragrance-free wipe (check the label for 'parfum') is one of the first practical steps to try if nappy rash is recurring. If it persists, speak to a pharmacist or GP.

Are water wipes safe for newborns?

Water-based wipes with minimal ingredients are generally considered suitable for newborns. The key is to check the full ingredient list regardless of how the product is marketed — some wipes described as 'water wipes' contain preservatives, fragrance or other additives. For the first few weeks, plain warm water and cotton wool remains the simplest option recommended by many health visitors.

What does 'parfum' mean on a wipe ingredient list?

'Parfum' is the EU/UK labelling term for fragrance, and it can represent a blend of dozens of individual chemical compounds — only a small number of which are required to be disclosed separately (those on the official list of 26 known allergens). If you see 'parfum' on a wipe marketed for babies or sensitive skin, that is a contradiction — a genuinely fragrance-free product will not list parfum at all.

Originally published at dinky wipes

Are baby wipes bad for the environment?

Ross — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 08:02:12 +0000

Most conventional baby wipes are bad for the environment — not because they're wet, but because the vast majority are made from plastic fibres (polyester, polypropylene, or a blend) that don't biodegrade in any meaningful timeframe. A single standard wet wipe can persist in the environment for decades, and in the UK alone, billions are used and thrown away every year. The good news: it's a solvable problem, and the options are genuinely better than they used to be.

What actually makes a wipe environmentally harmful?

The fabric is the issue, not the liquid inside. Most baby wipes use a nonwoven fabric made from synthetic plastic fibres — the same basic material as a fleece jacket, just in sheet form. These fibres:

Don't biodegrade in landfill, in water, or in a compost bin. They fragment into microplastics instead.
Shed microplastics when flushed, which pass through wastewater treatment and enter rivers and oceans.
Contribute to fatbergs when flushed — those headline-grabbing sewer blockages are mostly wet wipes and cooking fat. Even wipes labelled "flushable" are usually the culprit if they contain plastic fibres.
Can't be recycled through any standard UK kerbside collection.

The packaging matters too, but it's secondary. A plastic-free wipe in a plastic wrapper is still a better outcome than a plastic-fibre wipe in a cardboard box — the fibre is the part that escapes into the environment.

How long do wet wipes take to decompose?

A plastic-fibre wipe buried in landfill: somewhere between 100 years and never, depending on conditions. In practice, landfill is anaerobic (low oxygen), cold, and compacted — the ideal conditions for preservation, not breakdown.

A cotton or natural-fibre wipe in landfill: months to a few years under reasonable conditions, faster in industrial composting.

This is a genuine, meaningful difference — not greenwash maths. Cotton is a natural fibre with a well-understood decomposition pathway. Polyester is essentially a plastic bottle in fabric form.

One caveat worth knowing: "biodegradable" on a wipe packet doesn't automatically mean what you'd hope. If the wipe contains natural fibres but is held together with a synthetic binder (common in bamboo wipes — we wrote a whole piece on this), the binder can be plastic even when the fibres aren't. Always look for plastic-free on the fibre content specifically, not just the packaging or the marketing.

What's the UK doing about it?

The UK government is banning the sale of wet wipes containing plastic fibres in 2027. It's one of the more concrete pieces of single-use plastic legislation to pass in recent years, and it will affect the majority of wipes currently on shelves — because the majority currently contain plastic.

The ban covers plastic fibres in the wipe fabric itself. It doesn't cover packaging, and it doesn't cover all personal care wipes — though baby wipes are explicitly in scope.

If you're trying to make a more sustainable choice now, the 2027 ban is a useful filter: if a wipe would be banned under that legislation, it's the kind of product the legislation exists to phase out.

Are bamboo wipes actually plastic free?

Often, no — and this is one of the most common areas of genuine confusion in the baby wipe aisle.

Bamboo-labelled wipes are frequently a bamboo-and-polyester blend, or bamboo fibres held together with a synthetic latex or resin binder. A wipe can be truthfully described as "made with bamboo" while still containing meaningful amounts of plastic.

The only reliable way to know is to look for explicit plastic-free fibre claims — not "natural," not "eco," not "plant-based" (PLA, or polylactic acid, is technically plant-derived but doesn't biodegrade in home composting and is still considered a plastic fibre under the 2027 UK ban).

Are reusable wipes better than disposable?

For the environment, almost certainly yes — if you actually use them enough times to offset the water and energy cost of washing. The maths depend on how you wash them (cold full-load washing is better than hot half-load), but reusable cotton wipes washed at home clear the break-even point quickly.

The honest trade-off:

Reusable wipes

Near-zero ongoing waste once you have them
Require washing, carrying a wet bag, and a bit of organisation
Work brilliantly at home; get fiddly when travelling

Disposable plastic-free wipes

Genuinely more convenient for nappy changes on the go, festivals, travel, the car glovebox
Still produce waste, but it's natural-fibre waste that breaks down
The sensible choice for situations where reusables aren't practical

A lot of families do both: reusables at home, good-quality disposable cotton wipes when out. That's not a cop-out — it's just a practical approach to reducing plastic without making life impossible.

If you're after a disposable option that's genuinely plastic-free, our sensitive wipes are 100% cotton with no plastic fibres — and the pack is small enough to fit in a jacket pocket, which helps with the "actually taking them out of the house" problem.

What about the wipes that say they're flushable — are those better for the environment?

Flushability and environmental impact are related but different questions.

Most wipes labelled "flushable" still contain plastic fibres and should not be flushed — they'll pass the initial flush but won't break down in the sewer, and they contribute to blockages and microplastic pollution. We've written in detail about what makes a wipe actually flushable, and the short answer is: the label isn't regulated the way you'd expect.

A genuinely flushable wipe — designed to break apart in water the way toilet paper does — is a different product. Our flushable wipes are designed to break down, and they contain no plastic fibres. But even then, "flushable" is only relevant to the drainage question. The broader environmental picture also includes how the wipe breaks down if it ends up in landfill, and whether the fibres are natural or synthetic.

For the glovebox or changing bag, the environmental question is simpler: choose a wipe made from natural fibres, with no plastic in the fabric, and dispose of it in the bin. That's a better outcome than flushing any wipe that isn't specifically designed for it.

What should you actually look for on the label?

Here's a practical checklist when choosing baby wipes:

Plastic-free fibres — look for 100% cotton, or explicit confirmation that no synthetic fibres (polyester, polypropylene, PLA) are present
No synthetic binders — harder to find on labels; if a brand is transparent about their ingredients list, that's a reasonable signal of honesty
Fragrance free — not just "unscented" (which can still contain masking fragrances), but genuinely fragrance free, especially for newborns and sensitive skin
Honest flushability claims — if the wipe is labelled flushable, check whether it's genuinely designed to break down or just marketed that way
UK ban compliance — if a wipe would be banned under the 2027 plastic-fibre legislation, that tells you what it contains

No wipe is completely without environmental impact. But there's a meaningful gap between a plastic-fibre wipe that will outlast your child's childhood and a cotton wipe that breaks down in a matter of months.

Common questions

How long do wet wipes take to decompose?

Plastic-fibre wipes can take over 100 years to break down in landfill — and they shed microplastics rather than truly biodegrading. Cotton wipes break down within months under normal conditions. The fibre content is the single biggest factor in decomposition time.

Are reusable baby wipes better than disposable ones for the environment?

Reusable wipes produce less ongoing waste and are better for the environment over time, especially if washed in full, cool loads. Disposable cotton wipes without plastic fibres are a reasonable alternative for travel and on-the-go use, where reusables are less practical.

What is the UK wet wipe ban and when does it start?

The UK is banning the sale of wet wipes containing plastic fibres from 2027. The ban targets the synthetic fibres in the wipe fabric itself — polyester, polypropylene and similar materials — which don't biodegrade and contribute to microplastic pollution and sewer blockages.

Originally published at dinky wipes

How to Make App Folders in the Mac Dock (Group Apps Like on iPhone)

Ross — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 05:03:03 +0000

macOS has no built-in way to group apps into folders in the Dock — you can't drag one app onto another the way you can on an iPhone. The closest native option is a folder of aliases in the Finder dropped onto the Dock as a stack, which works but looks nothing like a real folder and requires manual upkeep. If you want actual iPhone-style app groups directly in the Dock, the only app that does this properly right now is Dockish.

Why the Mac Dock doesn't have folders

Apple has never added folder support to the macOS Dock, despite doing exactly this on iOS since 2010. The Dock has remained architecturally the same for years: a flat list of app icons, with stacks as the only grouping primitive. Stacks are useful for folders of documents or downloads, but they're awkward for apps — there's no persistent icon on the Dock representing the group, just a pile of recent files or a grid that pops up and disappears.

This isn't a forgotten feature. Apple actively chose not to bring iOS-style folders to the macOS Dock. If you have 30+ apps pinned, you either scroll through a crowded Dock or accept that most of your apps live in Launchpad instead.

The native workaround: Dock stacks (and why they fall short)

The standard workaround is to create a folder in Finder, populate it with aliases of your apps, then drag the folder to the right-hand side of the Dock (past the divider line). macOS turns it into a stack.

Here's how to do it:

Open Finder and create a new folder somewhere — your Desktop or ~/Applications works fine.
Open a second Finder window and go to /Applications.
Hold ⌥ and drag apps into your new folder. This creates aliases rather than moving the originals.
Drag the folder to the right side of the Dock (the section that holds Trash and Downloads).

You can right-click the stack to change its display style: Grid, Fan, or List. Grid is the most app-folder-like visually.

What's wrong with this approach:

It only works on the right side of the Dock, not mixed in with your main app icons on the left.
There's no persistent folder icon — the stack shows the most recent app icon, which changes and looks messy.
Adding or removing apps means going back into Finder and managing aliases manually.
It doesn't look like a folder. It looks like a stack.
Clicking an app inside the stack launches it, but you can't drag to reorder.

For a small number of grouped apps — say, all your creative tools together — the stack method is genuinely fine. For anything more than that, it's a workaround you'll constantly fight.

How Dockish does app folders properly

Dockish is a full Dock replacement for macOS 14+ that adds iPhone-style folders as a first-class feature. You drag one app icon onto another and a folder is created — exactly the gesture you'd use on an iPhone or iPad. The folder shows a 2×2 preview grid of the apps inside it, auto-names itself based on the app categories, and sits anywhere in your Dock alongside your other icons.

Inside a folder, apps behave exactly as they do in the main Dock: single click to launch, click again to focus an already-running app, right-click for context menus. You can rename the folder by clicking its name. Drag apps in or out at any time.

A few things that make this more useful than it might sound:

You can put it anywhere. Unlike native stacks, a Dockish folder lives in the main icon area, not banished to the right-hand side.
The icon is stable. The 2×2 grid always shows the same apps — it doesn't reshuffle based on recent use.
It scales with your Dock. Dockish lets you set icon sizes from 24–96px with magnification on hover, so folders don't look out of place at any size.

Dockish costs $6.99 as a one-time purchase and includes a 7-day free trial, so you can test the folder behaviour before buying. It requires macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later.

What Dockish replaces vs what it adds

Dockish is a full Dock replacement, not a plugin on top of the macOS Dock. When you run it, you can hide the native macOS Dock entirely (there's a one-click toggle in preferences, fully reversible) and use Dockish instead. This means you also get:

A Dock on every monitor — the native Dock moves between displays; Dockish puts one on each screen simultaneously.
Correct click behaviour — clicking a minimised app actually brings it back, rather than doing nothing.
Live window previews on hover.
Themes — glass, dark, light, or a custom tint colour.
Dividers and spacers for visual grouping even without folders.

If the only thing you want is folders, those other features come along for the ride. But in practice, most people who start using Dockish for folders end up keeping it for the multi-monitor support alone.

If you just want a tidier Dock without a replacement app

If installing a full Dock replacement feels like more than you need, here are two lighter options:

Use Dock spacers. You can add invisible spacers to the Dock via Terminal to create visual gaps between groups of apps:

defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-apps -array-add '{tile-type="spacer-tile";}'

killall Dock

Run this once per spacer you want. Spacers appear as blank gaps you can drag into position. They don't group apps into folders, but they create enough visual separation that a Dock with 20–30 apps becomes much easier to scan.

Use Launchpad more deliberately. Launchpad (F4, or pinch on the trackpad) does support folders — drag one app onto another exactly like iOS. It's ugly and slow to open, but if you mainly launch apps via Spotlight anyway, keeping a tidier Launchpad and a shorter Dock might be all you need.

Neither of these gives you actual folders in the Dock. They're honest workarounds, not solutions.

Common questions

Can you group apps on the left side of the Mac Dock natively?

No. Native Dock stacks (folders) are restricted to the right side of the Dock — the section past the divider line that holds Trash and Downloads. You cannot place a grouped folder of app shortcuts on the left side without a third-party app like Dockish.

Does Dockish replace the native Dock or run alongside it?

Dockish runs as its own Dock and gives you a one-click option to hide the native macOS Dock. If you hide the native Dock, Dockish takes over entirely. If you prefer, you can run both at the same time, though that looks cluttered. The native Dock can be re-enabled at any time from Dockish's preferences.

Do Dock folders in Dockish work with macOS Sonoma and Sequoia?

Yes. Dockish requires macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later, so it runs on both Sonoma and Sequoia. The folder feature works the same on both versions — drag one app onto another to create a group, regardless of which macOS release you're on.

Originally published at appish.app

Wipes for eczema-prone skin: what to look for (and what to avoid)

Ross — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:02:08 +0000

The best wipes for eczema-prone skin are fragrance-free, made from natural fibres like cotton, and free from preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and EDTA — the ingredients most commonly linked to flare-ups. If a wipe contains parfum, synthetic binders or plastic fibres, it's worth putting back on the shelf, especially for broken or reactive skin.

Why do ordinary wet wipes irritate eczema?

Eczema-prone skin has a compromised barrier — it lets moisture out more easily and irritants in more readily than healthy skin. That means ingredients that most people tolerate without issue can trigger a reaction in someone with eczema or other sensitive skin conditions.

The usual suspects on a wet wipe ingredients list:

Parfum (fragrance) — even 'natural' fragrance is a common contact allergen. It's listed as parfum on UK labels, and it's present in far more wipes than you'd expect, including some marketed as 'gentle' or 'baby' wipes.
Phenoxyethanol — a preservative used in many cosmetics and wipes; classified as a potential skin irritant, and flagged by some dermatology organisations for use on infant skin in particular.
EDTA — another preservative and stabiliser that can cause irritation on broken or inflamed skin.
Synthetic fibres — polyester, rayon and PLA (polylactic acid, often marketed as 'plant-based') can all feel scratchy against inflamed skin. They also don't break down, which is a separate problem we'll come back to.

None of these appear in dinky wipes. The sensitive wipes are 100% cotton and fragrance free — no parfum, no phenoxyethanol, no EDTA, no plastic fibres of any kind.

Does 'unscented' mean the same as fragrance free?

No — and this is one of the most common mistakes people make when buying wipes for sensitive or eczema-prone skin. An unscented wipe can still contain fragrance; the fragrance has just been added to mask the smell of other ingredients, so the end product has no obvious scent. The parfum is still there on the label if you look.

Fragrance free means no fragrance ingredient was added at all. If you're managing eczema or buying for a child with reactive skin, fragrance free is the only label worth trusting. We've written more about this distinction in our post on fragrance free vs unscented wipes — it's worth a read before your next supermarket shop.

Are 'natural' or 'plant-based' wipes safer for eczema?

Not automatically. 'Natural' is not a regulated term in the UK, so it can appear on the packaging of wipes that still contain synthetic binders, plastic fibres, or fragrance derived from plant sources (which can still trigger reactions).

'Plant-based' is similarly slippery. PLA (polylactic acid) is made from plant starch, but it behaves like a plastic in the body of the wipe — it doesn't break down meaningfully in the environment, and it's still a synthetic fibre against your skin. Bamboo wipes are a particularly common example: the bamboo itself is natural, but most bamboo wipes are held together with polyester or other synthetic binders. We cover this in more detail in our post on whether bamboo wipes are actually plastic free.

For eczema-prone skin, the question to ask isn't 'is this natural?' — it's 'what is actually in this wipe, and what is it made of?'

What fibre is best for sensitive or eczema-prone skin?

Cotton is generally the safest option. It's soft, breathable, and has been used on sensitive and newborn skin for decades. It doesn't have the slight scratchiness of synthetic fabrics, and it doesn't contain the binders that hold some 'plant-based' wipes together.

100% cotton wipes — with no synthetic binders or plastic fibres — are about as gentle as a wet wipe gets. That's the starting point for the dinky sensitive wipe.

If you're buying for a baby or child with eczema, it's also worth checking the water content of the wipe. Some wipes use a high proportion of purified water with very minimal added ingredients, which reduces the total irritant load. If your child has significant or persistent eczema, speak to your GP or pharmacist before changing skincare or wipe products — they can advise on what's appropriate for the specific type and severity.

Face wipes and makeup wipes for eczema: same rules apply

If you use wipes on your face — to remove makeup, freshen up, or clean skin after exercise — the same checklist applies: fragrance free, no phenoxyethanol or EDTA, gentle natural fibre. Most makeup wipes are not designed with eczema in mind, and many contain additional surfactants or oil-removing agents that can strip the skin barrier further.

A fragrance-free cotton wipe used with plain water, or a wipe formulated specifically for sensitive skin, is a much better option than a standard micellar makeup wipe for anyone with a reactive complexion.

What about antibacterial wipes — are they safe on eczema-prone skin?

This one requires a bit of care. Antibacterial wipes typically contain an active agent to kill bacteria, which makes them useful for hands, surfaces, and on-the-go hygiene — but they're generally not recommended for regular use on inflamed or broken eczema skin. The antibacterial ingredient adds another potential irritant, and repeated use can disrupt the skin microbiome.

For cleaning hands, the dinky antibacterial wipes are 100% cotton and fragrance free — so they avoid the most common irritants — but if you have active eczema on your hands, it's sensible to use them only when necessary and check with a pharmacist if you're unsure.

Can the wipe material itself cause a reaction?

Yes — and this is underappreciated. Synthetic fibres in wipes (polyester, rayon, PLA) can cause mechanical irritation on inflamed skin even if the chemistry of the wipe is fine. Think of the difference between a soft cotton flannel and a cheap synthetic cloth: both might be 'clean', but one is noticeably rougher.

For eczema-prone skin that's already inflamed or broken, rougher fibres can worsen irritation. 100% cotton wipes avoid this — the fibre itself is soft, familiar to skin, and doesn't add unnecessary friction.

The 2027 UK wet wipe ban: does it affect eczema-safe choices?

The UK government is banning wet wipes containing plastic fibres in 2027. The reasoning is environmental — plastic-fibre wipes don't break down, block sewers, and shed microplastics. But there's a secondary benefit for eczema sufferers: compliant wipes will have to be made from natural fibres, which are generally gentler on skin anyway.

Dinky wipes never used plastic fibres, so they're already compliant — no reformulation needed before the ban comes in. If you're currently using a wipe that lists polyester, polypropylene, or PLA among its fibres, you'll likely see it change or disappear in the next couple of years regardless.

Common questions

Are baby wipes safe for eczema-prone skin?

Some are, some aren't — it depends entirely on the ingredients. Look for wipes that are fragrance free (not just unscented), free from phenoxyethanol and EDTA, and made from natural fibres like cotton. If your child's eczema is persistent or severe, speak to a GP or pharmacist before choosing a product.

Can face wipes make eczema worse?

Yes, if they contain fragrance, harsh surfactants, or preservatives that irritate the skin barrier. Standard makeup-removing wipes are particularly risky — many contain ingredients designed to cut through oil and product, which can strip the skin. Switching to a fragrance-free, cotton-based wipe is a safer starting point for eczema-prone facial skin.

What's the difference between fragrance free and unscented wipes for sensitive skin?

Fragrance free means no fragrance ingredient was used at all. Unscented means the product has no noticeable smell — but masking fragrance may still be present. For eczema-prone skin, fragrance free is the only reliable choice, since even small amounts of fragrance can trigger a contact reaction.

Originally published at dinky wipes

How to Remove Adhesive from Car Paint Without Damaging It

Ross — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:01:45 +0000

Adhesive residue on car paint — from old trim tape, stickers, badges or foam pads — comes off cleanly in most cases using a heat gun or hair dryer to soften the adhesive, followed by a plastic trim tool or your fingers to peel, then an isopropyl alcohol (IPA) wipe or a dedicated adhesive remover to clear the last of the residue. Done carefully on a cool, shaded panel, you can remove almost any tape or sticker residue without scratching the clear coat or leaving a mark.

Why adhesive bonds to paint so stubbornly in the first place

Most automotive double-sided tapes — and the foam pads behind badges, spoilers and trim pieces — use acrylic adhesive. Acrylic adhesive cures over time: the longer it has been on the car, the more the adhesive cross-links and grips the paint surface. A tape applied six months ago will almost always be harder to remove than one applied last week. Heat reverses this process — it temporarily re-softens the adhesive and breaks the bond without attacking the paint beneath.

The clear coat on modern cars is tougher than it looks, but it does have limits. Scraping with a metal tool, using solvents at full strength on warm paintwork, or pulling tape sharply at 90 degrees can all cause micro-scratches, haze or, in worst cases, lift the clear coat entirely. The method below avoids all of those risks.

What you need before you start

A heat gun or household hair dryer
A plastic trim removal tool, an old credit card, or your thumbnail
Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) wipes — 70% or higher
Alternatively: a proprietary adhesive remover such as 3M Adhesive Remover or WD-40
A clean, soft microfibre cloth
Optional: car polish or detailing spray to finish

Avoid petrol, nail-varnish remover (acetone) and white spirit directly on paintwork. They can strip wax, cloud the clear coat, and on older or resprayed panels, they can lift paint entirely.

Step-by-step: removing tape and adhesive residue from car paint

Step 1 — Work in shade, on a cool panel. Direct sunlight heats the paint surface, which makes solvents evaporate too fast and increases the risk of the clear coat being affected. Move the car into a garage or shaded area, or work early morning.

Step 2 — Apply heat evenly. Hold a hair dryer or heat gun 5–8 cm from the tape or badge and work in slow, steady passes for 30–45 seconds. You're aiming to warm the adhesive to around 40–50 °C — warm to the touch but not hot enough to blister paint. Do not hold the heat in one spot.

Step 3 — Peel slowly at a low angle. Once the adhesive feels pliable, start peeling the tape or badge from one corner. Pull back on itself at roughly 15–30 degrees — almost parallel to the paint surface. Pulling at 90 degrees snaps the adhesive rather than stretching it, which leaves more residue behind. If resistance increases, apply more heat rather than more force.

Step 4 — Lift foam residue with a plastic tool. If a foam pad or thick adhesive layer is left behind, use a plastic trim tool or credit card to gently scrape it away. Always push at a shallow angle; never dig in from the side.

Step 5 — Dissolve the remaining residue. Apply IPA to a microfibre cloth (not directly to the paint — you want controlled, dampened contact, not a flood of solvent) and rub gently in small circles. IPA is effective on acrylic adhesive and evaporates cleanly without leaving a film. For stubborn residue, WD-40 works well — spray onto a cloth, not the panel, and rub in. Leave it for 30–60 seconds to penetrate before wiping off.

Step 6 — Clean the area with IPA. After the residue is gone, wipe the whole area down with a fresh IPA wipe to remove any WD-40 film or oily residue. This matters especially if you plan to re-tape the area — oily surfaces kill adhesive bonds.

Step 7 — Polish if needed. On older paintwork, the area where tape has been may look slightly duller than the surrounding paint once the residue is gone. A light polish with a detailing spray and microfibre cloth usually brings the gloss back. Machine polishing is rarely necessary unless the adhesive was very old or a previous removal attempt caused scratching.

Does WD-40 actually work on car paint adhesive?

Yes — WD-40 is one of the most commonly recommended adhesive removers precisely because it is gentle enough not to harm clear coat when used on a cloth (rather than sprayed and left). Its light oil base lubricates and lifts acrylic adhesive effectively. The key is to clean it off completely with IPA afterwards, because any oily film left on the paint will stop new tape or primer from bonding.

For very stubborn, old foam tape residue — the kind that turns grey and crumbles — a dedicated product like 3M Adhesive Remover (available as a spray or solvent) tends to work faster than WD-40, and it evaporates without leaving a film.

When this method won't be enough

If the adhesive has been on the panel for several years and has hardened to the point where it crumbles rather than stretches, you may need to make multiple passes — heat, scrape, IPA — repeating the cycle rather than increasing aggression. Do not be tempted to use a razor blade on painted surfaces; even professional detailers use these only on glass.

If there is paint damage beneath the tape — bubbling, flaking, or bare metal — then the method above will reveal but cannot fix it. That is a bodywork repair, not an adhesive-removal job.

How to avoid this problem next time

The reason so many trim tapes and badge adhesives leave stubborn residue is that they were never designed for clean removal — they were designed purely to hold. Professional-grade VHB-style foam mounting tape, the kind we supply at Spyder Tape, is formulated differently: it bonds strongly to automotive surfaces including curved and irregular trim, but when it does need to come off, the closed-cell acrylic foam stretches and peels away far more cleanly than the cheap foam pads found in generic trim kits.

The other factor is surface prep. Kits from Spyder Tape include an IPA cleaning wipe and an adhesive-promoter wipe — two steps that most DIY tape jobs skip entirely. Properly primed surfaces mean the tape bonds to the surface as intended, rather than soaking partially into a layer of old wax or contamination. That makes future removal far less of a headache.

If you're re-attaching trim, a parking sensor, or a dash cam after cleaning off the old adhesive, our automotive tape guide for car trim covers which tape type to use for each substrate.

Common questions

Will IPA damage car paint?

Isopropyl alcohol at 70–99% concentration is safe on factory clear coat when applied briefly with a cloth. It evaporates quickly and leaves no residue. Avoid soaking bare, resprayed or older lacquer finishes for extended periods, and never use it on warm paintwork in direct sun.

Can I use a fingernail or plastic card instead of a trim tool?

Yes — a credit card or driving licence works well for lifting flat foam residue and is soft enough not to scratch the clear coat. Avoid anything metal, including old-style trim tools with steel tips. Your fingernail is the safest option of all for starting a peel.

How do I remove adhesive from car paint without damaging the surface if the paint is already chipped?

Work around chips and exposed bare metal as much as possible — IPA and WD-40 will not harm a small chip, but avoid soaking bare metal for long periods as it can encourage surface rust. If the chip is large, sort the bodywork repair before applying any new tape to that area.

Originally published at Spyder Tape

How to Stop Squirrels Getting on Your Roof (and Under the Tiles)

Ross — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 06:01:34 +0000

Squirrels reach roofs by running along the top of fences, climbing drainpipes, and leaping from overhanging branches — once they find a loose tile or gap in the fascia, they'll exploit it repeatedly. The most effective approach is to cut off every access route at ground and fence level rather than trying to deter them once they're already up there.

Why squirrels want to get on your roof in the first place

Squirrels aren't attracted to roof tiles themselves — they're after what's behind them. A warm loft space is an ideal nesting site, and roof voids offer shelter from predators. Grey squirrels (the common UK species) are active year-round and will scout new nesting sites in autumn and spring. If a squirrel has been getting onto your roof at night, it's almost certainly investigating, or has already found, a gap in the roofline.

Daytime activity usually means foraging routes — a squirrel using your fence top as a highway to reach a neighbour's bird feeder or a tree further along. Night activity is more likely nesting behaviour and warrants a closer look at your fascia boards, soffits and any missing or cracked tiles.

Identify every access route before you do anything else

Blocking one route while leaving others open is wasted effort. Walk the perimeter of your house and note:

Fence lines that run close to the house. Any fence within jumping distance of the eaves (roughly 2–3 metres) is a launch pad.
Overhanging branches. Squirrels will jump from branches that overhang or touch the roof. The standard advice is to keep branches pruned back at least 2 metres from the roofline.
Drainpipes and downpipes. Squirrels climb smooth plastic pipes by gripping the brackets — they're better at this than most people expect.
Garden structures. Sheds, pergolas and garden arches that sit close to the house can all serve as stepping stones.

Once you've mapped the routes, you can prioritise which to tackle first.

How to stop squirrels running along your fence to the roof

This is the most common route and the most practical one to block. Standard flat bird spikes don't work on squirrels — a squirrel will simply walk across single-height spikes without flinching, treating them as an uneven surface rather than a barrier.

What does work is a spike design with genuinely irregular heights. ThornGuard's deterrent spikes use a three-height pattern (12 mm, 22 mm and 36 mm) specifically because the unpredictable spike heights disrupt the way climbing animals place their feet — there's no flat plane to step across. The strip also folds along its length so it wraps a fence top or post on three sides, which matters because squirrels approach from any angle.

For fitting along a fence top:

Measure the full run of fence that leads towards the house.
Cut the ThornGuard strip across its four sections to fit the length, or split it lengthways to cover a wider area more economically.
Screw directly into timber fence tops using the included screws, or use cable ties on capped or hollow fence posts.
On rendered walls or uPVC fascia boards, waterproof adhesive pads (available separately) let you fit without drilling.

Full fitting instructions are on the ThornGuard fitting guide.

How to stop squirrels climbing drainpipes and walls

For drainpipes, a physical baffle is more practical than spikes. A smooth cone-shaped guard fitted around the pipe below roof height — sometimes called a squirrel guard or pipe baffle — makes it impossible for the squirrel to get a grip past the flared edge. These are available from most hardware stores and can usually be fitted without tools, clipping around the pipe at a height of around 1.5 metres.

For flat wall surfaces close to a flat roof or low extension roof, deterrent spikes fitted along the top edge of the wall remove the landing surface entirely. This is the same principle as protecting a fence — if there's nowhere comfortable to land and travel, squirrels will look for a different route.

How to stop squirrels getting under roof tiles and into the loft

Once you've addressed the access routes, check the roof structure itself:

Fascia and soffit boards: Any gap wider than roughly 25 mm is large enough for a squirrel to squeeze through. Rotting timber is the most common culprit — squirrels can enlarge small gaps quickly with their teeth. Replace damaged sections and seal gaps with galvanised wire mesh before finishing with timber or uPVC cladding. Mesh is preferable to filler alone because squirrels will gnaw through expanding foam.
Roof tiles: Missing or cracked tiles should be replaced promptly. A roofer can also fit purpose-made tile clips that resist lifting from below.
Vents and air bricks: Roof vents should have intact mesh grilles. If the mesh has corroded or been pushed out, replace it with stainless steel mesh (minimum 6 mm aperture is fine for ventilation but too small for squirrels to pass through).

If squirrels are already in the loft, UK law doesn't prevent you from trapping and relocating grey squirrels — they are not a protected species. However, once you have an active nest with young, disturbing it becomes more complicated. If you're unsure, a pest controller or the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) can advise on what's legal and practical at the time of year.

What doesn't work (and wastes your time)

Ultrasonic devices: The evidence for ultrasonic squirrel deterrents is weak. Squirrels habituate quickly and the effective range is rarely as advertised.

Chilli powder or pepper: Squirrels do dislike capsaicin, and sprinkling around garden beds can reduce digging. But on a roof or fence top, rain washes it off within hours and it needs constant reapplication. Not a realistic long-term solution.

Single-height flat spikes: As above — effective against birds landing on a ledge, but squirrels walk straight over them. If you've already tried flat spikes and found squirrels ignoring them, this is why.

Decoy predators: Plastic owls and hawk kites are ignored by squirrels almost immediately. They may have a very short-term effect in the first day or two, but there's no evidence of lasting deterrence.

Does blocking fence access actually stop roof damage?

For most houses, yes — the fence line is the primary highway. In gardens with large trees close to the house, you may need to prune branches back as well, since a squirrel can clear 2 metres horizontally from a branch with ease. If you address both the fence route and any overhanging branches, you remove the two most common access points, and squirrels will typically move on to easier territory.

See the ThornGuard animal spikes page for more on how the spike design works against climbing animals specifically.

Common questions

How do I stop squirrels getting under my roof tiles?

Fit galvanised wire mesh over any gaps in fascia, soffit or ridge areas — squirrels can gnaw through expanding foam but not metal mesh. Replace any cracked or missing tiles promptly, and check that roof vents have intact stainless steel grilles.

Why are squirrels on my roof at night?

Night-time activity strongly suggests a squirrel is investigating your loft as a nesting site, or has already established a nest there. Daytime roof use is more often a foraging route. If you hear scratching or movement in the loft at night, inspect your fascia boards and soffits for gaps as a priority.

Do squirrel-proof fence spikes actually work?

Standard flat bird spikes don't deter squirrels — the spikes need to be irregular in height so there's no flat surface to walk across. Three-height designs like ThornGuard's are specifically built for this reason. Fitted consistently along the full fence run that leads towards the house, they remove the route rather than just making it slightly inconvenient.

Originally published at ThornGuard

Best Dock Apps for Mac: What's Actually Worth Installing in 2026

Ross — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 05:02:52 +0000

The best dock apps for Mac right now are Dockish (full dock replacement with multi-monitor support and folders, $6.99), DockDoor (free window previews only), and uBar (taskbar-style alternative, ~$30). Which one is right for you depends entirely on what the default macOS dock is failing to do for you — so here's an honest breakdown.

What's actually missing from the default Mac dock?

Apple's dock hasn't changed in any meaningful way since the early Intel era. In 2026, running macOS Sequoia, it still has the same core limitations:

It only shows on one monitor. On a multi-monitor setup, the dock lives on your primary display. To reach it from another screen, you move your cursor all the way across. On a 27-inch secondary monitor, that's a lot of dead mouse travel.
No folders. You can't group apps. A dock with 25–30 items becomes a scroll-hunt. iOS has had app folders since 2010; the Mac dock still doesn't.
Minimised windows behave strangely. Click a minimised app in the dock and sometimes it restores — sometimes nothing happens, or a different window comes to the front. It's inconsistent enough that you end up avoiding minimise entirely.
No customisation that matters. You can resize icons and toggle magnification. That's essentially it.

If any of those frustrations sound familiar, a third-party dock app is worth looking at. Here's what's available.

Dockish — full dock replacement that fixes the core problems

Dockish replaces the macOS dock entirely. It's a menu bar app that draws its own dock, so you get full control over behaviour and appearance.

What it actually does:

Multi-monitor docks — show the dock on every connected display simultaneously, either mirrored or configured independently per screen. When you plug in or unplug a monitor, it adjusts automatically.
iPhone-style folders — drag one app icon onto another and they become a folder with a 2×2 preview grid, auto-named from the apps inside. Exactly what the iOS home screen has done for 15 years.
Sensible click behaviour — clicking an app launches it if it's not running, focuses it if it is, and restores it correctly if it's minimised. Scroll on an icon to cycle through that app's open windows.
Live window previews on hover — hover over a running app and see thumbnails of its open windows before clicking.
Full visual customisation — icon sizes from 24px to 96px, spacing, magnification, glass/dark/light themes or a custom tint colour, optional app name labels, dividers and spacers. It runs at 120Hz on ProMotion displays.
Rich context menus — Option-click for Force Quit, Chrome/Brave/Edge icons show profile switchers, media apps show playback controls.

The practical stuff: $6.99 one-time purchase, 7-day free trial, macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later. No subscription — you buy it once. One-click setup hides the macOS dock (fully reversible if you change your mind). Global show/hide shortcut is ⌥⌘D.

If your main complaint is that the dock only shows on one screen, or you want app grouping, Dockish is the most direct fix at the lowest price.

DockDoor — free, but does one thing only

DockDoor is a free, open-source app that adds window preview thumbnails when you hover over dock icons — the feature that used to require HyperDock. That's genuinely useful, and it does it well.

But DockDoor doesn't replace the dock, doesn't add multi-monitor support, and doesn't give you folders. It sits on top of the existing macOS dock and adds previews to it. If window previews are the only thing you want, DockDoor is the honest recommendation and it costs nothing. If you need more than that, it's not the right tool.

uBar — taskbar-style, different philosophy

uBar (~$30) is the most mature third-party dock replacement on the market. It's been around for years and it's polished. But it takes a fundamentally different approach: it looks and behaves more like the Windows taskbar than the macOS dock. It shows all open windows as individual items in a bar, rather than app icons you click to switch between them.

For people switching from Windows who want that taskbar feel, uBar is the closest thing available. For people who want the dock to stay dock-like but just work better, it's a jarring difference. Dockish deliberately stays true to the dock metaphor — app icons, not window lists.

Neither is wrong. They solve different things.

What about HyperDock and ActiveDock?

HyperDock was popular for adding window previews to the dock years ago, but it hasn't kept pace with recent macOS versions and feels dated. DockDoor does the same thing for free.

ActiveDock exists but hasn't had meaningful updates in a while. Less competition than it used to be.

How to choose: a quick decision guide

What you need	Best option
Dock on every monitor	Dockish
App folders in the dock	Dockish
Window previews only, free	DockDoor
Windows-style taskbar feel	uBar
Basic window snapping + free	Rectangle (that's window management, not dock)

If your problem is specifically window layouts — saving and restoring where windows sit across your monitors — that's a different category entirely, handled by tools like Layoutish rather than a dock app.

Setting up Dockish: what to expect in the first five minutes

Download and run Dockish — it appears in your menu bar.
On first launch, grant Accessibility permission (System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility).
Click the menu bar icon → Preferences to set icon size, theme, and which monitors show a dock.
Use the "Hide macOS Dock" toggle in preferences to hide the built-in dock. This is reversible — it just runs defaults write com.apple.dock autohide -bool true and sets the delay very high.
Drag apps into your Dockish dock. Drag one onto another to create a folder.

The 7-day trial is fully functional with no feature restrictions, so you can test everything before deciding.

Common questions

Does Dockish work on macOS Sonoma or do I need Sequoia?

Dockish requires macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later, so it works on both Sonoma and Sequoia. It doesn't require Sequoia specifically — if you're on Sonoma and want better dock behaviour, you're covered.

Will a dock replacement app slow down my Mac?

Dockish is a native Swift app running as a menu bar process. It draws the dock using native frameworks at 120Hz on ProMotion displays, so it's built for performance rather than against it. Any dock replacement adds some overhead, but in practice it's not noticeable on any Mac from the last few years.

Can I go back to the default Mac dock if I don't like it?

Yes. Dockish's "Hide macOS Dock" setting is fully reversible — quit Dockish and toggle the setting off, or just re-enable the dock in System Settings → Desktop & Dock → Automatically hide and show the Dock. Nothing is permanently changed.

Originally published at appish.app

How to Get Your Mac Dock on Both Monitors (All Four Methods)

Ross — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 05:02:06 +0000

macOS does not show the dock on multiple monitors at the same time — it moves to whichever screen your mouse is nearest the bottom of. There is no System Settings toggle to change this. If you want a persistent dock on every display, you need either a third-party app or a workflow workaround.

Why does macOS only show the dock on one screen?

Apple's dock is designed to appear on the screen where it's needed, on demand. Move your cursor to the bottom edge of any monitor for a second and the dock slides over to that screen. It works — but it means the dock is never on a screen, it's just visiting it. For anyone doing focused work on a secondary display, that distinction matters: you have to deliberately interrupt what you're doing and mouse to an edge just to launch something.

This behaviour has been this way since Apple introduced multi-monitor support. macOS Sequoia didn't change it.

Method 1: The built-in hover trick (free, no install)

This is worth knowing even if you go further. To summon the dock on any monitor:

Move your cursor to the very bottom edge of the screen you want the dock on.
Hold it there for about half a second.
The dock slides over.

That's the entire native experience. It works on all monitors, including ultra-wides and vertical displays. The limitation: the dock disappears again once you start working, and there's no way to pin it to a specific screen.

If you use auto-hide (System Settings → Desktop & Dock → Automatically hide and show the Dock), the same hover gesture works — just expect a short delay.

Method 2: Set a preferred screen by positioning (partial workaround)

You can nudge macOS toward keeping the dock on a particular monitor more consistently:

Open System Settings → Desktop & Dock.
Set Position on screen to Bottom, Left, or Right.
Move your cursor to that edge on the monitor you want the dock on, and leave it there for a moment.

macOS remembers which monitor last triggered the dock and tends to leave it there until you hover on a different screen's edge. It's not a lock — it will still drift — but if you work primarily on one display and rarely move your cursor to the bottom of others, this reduces unwanted dock-jumping.

Method 3: Use BetterDisplay or a mirroring workaround (advanced, free)

BetterDisplay (free tier available) can mirror displays in software, which as a side effect can keep the dock visible on both screens. This is a heavy-handed solution for a simple problem: you're reconfiguring your display stack to solve a dock placement quirk. It also introduces input lag on the mirrored display and doesn't support independent dock contents per screen.

Not recommended unless you already use BetterDisplay for other reasons.

Method 4: Dockish — a permanent dock on every monitor (the proper fix)

The cleanest solution is Dockish, a full dock replacement for macOS that shows a real, persistent dock on every connected monitor simultaneously.

Unlike the native dock, Dockish docks don't move. Each monitor gets its own dock, always visible, no hovering required. You can configure them independently — different icon sizes per display, mirrored or independent app sets, whatever fits your setup. When you plug in or unplug a monitor, Dockish detects the change and adjusts automatically.

A few things worth knowing before you try it:

Requires macOS 14.0 (Sonoma) or later
7-day free trial, then $6.99 one-time — no subscription
On first run, you'll want to hide the native macOS dock (Dockish has a one-click toggle for this that's fully reversible)
Icon size is adjustable from 24–96px, with spacing and magnification controls

The multi-monitor dock is the feature I get asked about most, and it's the reason most people find Dockish in the first place. macOS leaving you with one dock for three screens is a real daily friction point — not an edge case.

Which method should you use?

Situation	Best option
You occasionally need the dock on another screen	Built-in hover (Method 1)
You work on one primary screen 90% of the time	Position preference (Method 2)
You want a permanent dock on every monitor	Dockish (Method 4)
You want something free and don't mind complexity	BetterDisplay workaround (Method 3)

If the dock-on-one-screen limitation is annoying you daily, Method 4 is the only one that actually solves it. The native workarounds manage the symptom.

What else Dockish does while it's there

Because Dockish replaces the dock entirely rather than patching around it, you get the other quality-of-life fixes at the same time:

iPhone-style app folders — drag one app onto another to group them, with a 2×2 preview grid and auto-naming. The native dock has no equivalent.
Hover for live window previews — hover over an app icon to see thumbnails of its open windows.
Scroll an icon to cycle windows — scroll the mouse wheel over a running app to flip between its open windows without opening Mission Control.
Click minimized apps and they come back — the native dock's behaviour of doing nothing (or bouncing unhelpfully) when you click a minimized app is fixed.
Themes — glass, dark, light, or custom tint. Dividers and spacers for visual organisation.

None of this requires extra setup. It's all part of the same app.

Does hiding the native dock cause any problems?

No — and Dockish makes it easy to undo. When you click "Hide macOS Dock" in Dockish settings, it runs the same defaults write command you'd run manually in Terminal. It's fully reversible: one click in the same settings panel brings the native dock back. Nothing is deleted or permanently modified.

If you ever uninstall Dockish, re-enable the native dock first. The app prompts you to do this.

Common questions

Can you keep the Mac dock visible on a second monitor all the time without extra software?

No. macOS only shows the dock on one screen at a time and there's no System Settings option to change this. The dock moves to whichever screen your cursor approaches the bottom of. A third-party dock replacement is the only way to have a persistent dock on multiple monitors simultaneously.

Does Dockish work if I add or remove a monitor while my Mac is running?

Yes — Dockish detects monitor changes automatically. When you plug in an external display, a new dock appears on it. When you unplug, that dock disappears. You don't need to relaunch the app or change any settings.

Will a dock replacement app slow down my Mac?

Dockish is a native Swift app built for macOS 14 and later. It uses the same system APIs as the native dock and runs as a lightweight menu bar process. In practice, the performance difference is not measurable for everyday use.

Originally published at appish.app

Are flushable wipes really flushable? (Honest answer, UK edition)

Ross — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 08:02:15 +0000

Most wipes labelled "flushable" are not safe to flush in any meaningful sense — they pass a bare-minimum industry test but don't break down fast enough to avoid clogging home pipes, building drains, or sewage systems. A genuinely flushable wipe needs to disintegrate in water at roughly the same speed as toilet paper, and very few do. Here's how to tell the difference.

Why do so many wipes claim to be flushable when they aren't?

The word "flushable" has no strict legal definition in the UK — which means a manufacturer can print it on the pack as long as the wipe passes one of a handful of voluntary industry tests. The most commonly cited is the IWSFG (International Water Services Flushability Group) standard, which requires a wipe to disintegrate under controlled lab conditions. The problem is that real-world sewage systems are slower, narrower, and full of grease, soap scum, and other debris that laboratory pipes aren't.

A wipe might clear your toilet bowl just fine — it disappears, the flush works, job done — and then sit intact in a pipe bend 10 metres away for weeks, gradually snagging other wipes, grease, and hair until something much bigger forms. Water companies in the UK estimate that wet wipes make up around 93% of the material in sewer blockages (a figure cited by Water UK in their campaigns against unflushable wipes). Those blockages cost roughly £100 million a year to clear — and that cost is passed back to customers.

So: the claim is technically defensible under current rules. It is also, for most products, practically misleading.

What actually makes a wipe genuinely safe to flush?

A wipe that genuinely breaks down safely has three properties:

1. No plastic fibres. Most wet wipes — including many labelled flushable — are made from polyester, polypropylene, or a blend of synthetics and natural fibres. Plastic fibres do not break down in water. Ever. They just get smaller, which is arguably worse. The UK government is banning plastic-fibre wet wipes in 2027 precisely because of this. A wipe with any plastic content should never go down the toilet, whatever the label says.

2. A fibre structure designed to disperse in water. Cotton and wood-pulp fibres can be woven or bonded in ways that hold together when wet (useful for a wipe) but pull apart under mechanical agitation in water (useful for a sewer). The bonding method matters as much as the raw material — some cotton wipes are bonded with synthetic resins that prevent dispersal. Check that the wipe is free of synthetic binders, not just synthetic fibres.

3. Passing a recognised dispersibility test — at a meaningful standard. Look for wipes that meet the Fine to Flush standard, run by Water UK. Fine to Flush is stricter than most industry self-assessments and specifically tests whether a wipe disintegrates in conditions that more closely resemble real sewer systems. It's the benchmark UK water companies actually trust.

What about the 2027 UK plastic-fibre wet wipe ban — does that fix this?

Partly, yes. From 2027, wet wipes containing plastic fibres will be banned from sale in the UK. That removes the worst offenders — the polyester-heavy wipes that sit intact in pipes for years — and it will force the industry to reformulate.

But the ban doesn't make every surviving wipe safe to flush. A wipe can be 100% plastic-free and still block your drain if it uses synthetic binders, is too thick, or simply wasn't designed with dispersibility in mind. "Plastic free" and "flushable" are not the same thing.

For what it's worth, dinky wipes never used plastic fibres — the whole range is plastic-free and always has been, so it's already compliant with the 2027 rules before they come into force. But only dinky flushable wipes are designed and intended to be flushed. The sensitive and antibacterial products are plastic-free cotton wipes — brilliant for everything else, but they should go in the bin, not the toilet.

How do you spot a genuinely flushable wipe on the shelf?

Run through this checklist before you buy:

No plastic fibres — the ingredients or fabric description should say 100% cotton, wood pulp, viscose, or similar. If it says polyester, polypropylene, or "spunlace" without specifying the fibre, be cautious.
No PLA (polylactic acid) — PLA is a plant-derived plastic that is compostable under industrial conditions but does not break down in home pipes or standard sewage treatment. A wipe containing PLA is not flushable.
Fine to Flush certification — look for the logo on the pack. If it isn't there, the "flushable" claim is the manufacturer's own assessment.
Thickness — thicker wipes take longer to disperse. A flushable wipe should feel noticeably lighter and thinner than a standard baby wipe.
One at a time, always — even a genuinely fine-to-flush wipe is designed to disperse as a single sheet in a full flush of water. Flushing multiple wipes together multiplies the risk.

Why do wipes cause fatbergs?

A fatberg is what happens when wet wipes, cooking fat, grease, and other non-dispersible material accumulate in a sewer pipe and bond together into a solid mass. Wet wipes are the structural skeleton — fat sticks to them because the fibre surface gives it something to cling to. Without intact wipe fibres in the mix, fatbergs can't form in the same way. This is why water companies are unambiguous: no wet wipe should go down the toilet unless it carries a credible flushability certification. "Biodegradable" is not enough. "Natural fibres" is not enough. "Eco" is definitely not enough.

The largest fatberg ever recorded in the UK — found under Whitechapel in London in 2017 — weighed 130 tonnes and stretched over 250 metres. Wet wipes were a primary component.

What should you do with wipes that aren't flushable?

Bin them. That's it. A small, lidded bin next to the toilet makes this easy and keeps the bathroom tidy. If you're worried about plastic waste from disposable wipe packs, choosing a plastic-free wipe (no plastic fibres in the wipe itself, and ideally plastic-free packaging) means that what goes into the bin will break down in landfill rather than persisting indefinitely.

Common questions

Are flushable wipes really flushable in the UK?

A small number are — specifically those certified to the Water UK Fine to Flush standard, which tests dispersibility under realistic sewer conditions. The majority of wipes labelled "flushable" do not meet this standard and should be binned. If the pack doesn't show the Fine to Flush logo, treat it as non-flushable.

Do flushable wipes block drains?

Wipes that aren't genuinely dispersible can and do block drains — especially in older pipes with bends, or in buildings where multiple households share a stack. Even wipes that clear your toilet pan can snag further down the system. Using a Fine to Flush certified wipe, one at a time, with a full flush substantially reduces (but doesn't entirely eliminate) the risk.

What is the difference between biodegradable and flushable wipes?

Biodegradable means the wipe will eventually break down in the environment — but "eventually" can mean months or years, which is far too slow for a sewer pipe. Flushable (in the proper sense) means the wipe disperses in water within minutes under mechanical agitation. A wipe can be biodegradable without being flushable, and vice versa. For toilet use, flushability — specifically Fine to Flush certification — is what matters.

Originally published at dinky wipes

Mounting Tape for Bathroom Mirrors: How to Hang Without Drilling

Ross — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 07:02:55 +0000

Professional-grade foam mounting tape — the VHB type used in trade and automotive applications — can hold a bathroom mirror securely without a single drill hole, provided the mirror is within a sensible weight for the tape area used, the wall surface is sound, and you prepare both surfaces properly before bonding. The key variables are surface type (tiles and painted plasterboard behave differently), humidity (bathrooms are a genuine stress test), and whether you give the bond 24–72 hours to fully cure before loading it.

Is tape genuinely strong enough to hold a bathroom mirror?

This is the first question worth answering honestly, because the answer depends on the mirror.

Closed-cell acrylic foam tapes — sometimes called VHB (Very High Bond) style tapes — work by conforming to the microscopic texture of both surfaces and creating a continuous bond across the full contact area. That bond resists shear (downward pull) extremely well when it's cured. A full perimeter of tape on a 60 × 40 cm mirror frame distributes the load across hundreds of square centimetres, which is a very different proposition from a couple of sticky pads.

What tape isn't suited to is a very heavy mirror — thick plate glass, antique frames, or anything you'd describe as 'substantial'. If a mirror needs two people to lift it onto a wall, it needs mechanical fixings (mirror plates and screws into studs or anchors). Tape is the right call for bathroom mirrors that one person can comfortably handle: frameless glass mirrors up to a modest weight, framed mirrors in lighter materials, and acrylic or polycarbonate mirror panels.

If you're unsure, check the mirror's weight against the tape manufacturer's data sheet. When in doubt, use mechanical fixings or combine tape with a mirror plate at the top.

Which surfaces does mounting tape actually bond to in a bathroom?

Bathroom walls come in a few common types, and they behave quite differently:

Ceramic and porcelain tiles — excellent for tape bonding. Glazed tiles are smooth, dense, and non-porous. Clean the surface well and tape bonds reliably. Grout lines are the enemy: don't try to span a grout line with tape, since the tape bridges the gap and loses contact area on either side.

Painted plasterboard (emulsion-painted walls) — workable, but you need to verify the paint is well-adhered. Tape bonds to the paint layer, not the wall behind it. If the paint is flaking, bubbling, or was applied recently (less than 4 weeks), the paint itself will fail before the tape does. Lightly pressing your thumbnail into the paint and checking for adhesion is a quick field test.

PVC-coated or tiled splashback panels — generally good, similar to tile. Watch for very low-energy plastics (shiny, slick polypropylene panels) which may need a primer or adhesion promoter to bond reliably.

Bare plaster or artex — not recommended for tape alone. These surfaces are porous and the surface layer can pull away. A mechanical fixing is safer here.

Glass shower enclosures or glass walls — tape bonds well to clean glass. See the surface prep steps below.

How to mount a bathroom mirror with tape — step by step

What you'll need:

Professional foam mounting tape (a closed-cell acrylic foam tape, double-sided)
IPA (isopropyl alcohol) cleaning wipe
Adhesion promoter wipe (if bonding to painted surfaces or plastics)
A spirit level
Pencil or painter's tape for marking position
A clean, lint-free cloth

Step 1 — Mark the position first

Decide exactly where the mirror goes before you touch any tape. Use a spirit level and pencil marks, or stick two pieces of painter's tape on the wall as corner guides. Once your mounting tape is pressed into place, repositioning is not an option.

Step 2 — Clean the wall surface

Wipe the bonding area with an IPA cleaning wipe. This removes soap residue, water deposits, grease, and anything else that would sit between the tape and the surface. In a bathroom this step is more important than anywhere else — surfaces look clean but carry a film of soap and limescale. Let it dry for 60 seconds.

If you're bonding to paint or a plastic-type surface, follow with an adhesion promoter wipe and allow it to flash off (about 60–90 seconds). This chemically prepares the surface and significantly improves initial grab and long-term hold. Spyder Tape's kits include both the IPA wipe and an adhesion promoter wipe for exactly this reason.

Step 3 — Clean the back of the mirror frame

Same process: IPA wipe on the back of the frame or the edge of the glass where the tape will sit. New mirrors sometimes have a light coating of dust or release agent from manufacturing. Clean it off.

Step 4 — Apply tape to the mirror, not the wall

Run continuous strips of foam mounting tape around the perimeter of the mirror back, keeping tape inside the edge by a few millimetres so it won't be visible. For heavier mirrors, add a strip across the centre horizontally. Press the tape down firmly with your thumb along its entire length — good contact here matters.

Leave the release liner (the backing strip) on the tape for now.

Step 5 — Position and press

Peel the release liner off the tape. Using your pencil marks or painter's tape guides, hold the mirror in position and press it firmly and evenly against the wall. Apply sustained pressure — hold it for at least 30 seconds, pressing across the full surface so every part of the tape makes contact.

Step 6 — Allow it to cure before loading

This is the step most people skip. Acrylic foam tape reaches its full bond strength over 24–72 hours, not immediately. Leave the mirror undisturbed — don't hang towels from it or adjust it. The bond is doing its work during this period.

Does humidity affect tape in bathrooms?

Humidity alone doesn't break a properly bonded VHB-style tape. The foam core and acrylic adhesive are both moisture-resistant, and the bond forms within the adhesive layer rather than on the surface of the tape. Where problems occur:

Condensation on tiles before you bond: if the tiles are wet or cold when you apply tape, you're trapping moisture at the interface. Always tape in a ventilated bathroom at room temperature, and wipe surfaces immediately before applying.
Ongoing water exposure: tape on a surface that gets directly wet — like the inside of a shower — is not the right solution. Use appropriate waterproof sealant or mechanical fixings for those applications. For a mirror above a basin or on a bathroom wall, humidity is fine; direct water flow is not.
Temperature extremes: bathrooms aren't an extreme temperature environment, so this isn't usually a concern for domestic bathrooms.

What if the mirror needs to come down later?

Professional foam mounting tape is designed to remove cleanly from sound, painted, and tiled surfaces. The technique is to work dental floss or fishing line behind the tape with a gentle sawing motion — this cuts through the foam without pulling the surface. Any residue on the wall or mirror can be removed with an IPA wipe or a small amount of adhesive remover, then wiped clean.

Don't try to pull the mirror straight off the wall. You'll either damage the surface or, worse, break the mirror.

Common questions

Can mounting tape hold a heavy frameless glass mirror?

For lightweight to medium-weight frameless mirrors, yes — if the glass has a flat edge or backing frame for tape to adhere to and the wall surface is tile or sound painted plasterboard. For larger, heavier plate glass mirrors, combine a mirror plate at the top (mechanical fixing into a stud or anchor) with foam tape along the sides and bottom for extra security. When the mirror's weight makes you hesitate, use a mechanical fixing.

What's the best tape for a bathroom mirror on tiles?

A closed-cell acrylic foam double-sided tape — the type used in automotive and construction trade — is the right product. It conforms to slight surface irregularities, is moisture-resistant once bonded, and removes cleanly without cracking tiles. Avoid general-purpose craft double-sided tape, which lacks the foam core needed to create a gap-filling, long-term bond. You can find professional-grade options in our tape range.

How long before I can use the bathroom normally after mounting a mirror with tape?

Wait at least 24 hours before loading the mirror (hanging anything from it, leaning against it). The bathroom itself can be used normally — the tape just needs to be left undisturbed while the bond cures. If you can wait 48–72 hours before using a steamy shower directly in front of the mirror, that's better, but it's not essential.

Originally published at Spyder Tape

How to Stop Pigeons Roosting Under Solar Panels (UK Guide)

Ross — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 06:01:25 +0000

Pigeons roost and nest under solar panels because the gap between the panel and the roof creates exactly what pigeons want: a warm, sheltered, elevated space that predators can't easily reach. The only reliable way to stop them is to block that gap permanently — using mesh, spikes along the panel edges, or a combination of both — before a nest is established.

Why pigeons target solar panels specifically

Ordinary roof tiles offer nowhere to hide. Solar panels change that. The raised frame creates a cavity roughly 50–100 mm deep, protected from rain and wind, heated from below by the roof and from above by the panel itself. From a pigeon's point of view, it's a purpose-built loft.

Once a pair moves in, the problems compound quickly:

Guano accumulates under the panel, where it's invisible until it's blocking drainage channels or corroding mounting brackets.
Nesting material (twigs, straw, feathers) is a fire risk near inverter cables and junction boxes.
Noise — particularly in early morning during breeding season — travels through the roof structure into the rooms below.
Other birds follow. A pair becomes a colony if the space isn't closed off.

The key point: dealing with this early, before nesting starts, is far easier than dealing with it once birds are established. Under UK law (the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981), you cannot disturb an active nest with eggs or chicks in it. If pigeons are already nesting, you must wait until the nest is naturally abandoned before clearing it and blocking access.

What actually works: your options compared

Solar panel mesh (pigeon-proofing mesh)

This is the most common professional solution. A UV-stable wire or plastic mesh is clipped or screwed around the perimeter of the panel array, closing the gap between the bottom edge of the frame and the roof tiles. It lets air circulate (important for panel efficiency) but denies entry.

What to look for:

Mesh aperture of 50 mm or less — large enough not to trap birds, small enough to stop them squeezing through.
Clips that attach to the panel frame without drilling into it (drilling the frame can void the panel warranty).
UV-stabilised material rated for outdoor use — cheap mesh goes brittle and sags within a year.

Fitting it yourself is possible if you're confident on a roof and have a suitable ladder and roof safety equipment. Many homeowners prefer to use a solar panel cleaning or bird-proofing specialist, partly because working at height carries real risk and partly because some panel warranties require professional installation of any accessories.

Deterrent spikes along panel edges and ridges

Mesh blocks the gap underneath. Spikes stop pigeons landing on top of the panels and on the ridge tiles directly above, which is where they perch before dropping down.

Standard flat single-height spikes are less effective here than people expect — pigeons can land between the rows, and they're confident enough on roof edges to pick their way through gaps. What makes a meaningful difference is an irregular multi-height spike pattern: the unpredictable surface height stops birds finding a stable foothold.

ThornGuard's spikes use a three-height design (12 mm, 22 mm and 36 mm) specifically to prevent this. The strips fold and wrap, so they'll follow the angle of a ridge tile or sit flat along a panel frame edge without leaving flat sections birds can use as a landing pad. For ridge tiles and the leading edge of the panel array, this is a practical complement to mesh rather than a replacement for it — the two methods address different parts of the problem.

For fitting to roof surfaces you can't drill, waterproof adhesive pads are available separately — useful on the smooth aluminium lip of a panel frame.

Decoys and visual deterrents

Plastic owls, reflective tape and spinning pinwheels work briefly, then stop working. Pigeons are not stupid — they habituate to static threats within days. These methods are worth almost nothing as a primary solution on a roof where birds are motivated to roost. Save your money.

Ultrasonic devices

The evidence that ultrasonic deterrents work on pigeons is thin. They're not a method we'd prioritise. Blocking physical access is far more reliable.

How to assess the problem before you start

Before buying anything, work out what you're actually dealing with:

Are pigeons roosting on top of the panels, under them, or both? Droppings on the panel surface suggest on-top roosting. Droppings, feathers and nesting material visible at the lower edge of the panel suggest under-panel nesting.
Is there an active nest? Listen for chick noise or look (carefully, from a ladder — don't disturb the nest) for eggs. If there's an active nest, stop and wait. Under UK law you cannot legally remove it until it's abandoned.
How large is the array? A single panel needs a few metres of mesh. A full roof array on a larger home might need 20+ metres. Measure the perimeter of the array at ground level if you can, using the roof pitch to estimate the actual surface run.
What's the roof surface? Concrete tiles, clay tiles and slate all have different profiles at the junction with the panel frame. The mesh clips need to match, or you'll have gaps.

Step-by-step: blocking pigeons out humanely

Wait for the right moment. Late summer through early winter is ideal — most broods have fledged, birds aren't yet in pre-breeding condition, and you have legal clearance to remove old nesting material.

Clear the area first. Remove old nests, feathers and guano wearing gloves and a dust mask (pigeon droppings carry Histoplasma and Chlamydophila psittaci — take this seriously). Bag and bin the material.

Fit the mesh perimeter. Work your way around the full panel array. Any gap larger than 50 mm is a potential entry point — pigeons can compress their bodies surprisingly well. Pay particular attention to the corners of the array, where the frame geometry often leaves a larger opening.

Add spikes to the ridge and panel leading edge. These are the landing pads birds use before they move to the panel gap. Fit them to the ridge tiles above the array and along the top edge of the panel frame.

Check your work from ground level with binoculars a few days later. If pigeons are still landing and inspecting, look for the gap you've missed.

What does professional pigeon-proofing cost in the UK?

For a typical domestic solar array (12–16 panels), professional mesh installation usually costs £200–£400 depending on roof height, access difficulty and the contractor. This typically includes clearing the old nest and fitting clip-on mesh with a UV-stable finish.

DIY mesh kits are available from around £40–£80 for a small array, though the quality varies considerably. The clips matter as much as the mesh itself — look for stainless steel clips rather than galvanised, which rust and fail faster.

Common questions

Can I remove a pigeon nest from under my solar panels?

Only if the nest is empty and abandoned — no eggs, no chicks. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is a criminal offence to intentionally disturb an active nest containing eggs or young. If birds are actively using the nest, you must wait until the brood has fledged and the nest is clearly abandoned before removing it and sealing the gap.

Do pigeons under solar panels damage the panels themselves?

The panels are generally robust, but the mounting hardware and cabling are not. Pigeon guano is highly acidic and corrodes aluminium brackets and wire insulation over time. Nesting material near junction boxes and inverter cables is a fire risk. The damage is slow but cumulative — a colony left for several years can mean a costly repair job alongside the panel clean.

Will spikes on the ridge stop pigeons getting under the panels?

Spikes on the ridge stop birds landing above the array, which reduces the foot traffic that leads them to find the gap. But spikes alone don't seal the entry point — you need mesh around the panel perimeter to actually block access underneath. Use spikes and mesh together for the most effective result. See our fitting guide for how to install spikes on uneven or angled roof surfaces, and the ThornGuard animal spikes page for product details.

Originally published at ThornGuard

How to Make Folders in the Mac Dock (App Groups That Actually Work)

Ross — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 05:02:13 +0000

macOS doesn't support app folders in the Dock — you can't drag one app onto another to group them the way you can on iPhone or iPad. The only native workaround is adding a folder of apps from Finder, which looks nothing like a proper folder and behaves awkwardly. If you want real app grouping in your Mac Dock, you need a third-party dock replacement.

Why macOS doesn't have app folders in the Dock

Apple has supported app folders on iPhone since iOS 4 in 2010, but the feature never made it to the Mac Dock. The Dock does support Finder folders — you can drag any folder from Finder into the right side of the Dock (the section after the divider line), and it'll appear as a stack that fans out or shows a grid when clicked. But that's a folder of files and folders, not a group of apps you've chosen. You can't drag Safari onto Chrome and have them collapse into a "Browsers" group the way you'd do on your phone.

This matters most when your Dock has grown to 25–30 icons and scrolling past them to find the right app starts taking longer than just using Spotlight.

The native workaround: Finder folder stacks

If you want to stay entirely within macOS, the closest you can get is this:

Create a new folder in Finder — somewhere like ~/Applications/Groups/ — and name it whatever you want the group to be called (e.g. "Dev Tools").
Add aliases to the apps you want grouped: find each app in /Applications, right-click → Make Alias, then move the alias into your new folder.
Drag the folder into the right section of the Dock (to the right of the divider line, alongside Trash).
Right-click the stack in the Dock → set Display as: Folder, View content as: Grid.

This gives you a clickable grid of app shortcuts. It works, but there are real limitations: the folder sits on the right side of the Dock only, it looks like a folder icon rather than a proper app group, and you have to maintain aliases manually when apps update or move.

How iPhone-style app folders work in Dockish

Dockish adds proper app folders to the Mac Dock — the same interaction model you already know from iOS. Drag one app icon onto another and they collapse into a folder automatically. The folder shows a 2×2 preview grid of the apps inside, names itself based on the apps it contains, and sits anywhere in the Dock alongside your other apps — not banished to the right-side stack area.

To create a folder in Dockish:

Download and install Dockish (7-day free trial, macOS 14 Sonoma or later).
Once Dockish is running, drag any app icon in the Dock directly on top of another app icon.
They'll merge into a folder with an auto-generated name and a live 2×2 preview grid.
Click the folder to expand it and launch any app inside.
To rename the folder, right-click it and choose Rename.

You can nest as many apps as you want into a folder. This makes it practical to keep a Dock of 8–10 visible items while still having every app accessible within one click.

How to decide which apps to group

If your Dock is cluttered, the quickest way to reduce it is to group by category:

Browsers: Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Arc
Communication: Mail, Messages, Slack, Discord, Zoom, Teams
Creative: Figma, Sketch, Pixelmator, Affinity Designer
Dev tools: VS Code, Terminal, Tower, Sequel Pro, Simulator
Utilities: everything else that earns a Dock spot but doesn't need instant single-click access

A Dock of 6–8 folders is genuinely faster to navigate than a Dock of 30 individual icons, because your eyes have fewer items to scan and your muscle memory can learn folder positions reliably.

What about dividers and spacers instead?

If you don't want folders but just want visual separation between groups of apps, Dockish also supports dividers and spacers — invisible gaps or visible lines you can insert anywhere in the Dock. This is a lighter approach: your apps stay individual, but browsers sit in one visual cluster, communication apps in another, and so on. Right-click any empty area in the Dockish Dock to add a spacer or divider.

For some people this is enough. For others — especially anyone with more than 20 apps in their Dock — folders are the only thing that actually solves the problem.

Does hiding the macOS Dock cause any issues?

When you run Dockish, you'll probably want to hide the native macOS Dock so you're not running two Docks at once. Dockish has a one-click Hide macOS Dock button built into its settings — it's fully reversible at any time. The native Dock is just hidden via the standard macOS preference; your existing Dock items, Finder, and Trash are all untouched.

If you're on a multi-monitor setup, Dockish can display an independent Dock on each screen simultaneously — something macOS still can't do natively. Each monitor gets its own Dock with its own icon set if you want, or you can mirror the same Dock across all displays.

Common questions

Can I make app folders on the left side of the Mac Dock natively?

No. The native macOS Dock only supports folder stacks on the right side of the divider line (the same section where Trash lives), and only for Finder folders — not groups of apps. There's no native way to place an app group anywhere else in the Dock.

Will Dockish folders still work when apps update?

Yes. Dockish references apps by their bundle identifier, not their file path, so folders survive app updates, App Store reinstalls, and apps moving between folders in /Applications. You don't need to rebuild your groups after updating an app.

How is Dockish different from just using Finder stack folders?

Finder stacks are limited to the right section of the Dock, require manual alias management, and look like generic folder icons. Dockish folders behave like iOS app folders — drag one app onto another to create a group, a 2×2 preview grid shows which apps are inside, and the folder can sit anywhere in the Dock. It's the same gesture-based mental model, without the workaround friction.

Originally published at appish.app