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Plastic-free bathroom swaps UK: a practical guide (including wet wipes)

Ross — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 08:03:18 +0000

Making your bathroom plastic-free is one of the more satisfying swaps you can do at home — most of the changes are cheap, the alternatives are genuinely better in use, and the bathroom is small enough that the whole project doesn't feel overwhelming. Wet wipes are worth paying particular attention to: most conventional wipes contain plastic fibres that don't break down, and from October 2027 the UK is banning their sale entirely — so if you're still using them, now is a good time to switch.

Why wet wipes are the most important bathroom swap to get right

Most people know plastic bottles and cotton buds need to go. Fewer realise that the wet wipes sitting in the bathroom cabinet are often made of polyester, polypropylene or a blend of synthetic fibres — effectively a thin sheet of plastic, moistened. When they end up in landfill (or worse, flushed), those fibres persist for decades.

The UK wet wipe ban coming in October 2027 covers any wet wipe that contains plastic fibres. That's the majority of the market right now — including many wipes that are labelled "biodegradable" but contain a percentage of synthetic binder fibres. If a wipe doesn't state it's 100% natural fibres (cotton, viscose from responsibly sourced wood pulp, and so on), assume it contains plastic until proven otherwise.

One thing worth knowing: PLA (polylactic acid) is sometimes used as a supposedly compostable alternative to polyester in wipes. It's made from plant starch, so it sounds fine — but PLA is still technically a plastic, and it doesn't break down in the conditions most waste actually ends up in. A genuinely plastic-free wipe contains no PLA either.

Dinky wipes has never used plastic fibres or PLA in any of its products — which means they're already compliant with the 2027 ban. The sensitive wipes are 100% cotton, fragrance free, and about as close to "just cotton and water" as a wet wipe gets.

What "plastic-free" actually means on a wipe label (and what to ignore)

Labelling on wipes is not well regulated, so here's what to look for:

Look for: 100% cotton, 100% viscose, or a clearly stated natural-fibre blend. The ingredient list should name the substrate (the wipe material itself), not just the lotion.

Be sceptical of: "biodegradable," "plant-based," "eco" or "natural" without a clear fibre breakdown. These claims can legally sit on a wipe that's 30% polyester.

Ignore entirely: "flushable" as a proxy for plastic-free. The two are unrelated. A wipe can be plastic-free and still not be safe to flush — and most aren't. Flushing wet wipes — even ones marketed as flushable — is one of the main causes of blocked drains and fatbergs in the UK. Only wipes that have been specifically tested to break down in water should ever go down the toilet, and even then it's worth going carefully.

The rest of the bathroom: where to start and what's worth it

Wet wipes dealt with, here's a room-by-room look at the swaps that are actually worth making — in rough order of impact.

Shampoo and conditioner

Bottle waste from hair products is significant. Shampoo bars have improved enormously in the last few years — brands like Ethique, Friendly Soap and Hairy Jayne make bars that lather well, last longer than a bottle and travel without triggering the liquids rule at airport security. Conditioner bars are slightly trickier to get right for some hair types; it may take a couple of tries to find one that works for you.

If you'd rather stick with liquid, concentrated refillable formats (like Smol or Fill) reduce plastic substantially compared to buying new bottles.

Soap

The easiest swap in the bathroom. A bar of soap generates almost no packaging waste compared to a pump bottle. Any bar soap works; look for one without palm oil if that matters to you. Brands like Faith in Nature and Suma are widely available and affordable.

Cotton wool and makeup removal

Disposable cotton rounds are usually unbleached cotton, so they're not a plastic problem — but they're single-use and add up. Reusable cotton pads (washable, machine-safe) are a better long-term call if you use them daily. For wipe-based makeup removal, the same rules as above apply: check the fibre content.

Toothbrush

Bamboo handles are the obvious swap here. The bristles are still nylon in most models — there's no truly plastic-free toothbrush bristle that performs comparably yet — but the handle makes up the bulk of the weight. Brush with Bamboo and Humble Brush are two widely available options in the UK.

Dental floss

Conventional floss is plastic coated in wax. Silk floss in a glass or metal dispenser (brands: Georganics, Lucky Teeth) is a direct swap. It works identically and the dispenser can be refilled.

Razors

A safety razor with replaceable steel blades is the standard recommendation here — and it's a good one. The initial cost is higher (expect £15–£40 for a decent razor), but blades cost pennies and the handle lasts indefinitely. Brands: Leaf, Merkur, Edwin Jagger.

Toilet paper

If you're not already on recycled or bamboo toilet paper, this is a higher-impact swap than most people realise — not for plastic specifically, but for tree pulp. Who Gives a Crap and Naked Sprout are both UK-available, subscription or one-off.

What to do with wipes you already have

If you've got a stash of conventional wipes at home, don't throw them away — that's wasteful in a different direction. Use them up, bin them correctly (general waste, never the toilet), and replace with a plastic-free alternative when you run out. That's the sensible approach.

For anyone who genuinely needs to flush a wipe — think limited mobility, no easy bin access — our flushable wipes are specifically designed to break down in water. They're thicker than most, fragrance free, and plastic free. But we'll say it clearly: the default for nearly everyone should still be bin, not flush. Most wet wipes — including most wipes labelled flushable — don't actually break down the way toilet paper does, and the damage to sewers is real.

Making the switch without making it a project

The most common mistake with plastic-free bathroom swaps is trying to do everything at once and burning out. A more practical approach: replace one thing each time you run out. By the time you've worked through your existing stock, you'll have a mostly plastic-free bathroom without a single wasted product or a stressful overhaul weekend.

Wipes are a good place to start, partly because the 2027 ban means conventional plastic-fibre wipes are on their way out anyway — you're just getting ahead of the curve.

Common questions

Are all bamboo wipes plastic-free?

Not automatically, no. Many bamboo wipes contain synthetic binder fibres — polyester or PLA — to hold the wipe together during use. The bamboo fibre itself is natural, but if there's any synthetic content the wipe isn't fully plastic-free. Always check for a 100% natural fibre declaration, not just "bamboo" on the front.

What happens to plastic-fibre wipes after October 2027?

From October 2027, UK retailers will no longer be able to sell wet wipes that contain plastic fibres. Wipes already in people's homes won't be recalled, but new stock containing plastic fibres can't legally be sold. The ban covers all wet wipes — baby wipes, facial wipes, cleaning wipes — not just those marketed as flushable.

Can I put plastic-free wipes in food waste or compost?

Depends on the wipe and your composting setup. A 100% cotton wipe will break down in a home compost heap eventually, but used wipes — especially those used for nappy changes or cleaning — should go in general waste for hygiene reasons. The key environmental win with plastic-free wipes is that when they do end up in landfill, they break down rather than persisting as plastic fragments.

Originally published at dinky wipes

Foam Mounting Tape on Textured Walls: What Actually Works (and What Doesn't)

Ross — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 07:05:07 +0000

Closed-cell acrylic foam mounting tape — the same VHB-type used in automotive and construction — can bond reliably to textured walls, but only when the tape is thick enough to conform to the surface profile, the wall is clean and sound, and the item being mounted is light enough that the reduced contact area doesn't matter. On heavily textured or porous surfaces like artex, rough render or exposed brick, mechanical fixings are still the safer call for anything heavy.

Why textured walls are harder to tape to than smooth ones

Adhesive tape bonds by making full, continuous contact with a surface. On a flat painted wall, a 25 mm strip of tape touches every millimetre of that 25 mm. On a textured wall — think orange-peel paint, sand-finish plaster, or artex — the tape only contacts the peaks of the texture. The valleys stay air-gapped. That air gap reduces the effective bonding area, sometimes dramatically.

The rougher the texture, the smaller the contact patch, and the weaker the bond — regardless of how strong the adhesive is. This is physics, not a tape quality issue. It's also why standard thin double-sided tape (the flat, film-backed kind you find in stationery shops) fails almost immediately on textured surfaces: it can't deform to fill the gaps.

What type of tape actually works on textured surfaces

The tape to reach for is a closed-cell acrylic foam tape — thick enough to compress and conform to the surface texture under hand pressure. The foam layer acts as a buffer: when you press the tape down, it deforms slightly into the peaks and troughs, increasing real contact area well beyond what a rigid film tape could achieve.

This is the same VHB-type tape used to bond car body mouldings, mount signage on render, and attach components to painted metal panels. The foam is the critical ingredient — not just for conformability, but because it also absorbs vibration and tolerates minor surface flex without the bond cracking.

For textured walls specifically:

Lightly textured surfaces (fine orange-peel paint, lightly sanded plaster): standard 1 mm foam tape works well with correct prep.
Medium texture (sand-finish render, eggshell-over-plaster): go for a thicker foam, 1.5–2 mm where available, and press firmly for at least 30 seconds.
Heavy texture (artex swirls, pebbledash, exposed rough brick): tape alone is marginal. Use it only for very light items (cable clips, lightweight hooks), and consider a bonding primer to seal the peaks first.

At Spyder Tape we supply genuine professional-grade 3M and tesa foam mounting tapes. Our kits include an IPA cleaning wipe and an adhesive-promoter wipe — both of which matter significantly more on a textured surface than on a smooth one, because the irregular surface traps dust and oils in the recesses.

Step-by-step: how to mount on a textured wall with tape

1. Check the surface is sound
Press your palm flat against the wall and push. If the surface flexes, crumbles, or sounds hollow, the substrate isn't solid enough for tape. Fix the wall first. Tape can't bond to a surface that's itself failing.

2. Clean with IPA
Wipe the area with an isopropyl alcohol (IPA) wipe and let it dry for 60 seconds. On textured surfaces, drag the wipe slowly across the peaks — you won't clean inside every valley, but you'll remove the grease and dust that would otherwise sit between the adhesive and the high points.

3. Apply adhesive promoter (especially on porous surfaces)
On plaster, render and painted walls, an adhesive-promoter wipe applied before the tape significantly improves initial grab and long-term bond strength. Let it flash off (30–60 seconds) before applying tape.

4. Cut tape slightly oversized
More tape = more potential contact area. On a textured wall you're already losing some contact to the gaps, so don't cut tape smaller than the mounting footprint.

5. Press firmly and hold
Apply the item and press with consistent, firm pressure for at least 30–60 seconds. On foam tape, the bond continues to develop over 24–72 hours as the adhesive cold-flows into the surface. Don't load the mount with full weight on day one if you can avoid it.

6. Wait before loading
For anything other than the lightest items, leave the tape to cure for 24 hours before hanging anything from the mounted bracket or hook.

What weight can you realistically mount on a textured wall with tape?

This is the question everyone wants a number for, and it's the one that's hardest to answer honestly — because the actual bond strength varies with surface texture, paint type, wall temperature, and how well you prepped. A figure that's accurate on smooth emulsion-over-plaster is optimistic on sand-finish render.

As a working guide for light-to-medium mounting:

Small cable clips, lightweight hooks, lightweight frames: generally fine on most textured surfaces with good prep.
Larger frames, heavier hooks, shelves: assess carefully. If you'd feel uncomfortable if it fell — on a person, on a glass surface, on expensive flooring — use a screw and wall plug instead.

Tape is not a substitute for a structural fixing where failure could cause injury. That applies on smooth walls and it applies even more on textured ones.

The surfaces where tape won't work reliably, however much prep you do

Artex or heavily spiked texture: contact area is simply too small. Use adhesive for very light items only, or skim the surface before attempting tape mounting.
Bare, unpainted porous plaster or render: too absorbent. The adhesive is drawn into the substrate before it can bond. Seal with a mist coat of paint first.
Surfaces with loose or flaking paint: the tape will bond to the paint, and the paint will fail. Strip and repaint before mounting anything.
Heavily damp walls: moisture prevents adhesion. Resolve the damp problem first.

Does tape damage textured walls when you remove it?

Professional-grade foam tape is designed to peel cleanly, but on textured surfaces the removal question is complicated. The tape itself will usually release without tearing the wall — it's designed for that. The risk on textured painted walls is that the paint on the peaks (which bore the most contact) can lift, particularly if the paint was already thin, poorly adhered, or old.

To remove safely: peel slowly at a low angle (roughly 15–30 degrees back on itself, not straight out from the wall). Warm the tape gently with a hairdryer on a low heat setting for 20–30 seconds before peeling — this softens the adhesive and reduces the peel force needed. Any residue left behind can be lifted with an IPA wipe.

For a full walkthrough on removing tape adhesive cleanly, see our guide on how to remove double-sided tape residue.

When to choose tape over screws on a textured wall

Tape wins when:

You can't or don't want to drill (rented property, tiled surface nearby, no drill access).
The item is light enough that the reduced contact area on texture doesn't push you over a safe limit.
Clean removal later is a priority.

Screws win when:

The item is heavy, or failure would cause injury or significant damage.
The surface texture is heavy enough that reliable tape contact is doubtful.
You need immediate full-load bearing without a cure period.

For jobs that sit in the middle — cable management, small shelves in a workshop, lightweight signage on a plastered wall — foam mounting tape from professional stock handles the job cleanly and without putting holes in the wall. Browse our full tape range to see the options.

If you're mounting to an entirely smooth but tricky wall surface, our post on best double-sided tape for walls covers those scenarios in detail. And if you're dealing with a wall that can't be drilled at all, how to mount to brick without drilling covers the adhesive approach on masonry specifically.

Common questions

Will mounting tape stick to artex?

Foam mounting tape will make contact with artex peaks, but the heavily spiked texture drastically reduces the bonding area. It's suitable for very lightweight items only — cable clips, small hooks — and even then requires thorough IPA cleaning and adhesive primer. For anything with real weight, a mechanical fixing is a safer choice on artex.

Does textured wall tape work in bathrooms?

Yes, with the right tape. Closed-cell acrylic foam tape is moisture-resistant and handles bathroom humidity well. The surface must be clean, dry at the point of application, and the paint must be sound. Avoid applying tape directly after a shower when the wall surface is still warm and slightly damp — wait until the surface is fully dry and at room temperature.

How long does mounting tape take to reach full strength on a textured wall?

Foam mounting tape reaches usable bond strength within an hour on clean, smooth surfaces, but on textured walls allow 24 hours before applying any significant load, and ideally 48–72 hours for the adhesive to fully cold-flow into the surface profile. Rushing this is the most common reason tape-mounted items fail on uneven surfaces.

Originally published at Spyder Tape

How to Stop Cats Walking on Your Wall (Humane Methods That Work)

Ross — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 06:05:06 +0000

The most reliable way to stop cats walking on a garden wall is to fit a physical deterrent along the top — either deterrent spikes with staggered heights, roller barriers, or both combined. Scent repellents alone rarely last more than a day or two outdoors, and smooth-topped walls give cats nothing to dislike. Blocking the surface itself is what actually changes their behaviour.

Why cats choose walls in the first place

Walls are useful to cats for two reasons: elevation and a clear path. A garden wall lets a cat survey its territory, travel between gardens without touching the ground, and approach a bird feeder or vegetable patch from above. Once a cat has established a wall as part of its regular route — or as a sunbathing spot — it will keep returning unless the surface itself becomes uncomfortable to walk on.

The important word there is uncomfortable, not painful. Humane deterrents work by making a surface unappealing to land on or walk along. The goal is redirection, not injury.

Do ordinary flat bird spikes stop cats?

No — and this is where a lot of homeowners get frustrated. Flat, single-height bird spikes are designed for pigeons, whose feet are sensitive to even small protrusions. Cats have padded paws and are much more deliberate in how they place their feet. A standard flat spike strip is roughly 10–12mm high across the board, and a cat will simply step between the tines or walk the edge of the strip without any difficulty.

For a wall-top spike to deter cats, it needs to be genuinely unpredictable underfoot. That means spikes at different heights, close enough together that there is no comfortable gap to step into. ThornGuard's deterrent spikes use three spike heights — 12mm, 22mm and 36mm — set in an irregular pattern specifically to prevent climbing animals from finding a flat path through. A cat stepping onto the strip hits a different height every time it places a paw, which breaks the confident stride that lets them walk flat spikes without hesitation.

How to fit deterrent spikes to a wall top

Fitting spikes to a wall is a straightforward job. Here is the process from start to finish:

1. Measure the run.
Work out the total length of wall you need to cover. Include gate posts, piers and any flat caps — cats will use any horizontal surface as a stepping stone, so gaps in coverage become the preferred route.

2. Choose your fixing method.
For a brick or stone wall with a solid top, you have two options:

Screws — drill into mortar joints (not the brick face) and screw the strip down every 30–40cm. This is the most secure long-term fix.
Adhesive pads — for render, coping stones you cannot drill, or uPVC capping. Use waterproof adhesive pads rated for outdoor use. Clean the surface thoroughly first with isopropyl alcohol and let it dry completely before pressing the pad down.

Every ThornGuard pack includes screws and cable ties, and waterproof adhesive pads are available separately for surfaces you cannot drill.

3. Cut strips to length.
ThornGuard strips can be cut across the four sections with scissors or a utility knife to get exact lengths around corners, posts and piers. You can also split a strip lengthways to get two narrower runs from one strip — useful for narrow coping stones or gate rails where a full-width strip would overhang awkwardly.

4. Wrap posts and piers.
This is where most flat spike products fail. A pier or gate post has four faces, and a cat will simply jump to the side or rear face if only the top is protected. ThornGuard strips fold and wrap along their length, so a single strip can cover the top and bend down two or three sides of a post. This removes the easy landing points that let cats bypass a top-only installation.

5. Check for bypass routes.
Walk the full length of the wall and look for anything a cat could use to get onto it without touching the spiked section — overhanging branches, a nearby shed roof, a drainpipe within jumping distance. Physical deterrents only work on the surfaces where they are fitted.

What about roller barriers?

Cat-proof fence and wall rollers are plastic cylinders that spin freely when a cat tries to grip them, making it impossible to get purchase and climb over. They sit in a bracket screwed to the top of the wall and work by removing grip rather than by discomfort.

Rollers and spikes solve slightly different problems:

Rollers are best at stopping cats climbing over a wall to drop into a garden below. If your main concern is a cat getting from one side to the other, rollers are effective.
Spikes are better for stopping cats walking along a wall top, landing on it from another surface, or using it as a perch. They also work on narrow surfaces where a roller bracket cannot be fitted.

For a wall that cats are using both as a walkway and as a route into your garden, combining both — spikes along the flat top, rollers on the outer face — gives the most complete result.

What about scent and water repellents?

Scent repellents (citrus peel, lion dung granules, commercial sprays) can discourage a cat initially, but they wash off in rain and need reapplying constantly. They also have no effect on a determined or habituated cat that has been using the wall for months. Used alongside a physical deterrent during the first week or two, they can help reinforce the message — but they are not a standalone solution.

Motion-activated water jets (Scarecrow-style sprinklers) work on cats that approach from the ground, but they cannot protect a wall top that a cat lands on directly from a fence or tree.

Is it legal to put spikes on a garden wall to deter cats?

Yes — fitting deterrent spikes to your own garden wall is completely legal in the UK, provided the installation does not cause injury. Humane deterrent spikes deter rather than harm; the spikes are blunt-tipped and designed to make a surface uncomfortable to stand on, not to injure an animal that contacts them. The legal position on using spikes on garden walls is covered in detail in a separate guide if you want the full picture before you start.

How long does a spike installation last?

This depends almost entirely on the material. Cheap polypropylene spikes made from recycled or virgin-mixed plastic often become brittle after a single winter and snap underfoot — a broken strip lying flat on the wall provides no deterrent at all and needs replacing. ThornGuard spikes are made from UV-stabilised virgin polypropylene, which resists the UV degradation and cold-cycle cracking that ruins cheaper alternatives. If you have had spikes before that snapped after a few months outdoors, the material — not the concept — is likely what failed.

For a full overview of what to look for when choosing spikes, including which features matter and which are marketing noise, see our guide to the best deterrent spikes for fence tops.

Common questions

Will spikes hurt a cat if it lands on them?

No. Humane deterrent spikes are blunt-tipped and designed to create discomfort underfoot — enough to make a cat step off and walk elsewhere, not enough to pierce a paw pad. A cat that lands on a spiked surface will typically jump straight back off; it will not sustain an injury.

How do I stop cats using just one section of wall as a route?

Fit spikes across the entire accessible top of that wall section, including any posts or piers at each end. Cats are path-efficient — if you leave a gap of even 30cm at a post, they will learn to jump directly to that point and use it as a stepping stone. Coverage needs to be unbroken to redirect the behaviour reliably.

Do deterrent spikes also stop other animals using the wall?

Yes — the same staggered-height design that stops cats also deters squirrels and foxes, both of which use wall tops as travel routes into gardens. Flat single-height spikes let these animals walk straight through; irregular-height spikes remove the predictable footing they rely on.

Originally published at ThornGuard

Mac Dock Too Cluttered? How to Organise It with Folders, Spacers, and Smarter Layouts

Ross — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 05:04:33 +0000

A cluttered Mac Dock with 30 icons in a row is slower to use than having nothing pinned at all — your eyes scan the whole row every time. The fix isn't to remove things blindly; it's to group related apps so you can find what you need in one glance. macOS gives you two weak tools for this: spacers (invisible gaps, added via Terminal) and Stacks for files. A dock replacement app fills the rest.

Why macOS Dock organisation is so limited to begin with

Apple has kept the Dock deliberately minimal. You get one row of icons, a fixed divider between apps and the Downloads stack, and no way to group apps visually beyond dragging them into an order you'll forget in a week. There's no folder-of-apps feature — dragging one Dock icon onto another doesn't group them, it just rearranges them.

The only native grouping trick is the invisible spacer: a transparent tile you add via Terminal that creates a visual gap between sections. It works, but it's fiddly to set up and doesn't survive a Dock reset cleanly.

How to add spacers to the macOS Dock (the native way)

This is the free, built-in method. Open Terminal and run:

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

That adds one spacer to the right end of your Dock. Drag it to wherever you want a visual break — between productivity apps and creative apps, for example. Repeat the command for each spacer you need.

The Dock relaunches each time, which is momentarily disruptive. And if you accidentally drag a spacer off the Dock, it disappears and you have to run the command again. It works, but it's not exactly pleasant.

How to create app folders in the Dock (what macOS doesn't support natively)

macOS has never supported app folders in the Dock the way iOS does — you can't drag one app icon onto another to group them. That gesture simply doesn't exist on a Mac.

The old workaround was to create a folder in Finder, fill it with app aliases, then drag that folder to the Dock. It produces a fan or grid of aliases when you click it, which looks nothing like a proper folder and breaks when apps update or move.

If you want actual iPhone-style app folders — drag one icon onto another, see a 2×2 preview grid, tap to open any app inside — you need a dock replacement. Dockish ($6.99 one-time, 7-day free trial, macOS 14+) is the only Mac dock app that implements this properly: drag any app onto another, a folder appears with an auto-generated name, and you get a clean grid preview. You can rename the folder and add more apps by dragging into it.

If your Dock already has apps pinned and you don't want to rebuild it from scratch, Dockish 1.1 added one-click import of your existing macOS Dock layout — it reads your pinned apps and brings them straight in.

A practical grouping strategy (works with either approach)

Before you start moving icons or creating folders, decide on your groups first. Most people find three to five categories is the sweet spot:

Daily tools: your browser, email, calendar, notes
Communication: Slack, Teams, Messages, Zoom
Creative / work-specific: Figma, Final Cut, Xcode, whatever your actual work is
Utilities: Terminal, Activity Monitor, System Settings
Personal: Music, Photos, anything non-work

With spacers, you get a dividing gap between each group. With Dockish folders, each group becomes a single folder icon — so a 28-icon Dock can become 5 folders plus your most-used individual apps, which cuts the visual noise dramatically.

What about the right side of the Dock — Recents, Downloads, Trash?

The right-hand section of the macOS Dock (after the divider line) is where Recent Applications appear if you have that enabled, plus any Stacks you've added and the Trash. Recent apps are the main clutter culprit for a lot of people.

To turn off Recent Applications: System Settings → Desktop & Dock → scroll down → toggle off "Show recent applications in Dock". That clears the right section considerably.

Downloads as a Stack is actually useful — set it to display as a Folder with Sort by Date Added and you get a quick look at what you've recently downloaded without it cluttering the app section.

Multi-monitor Dock organisation — the problem nobody solves with just spacers

If you're running two or more monitors, the Dock only appears on one screen at a time in macOS — whichever screen your cursor is nearest the bottom edge of. That means if your second monitor is where you spend most of your time, you're making constant trips to the primary screen just to launch apps.

Spacer tricks don't help with this at all. Dockish does: it puts an independent, fully-functional dock on every connected monitor simultaneously. Each monitor can have its own layout — so your main display might have your full app set, while the secondary has just the tools relevant to what you do on that screen. When you plug in or unplug a monitor, the docks adjust automatically.

This is probably the single biggest practical improvement over the native Dock for anyone with more than one screen, and spacer hacks simply can't touch it.

Which approach is right for you?

If your Dock has under 15 apps and you're on one monitor: spacers from Terminal are probably enough. Group your apps into three sections, add two spacers, and you're done in five minutes.

If your Dock is genuinely overcrowded (20+ apps): folders are the right tool. The alias-folder workaround is too fragile to recommend — Dockish's native folder support is the practical answer here, and at $6.99 one-time it's not a difficult call.

If you're on multiple monitors: the Dock-on-every-screen feature alone is worth looking at Dockish, independent of the organisation question.

If you just want window previews on hover: DockDoor is free and does only that — it's worth being honest that if window previews are your only need, that's a solid free option.

Common questions

Can you make folders in the macOS Dock without third-party apps?

Not in the iOS sense — macOS has never supported dragging one Dock icon onto another to create a folder. The workaround of dragging a Finder folder full of app aliases to the Dock produces a fan/grid of aliases, not a proper grouped folder, and breaks easily when apps move or update.

How do I stop macOS adding recent apps to my Dock automatically?

Go to System Settings → Desktop & Dock, scroll down, and turn off Show recent applications in Dock. This stops macOS from adding the most recently used apps to the right section of your Dock.

Does Dockish replace the macOS Dock entirely?

Yes — Dockish replaces the macOS Dock and includes a one-click option to hide the native Dock (fully reversible). It reads your existing pinned apps on first install so you don't have to rebuild your layout from scratch. It requires macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later.

Originally published at appish.app

Can wet wipes cause a fatberg? (And what actually happens when you flush one)

Ross — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 08:02:13 +0000

Yes — wet wipes are one of the leading causes of fatbergs in UK sewers. When flushed, wipes don't disintegrate the way toilet paper does. Instead they travel through the pipe system intact, catch on grease and other debris, and slowly build into the dense, concrete-like blockages that water companies spend millions clearing every year.

What actually is a fatberg?

A fatberg is a solidified mass that forms inside sewer pipes when non-biodegradable material — mainly wet wipes — binds together with cooking fat, cooking oil, and other stuff that shouldn't go down the drain. The fat cools and solidifies around the wipes, which act as a kind of structural scaffold. The result is an increasingly dense lump that can grow to weigh tonnes and stretch for hundreds of metres in larger sewer systems.

The name makes them sound almost comic. They are not. In 2017, a fatberg the length of eleven double-decker buses was found under Whitechapel in London. In 2019, a 64-metre fatberg blocked sewers in Sidmouth. Water companies in the UK collectively spend over £100 million a year clearing blockages, and wet wipes are consistently identified as the primary culprit.

Why don't wet wipes break down like toilet paper?

Toilet paper is designed to fall apart when wet. It's made from short, loosely bonded cellulose fibres that dissolve quickly in water — that's its entire purpose. Most wet wipes are engineered to do the opposite: they need to stay strong and intact during use, which means the fibres are either synthetic (plastic-based), or natural fibres that have been bonded with binders that resist water breakdown.

Conventional wet wipes — including many marketed as "biodegradable" — typically contain polyester or polypropylene fibres. These are plastic. They do not break down in water at all, and they don't break down meaningfully in landfill either. Even wipes made from plant-based fibres can contain synthetic binders that hold the structure together in a pipe long enough to snag on fats and other debris.

The result: a wipe that felt soft and gentle on your hands is, from the sewer's point of view, closer to a small piece of cloth than a piece of tissue.

Don't "flushable" wipes solve this?

This is where it gets complicated — and where honest labelling actually matters.

Most wipes sold as "flushable" have historically been tested to a standard that allows them to pass through the initial pipe without blocking it, but they don't necessarily break apart quickly enough to avoid contributing to fatbergs further down the system. The UK water industry has raised this repeatedly, and stricter standards are gradually being introduced.

A genuinely flushable wipe needs to disintegrate in water quickly — the same way toilet paper does — rather than just being small enough to get around the first bend.

Our dinky flushable wipe is a thicker wipe specifically designed to break down in water. But we'll say what any honest brand should say: even with a wipe designed to disintegrate, the safest default for your drains — and for the sewers downstream — is to bin it. If you do flush, only ever flush wipes that explicitly say they are designed to break down, and never flush regular wet wipes, baby wipes or makeup wipes, regardless of what's written on the pack.

What kinds of wipes contribute most to fatbergs?

Practically all conventional wet wipes flushed down the toilet contribute to fatbergs to some degree. The worst offenders tend to be:

Standard baby wipes — almost always made with polyester or a polyester-cotton blend. The plastic fibres do not break down.
Makeup remover wipes — typically polyester or viscose with synthetic binders.
Antibacterial and surface wipes — usually entirely synthetic.
Wipes marketed as "biodegradable" without clear break-down data — many contain plastic fibres or binders that slow disintegration significantly. The word "biodegradable" has no legal definition in the UK and can appear on wipes that contain plastic.

From October 2027, the UK will ban the sale of wet wipes containing plastic fibres. That's a meaningful step. But it won't eliminate fatbergs overnight — the habit of flushing wipes is the core problem, not just the fibre type. A cotton wipe with a water-resistant binder can still block a drain.

Does the material of a wipe actually change anything for fatbergs?

Yes — but not in the way most marketing implies.

A 100% cotton wipe with no synthetic binders will break down in water much faster than a wipe containing polyester. That's genuinely better for the environment and for sewers. Cotton fibres are short, natural, and don't have the tensile strength of plastic — they won't form the same rigid scaffold inside a fatberg.

But "breaks down faster than plastic" is not the same as "safe to flush." Cotton wipes that aren't specifically designed to disintegrate in water can still travel through your pipes intact and contribute to blockages further along the system, particularly where grease is already present.

The honest position: plastic-free wipes like ours are better for the environment, better for your skin, and better for the planet — but the bin is still the right place for them unless the wipe is specifically designed and tested to break down in water.

What should you actually do with used wet wipes?

The answer is straightforward:

Bin every wet wipe — general waste bin, not recycling, not the toilet. This applies to baby wipes, face wipes, antibacterial wipes and almost every wipe you'll encounter.
If you use a flushable wipe, only flush it if the pack explicitly states it is designed to break down in water. Even then, one at a time — never a handful.
Never flush wipes on a septic tank system — the microbial environment in a septic tank is different from a mains sewer, and blockages there are expensive to fix.
If you're pouring cooking oil or fat down a drain, stop. Even a single wet wipe in a grease-coated pipe is enough to start a blockage.

The fatberg problem is genuinely a collective one — no single flushed wipe causes a fatberg, but millions of people doing it daily does. The fix is simple: put wipes in the bin.

Common questions

Are all wet wipes equally bad for fatbergs?

No — wipes with plastic fibres are the worst offenders because they don't break down at all in water or in most landfill conditions. Wipes made from natural fibres like cotton will break down faster, but they can still contribute to fatbergs if they're flushed and meet grease in the pipe. The safest approach for all wipes is to bin them.

What's the difference between a wipe blocking a drain and causing a fatberg?

A blocked drain happens when a wipe (or several) physically lodges in a pipe close to your home — usually at a bend or junction. A fatberg forms further down the sewer network, where wipes from many households combine with fats and solidify into a large mass. Both are caused by flushing wipes; fatbergs are just the large-scale, collective version of the same problem.

Will the 2027 UK wet wipe ban stop fatbergs?

It will help, but probably not eliminate them. The ban covers wipes containing plastic fibres — which is the most common type currently sold. Removing plastic fibres means flushed wipes will break down faster and won't form the same rigid structure in a fatberg. But the ban doesn't change the habit of flushing wipes, and any wipe flushed in large quantities can still cause problems. The long-term fix is behavioural: bin the wipe, every time.

Originally published at dinky wipes

VHB Tape vs Screws: Which Is Actually Stronger (and When to Use Each)

Ross — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 07:05:12 +0000

VHB tape (closed-cell acrylic foam tape) can hold more than many people expect — in shear loading on a clean, flat surface it frequently outperforms the screws it replaces in automotive and signage manufacturing. But screws handle dynamic loads, vibration and overhead weight in ways tape cannot, and there are fixings where a mechanical fastener is the only safe choice. Knowing which situation you're in before you start saves time, money and — in safety-critical jobs — something more important.

What does 'stronger' actually mean here?

Strength in adhesive bonding isn't one number — it depends on the direction of the force.

Shear strength is the force trying to slide two bonded surfaces past each other — think a badge mounted flat on a car door. VHB-type foam tape performs exceptionally well here. The acrylic foam core distributes stress across the entire bond area rather than concentrating it at two or three screw points.

Peel strength is the force lifting one bonded surface away from the other at an angle — like peeling a sticker from a corner. Tape is weakest here. A screw is immune to peel force entirely.

Tensile strength is a straight-line pull away from the surface — think a bracket being yanked directly outward. Tape handles moderate tensile loads well on clean, rigid surfaces; screws are better for sustained heavy tensile loads, especially overhead.

Dynamic loads — vibration, repeated impact, flex — favour screws. A screw thread locks mechanically. Tape bonds chemically and physically, and cyclical stress gradually fatigues the adhesive over time, particularly at temperature extremes.

So the honest answer to 'which is stronger?' is: it depends entirely on the load direction and environment.

Where VHB tape genuinely beats screws

Thin or hollow panels. Drilling into aluminium composite signage, uPVC cladding or plastic dashboards risks cracking the material and leaves a hole that attracts water. Tape spreads the load without penetrating the panel.

Painted or finished surfaces. Screws need a pilot hole, which breaks paint edges and starts a rust clock. Tape — applied over proper surface prep — leaves no entry point for corrosion.

Curved and irregular surfaces. The foam core in VHB-style tape conforms to mild curves and surface irregularities, maintaining contact across the full bond area. A screw pulls at a single point.

Vibration damping. Counter-intuitively, the foam layer absorbs vibration rather than transmitting it. This is why automotive manufacturers use VHB tape for body trim — a loose rattle from a screw is far more likely than a bond failure from tape on a clean surface.

Aesthetics. No fastener heads, no filled holes, no visible fixings. Critical for retail signage, interior trim and architectural applications.

Real-world jobs where tape routinely replaces screws: car trim strips and parking-sensor holders, dash cam brackets, window-mounted number plates, LED strip mounting, interior signage, and mirror fixing to painted walls.

Where screws (or other mechanical fixings) are the right answer

Be honest with yourself before you reach for tape.

Overhead loads. Anything fixed to a ceiling — including lightweight items — is working against gravity in a permanent tensile direction. Tape has failed in overhead applications and so has the thing attached to it. Use mechanical fixings overhead unless the item is genuinely featherweight and the bond area is large.

Safety-critical applications. Structural fixings, load-bearing brackets, electrical enclosures, fire-safety equipment, stair fixings — these are not tape jobs. No adhesive product should be the sole retention method where a failure creates risk to life.

Poorly bonding substrates. Low-energy plastics (PE, PP, PTFE), wet or contaminated surfaces, and powdery or flaking substrates don't give tape a clean surface to grip. A screw into a rawlplug is more reliable than tape on a surface you can't properly prime.

Dynamic tensile loads. Anything subjected to repeated pulling force — a hook that gets yanked regularly, a bracket under constant mechanical stress — will eventually fatigue even a strong foam tape bond.

Rented property or temporary situations. Tape that bonds this well can damage paint on removal if left too long or applied to a low-adhesion emulsion finish. If you need clean reversibility in weeks, lighter removable tapes or mechanical fixings are safer.

How the bond area changes everything

This is the detail most people miss. A single M5 screw into a solid fixing point has a defined pull-out rating. Tape has no 'point load' — it bonds across an area, and more area means proportionally more holding power.

A 19mm × 50mm strip of professional VHB-type foam tape has a meaningful bond area. A 19mm × 300mm strip has six times more. When a job looks marginal for tape, using longer runs or wider tape stock is often the right answer — not switching to a screw.

Spyder Tape supplies professional 3M and tesa mounting tapes that give you that genuine industrial-grade performance. The kits include an IPA cleaning wipe and an adhesive-promoter wipe — because the surface prep step is what separates a bond that lasts years from one that lifts in weeks. Clean the surface, apply the primer, and press the tape firmly for full contact before loading it.

Step-by-step: deciding which to use

Identify the load direction. Shear or flat-surface hold? Tape is excellent. Overhead or sustained tensile pull? Use a screw.
Check the substrate. Is the surface clean, sound and non-porous? Tape works. Dusty, oily, friable or low-energy plastic? Either prep it properly or use a mechanical fixing.
Consider reversibility. Do you need to remove this cleanly later? Tape — removed correctly — leaves surfaces clean. Screws leave holes.
Check for vibration. High-vibration environment (engine bay, plant machinery)? Foam tape damps vibration; screws can work loose without thread-locking compound.
Safety-critical? If a failure could cause injury or property damage, use a qualified mechanical fixing. Tape is not a structural fastener.

How to get the best from VHB-type tape on a real job

Clean the surface with IPA wipe — remove all oil, dust, silicone and release agents.
Apply the adhesive-promoter wipe to difficult surfaces (plastics, painted metal) and allow to flash off for 60 seconds.
Apply tape to one surface, remove the liner, press the second surface down with firm, even pressure — a rubber roller is ideal for longer runs.
Leave the bond to develop for 24–72 hours before loading it. The acrylic adhesive continues building strength over this period.
Temperature matters: apply tape at 15°C or above for best initial tack. The cured bond will handle a much wider range once set.

For more detail on exactly this step, our surface prep guide covers the process substrate by substrate.

If you're working specifically on car trim, our best double-sided tape for car trim post goes into the automotive-specific grades worth using.

You can see the full range of professional 3M and tesa tapes we supply at spydertapes.com/products.

Common questions

Is VHB tape stronger than screws?

In shear loading on a clean, flat surface, VHB-type tape often matches or exceeds the holding power of screws — which is why it's used in automotive and glazing manufacturing. Screws outperform tape for overhead, tensile and dynamic loads, so the answer depends entirely on the direction of the force.

Can VHB tape replace screws permanently?

Yes, for many light-to-medium mounting jobs on clean, non-porous surfaces — trim strips, badges, signs, dash cams, mirrors and similar applications. It should not replace structural or safety-critical mechanical fixings, and it's not suitable as a sole fixing overhead.

Does VHB tape work on all surfaces?

No. It bonds very well to glass, metal, painted surfaces and rigid plastics that have been properly cleaned and primed. It bonds poorly to low-energy plastics (polypropylene, polyethylene, PTFE), wet surfaces, and anything powdery, flaking or oily — those surfaces need either specialist priming or a mechanical fixing instead.

Originally published at Spyder Tape

How to Cut Bird Spikes to Size (So They Fit Any Fence, Wall or Ledge)

Ross — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 06:05:02 +0000

Bird deterrent spikes can be cut to any length using ordinary household scissors or a sharp utility knife — no specialist tools needed. Most strips also split lengthways, which means a single strip can cover two or three runs instead of one. Getting the cuts right before you fix anything down saves time, wasted material and gaps that birds will find immediately.

Why getting the size right matters before you start fitting

Birds — especially pigeons — are methodical about finding the one spot on a fence or ledge where there's no deterrent. A run that's 10 cm short, or a corner left uncovered because a strip wouldn't bend around it, can undo an otherwise good installation. Measuring twice and cutting once is less of a cliché here and more of a genuine rule.

Before cutting anything, walk the full run you want to protect with a tape measure. Note down:

Total linear length of the surface
Any corners, posts or brackets that interrupt the run
The width of the surface (fence top, ledge or wall coping)

Wide surfaces sometimes need two rows of spikes side by side. Narrow surfaces — a window sill under 5 cm, for example — may only need a single strip split lengthways.

How to cut bird spike strips across their length

Cutting across a strip shortens it to fit a specific run. Most polypropylene spike strips are divided into sections of roughly 33 cm each, and the joins between sections are the right place to cut — the base is thinner there, and you get a clean edge without leaving a sharp plastic stub.

What to use: Scissors work on most polypropylene strips. A utility knife and a straight edge gives a cleaner cut if the base is thicker. Avoid snapping the strip by hand — you'll get a jagged edge that can crack the base over time.

Steps:

Lay the strip flat on a hard surface, spike side up.
Find the section join closest to the length you need.
Cut cleanly through the base at the join. One firm cut is better than sawing back and forth.
Test the cut piece against the surface before fixing it.

ThornGuard strips are divided into four sections per strip. You can cut at any of those three internal joins to get the length you need.

How to split bird spike strips lengthways (to roughly triple your run)

This is the step most people don't know about, and it makes a significant difference to how far a pack goes.

Many spike strips — including ThornGuard — can be split lengthways down the centre of the base, turning one wide strip into two narrower strips. Some designs allow a further split, giving three strips from one. This works well on:

Narrow fence rails or coping stones
Pipe runs and cable conduit
Window sills and soffits where a full-width strip would overhang
Gate frames and thin horizontal bars

Steps for splitting lengthways:

Lay the strip on a flat surface.
Use a utility knife and a straight edge to score the centre line of the base — go slowly, the base is usually 2–3 mm thick.
Fold and snap along the score, or run the knife through fully.
You now have two strips, each covering the same linear length as the original.

ThornGuard's 4m pack (10 strips) covers up to 12m of run when split lengthways. The 8m pack (20 strips) extends to up to 24m split. That's a meaningful difference in cost per metre, and it's why measuring your surface width before you order matters — if most of your surfaces are narrow, you'll cover much more ground from the same pack.

How to handle corners and awkward shapes

Straight cuts work for straight runs. Corners need a slightly different approach.

Internal corners (where two walls meet at 90°): cut two strips to length and butt them together at the corner. There will be a very small gap at the join — if the surface is smooth, a small dab of exterior silicone sealant behind each end holds them flush and removes the gap.

External corners (fence post tops, the end of a wall): mitre-cutting at 45° gives a neat finish, but it isn't necessary for function. Two strips butted at right angles work just as well at deterring birds — they care about the spikes, not the aesthetic.

Rounded or irregular surfaces: ThornGuard strips fold four ways and bend along their length, so they can wrap around fence posts and rails on three sides. You don't need to cut for a curve — bend the strip to follow the surface and fix as you go.

Fixing the cut strips in place

Once your strips are sized, you have three fixing options:

Screws: best on timber fence tops, wooden rails and shed roofs. Every ThornGuard pack includes screws. Pre-drill if the timber is hardwood or close to an edge to avoid splitting.

Cable ties: useful on metal railings, pipe runs and any surface where drilling isn't practical. Loop through the base of the strip and around the rail. Pull firm — the strip should not pivot when pushed.

Adhesive pads: for render, uPVC fascias, stonework and any surface you can't drill. ThornGuard's waterproof adhesive pads are sold separately. Clean the surface with isopropyl alcohol first, press the pad to the strip base, peel the backing and hold in place for 60 seconds. Allow 24 hours before the bond reaches full strength.

For a full step-by-step on fixing methods by surface type, see the ThornGuard fitting guide.

Common mistakes that leave gaps

Cutting mid-section rather than at joins: this leaves a sharp plastic edge that can crack or snag. Always cut at the moulded join.
Measuring the surface once: surfaces are rarely the exact length you think. Measure twice, cut once.
Leaving the ends unfixed: cut ends can lift in wind. Always fix within 5 cm of each cut end.
Forgetting the underside of overhangs: birds that roost under a gutter or soffit need deterrents on that face too, not just the top edge.

Common questions

Can I cut bird spikes with ordinary scissors?

Yes — polypropylene spike strips cut cleanly with a decent pair of household scissors, provided you cut at the moulded section joins where the base is thinnest. For thicker-base strips, a sharp utility knife gives a cleaner edge.

How many metres do I get if I split the strips lengthways?

It depends on the pack. ThornGuard's 4m pack (10 strips) covers up to 12m when split lengthways; the 8m pack (20 strips) covers up to 24m. Whether you need to split depends on the width of your surface — fence tops over about 8 cm generally need the full-width strip.

Do I need to cut spikes differently for climbing animals versus birds?

No — the cutting method is the same. What changes is the placement: for squirrels, foxes and cats, you need the spikes on the top and ideally both upper sides of the fence, since climbers approach from the side rather than landing from above. ThornGuard's strips fold to wrap three sides of a post or rail without any additional cutting.

Originally published at ThornGuard

How to Get Your Mac Dock on a Second Screen (What Actually Works in 2026)

Ross — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 05:04:31 +0000

macOS will never show the dock on two monitors at the same time — it moves to whichever screen your cursor is nearest, which means every time you switch monitors you're either mousing to the far edge or waiting for the dock to chase you. If you want a real, persistent dock on your second screen (or third), you need a third-party app. Dockish is the one that actually does it — a separate dock on every connected display, each with its own pinned apps, updated in real time when you plug or unplug a monitor.

Why macOS only shows the dock on one screen at a time

This is a deliberate Apple design decision that has never changed. Under System Settings → Desktop & Dock, the "Displays have separate Spaces" toggle is the closest lever you have — but it only controls how Mission Control handles windows across monitors. It does nothing to duplicate the dock. When that toggle is on, the dock still appears on just one screen at a time; it just moves to whichever display your cursor happens to be on. When it's off, the dock is pinned to your primary display full stop.

For anyone with two or more monitors — especially a docked MacBook where the built-in display is closed — this means endless mouse travel or context-switching friction every time you want to launch an app from the non-dock screen.

What third-party dock apps actually support multi-monitor docks

There are a few options in this space, and they take meaningfully different approaches:

Dockish ($6.99 one-time, 7-day free trial, macOS 14+): Shows a full dock on every connected display. You can run it in three modes — All Monitors (same layout mirrored everywhere), Main Only (dock only on your primary display), or Independent (each monitor has its own distinct layout with different pinned apps). Hot-plug support means when you connect or disconnect a display, Dockish adjusts automatically without you touching anything. Version 1.1 added per-mode layout memory, so each mode remembers its own dock arrangement separately.

DockDoor (free): Adds live window previews when you hover over dock icons. It doesn't show a dock on your second monitor at all — it's a hover-preview layer on top of the existing macOS dock. Worth knowing if that's all you need, but it won't solve the multi-monitor problem.

uBar (~$30): A mature, taskbar-style app rather than a dock replacement. It shows on multiple monitors but takes a Windows-taskbar philosophy — running apps in a horizontal strip. Different product entirely; the comparison depends on whether you want a dock or a taskbar.

For most people who want a macOS-style dock on every screen, Dockish is the right call.

How to set up Dockish for multiple monitors

Once installed, Dockish walks you through a one-time setup. Here's how to get to multi-monitor mode:

Open Dockish from the menu bar icon
Go to Settings → Display
Switch from "Main Only" to "All Monitors" (mirrored layout) or "Independent" (different apps per display)
If you choose Independent mode, click on each monitor in the layout view and configure its dock separately — drag in the apps you actually use on that screen
Optionally enable "Hide macOS Dock" in the same panel — this removes the stock dock from your primary screen so you're not running two docks in parallel (it's fully reversible)

Dockish's dock appears at the bottom edge by default; you can move it to the left or right edge per-display if that suits your desk layout.

What independent docks per monitor actually look like in practice

The Independent mode is the most useful for anyone with a two-display setup where the screens serve different purposes. A common configuration:

Built-in MacBook display: communication apps — Mail, Messages, Slack, Calendar
External monitor (main work screen): creative or dev tools — Xcode, Figma, Terminal, Safari

Each dock has its own set of pinned apps and remembers them across reboots. Dockish also handles hot-plugging correctly: if you undock your laptop and go to a single-screen setup, it drops back to the main display only. Plug back in, and your external monitor's dock reappears with the same layout.

If you also want your windows to automatically reposition when you dock or undock, that's a different problem — Layoutish handles that with saved window profiles that trigger automatically on monitor changes.

Can you customise the look of docks on different screens independently?

Yes. In Dockish, visual settings like icon size (24–96px), spacing, magnification, theme (glass/dark/light/custom tint), and app name labels can be set globally or overridden per display. So if your external monitor is a large 4K screen and your built-in is a smaller 13-inch, you can run larger icons on the big display and tighter spacing on the laptop screen.

The dock position (bottom, left, right), auto-hide behaviour, and hide delay are all configurable per display too.

What about when I close my MacBook lid (clamshell mode)?

In clamshell mode, macOS treats the external monitor as the only display. Dockish correctly shows on that monitor and remembers whichever layout was assigned to it. When you open the lid again and come back to a two-display setup, both docks reappear. No manual intervention needed.

Does Dockish work with three or more monitors?

Yes. Dockish supports as many displays as your Mac can drive. In All Monitors mode, the same dock is mirrored on every connected screen. In Independent mode, each monitor gets its own layout. There's no hard limit on display count — it's bounded by what macOS itself can handle.

Common questions

Can I get the macOS dock to show on all monitors without a third-party app?

No. macOS has no built-in option to display the dock on multiple screens simultaneously. The dock moves to whichever screen your cursor is on (with "Displays have separate Spaces" enabled) or stays pinned to the primary display. A third-party app like Dockish is required for a persistent multi-monitor dock.

Will a dock on a second monitor slow down my Mac?

Not noticeably. Dockish is a lightweight menu bar app; it doesn't run background indexing or heavy processes. The dock rendering uses native macOS animations at 120Hz on ProMotion displays and doesn't meaningfully affect CPU or GPU usage in daily use.

What happens to my Dockish setup if I disconnect a monitor and reconnect it later?

Dockish detects monitor changes automatically. When you disconnect a display, its dock disappears. When you reconnect the same display, Dockish recognises it and restores the dock with the layout you had before. You don't need to reconfigure anything between sessions.

Originally published at appish.app

Best wipes for festivals and camping (what actually works when there's no sink)

Ross — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 08:04:10 +0000

The best wipes for festivals and camping are large, fragrance-free and made from natural fibres rather than plastic — because when you're three fields from the nearest tap, a thin, synthetic wipe that smells of artificial flowers isn't doing anyone any favours. What you actually need is something that can handle a full body freshen-up, fits in a back pocket, and won't leave microplastic fibres in a hedge when you bin it.

What makes a wipe actually useful without a sink?

Size matters more than packaging promises. A lot of travel wipes are marketed as convenient but are genuinely tiny — fine for hands, useless for anything else. A full baby-wipe-size sheet (roughly 20 x 20 cm) is the minimum for a proper freshen-up. If the pack says "travel size" but doesn't tell you the wipe dimensions, treat that as a warning.

Moisture content matters too. A wipe that's barely damp when you open it — because the pack seal has been compromised, or the formula is just thin — won't clean effectively. Look for wipes that feel properly saturated, not just lightly moistened.

Fragrance is a red flag at festivals specifically. You're sweaty, your skin is already stressed, and a heavily scented wipe adds irritation to injury. "Fresh" and "clean" scents listed as parfum on the ingredient list are potential irritants — especially on armpits, faces and anywhere that's been in the sun. Fragrance-free is the only version worth packing.

Why most wipes are the wrong choice for outdoor use

The majority of wipes sold in UK supermarkets contain plastic fibres — polyester, viscose blends with synthetic binders, or PLA (a bioplastic that sounds eco but behaves like plastic in most disposal conditions). At a festival or on a campsite, your options for disposal are a general waste bin or — if you're camping wild — carrying them out. Either way, a plastic-fibre wipe sitting in landfill or accidentally left in the environment is a problem.

Cotton wipes break down. Plastic-fibre wipes do not — or at least not in any timeframe that matters. From October 2027, the UK will ban the sale of wet wipes containing plastic fibres, which tells you everything you need to know about how the industry has been getting away with it until now.

The other issue is packaging bulk. Most wipes come in a pack designed for a changing table, not a rucksack. If you're fitting two days of supplies into a 30-litre pack, wipe packaging that's the size of a paperback book is a genuine inconvenience.

What to actually pack: the practical breakdown

For face and hands: You want fragrance-free, soft-fibre wipes — cotton ideally, full size. One wipe should be enough for a complete face freshen-up. If you're using a wipe to remove suncream or festival face paint, you'll probably need two.

For body (armpits, neck, chest, feet): Forget travel-size packs. You need a proper full-size wipe that you can fold and refold to get multiple clean surfaces from one sheet. A wipe that's 20 x 20 cm+ folded in four gives you four clean passes. A tiny 10 x 10 cm sheet gives you one awkward swipe.

For hands before eating: This is where antibacterial wipes earn their place. If you're eating from a paper plate in a field, clean hands aren't optional — and there's rarely a functional handwashing station near the food queue. An antibacterial wipe that kills 99.9% of germs is a reasonable solution when soap and water genuinely aren't available.

For nappy changes on-site: Parents at festivals know that the changing facilities range from "fine, actually" to "absolutely not." A fragrance-free, full-size cotton wipe is the right call for baby skin — no parfum, no synthetic fibres, gentle enough for a newborn and practical enough for a muddy field.

How many wipes should you pack?

A rough guide for a weekend festival (two nights, three days):

Solo adult, light use (hands, face): 15–20 wipes
Solo adult, full freshen-up each day: 25–35 wipes
Couple: Double the above
Family with a baby in nappies: Add 8–10 wipes per day per baby on top of your own

If you're camping rather than festivalling — so cooking your own food, more physical activity, more time outdoors — add another 30–40% to those numbers. You'll use more than you think.

Why pack size is the overlooked problem

Here's the actual logistics issue nobody talks about: a standard 60-wipe pack is about the size of a hardback novel and weighs roughly 500g. For a weekend festival, you probably don't need 60 wipes — you need maybe 30. But opening a half-used, oversized pack and finding it's dried out by Saturday morning is genuinely annoying.

This is exactly the problem dinky wipes were designed around. The pack is pocket-size — genuinely fits in a jeans pocket or the front pouch of a rucksack — but the wipe inside is full baby-wipe size, just folded down. You're not getting a smaller wipe; you're getting the same wipe in a pack that doesn't take up your whole toiletry bag. For festival and camping use, that's not a novelty — it's the point.

The sensitive wipes are 100% cotton and fragrance-free, so they work for faces, babies and anyone with skin that reacts to parfum. The antibacterial wipes are the same cotton base with a formula that kills 99.9% of germs — useful before eating when a tap is thirty minutes of queueing away. Neither contains plastic fibres, which means you're not packing single-use plastic into a field and then binning it there.

What about flushable wipes at a festival?

Short answer: probably not the right tool here. Most festival toilets are portaloos or long-drop composting loos — neither is a standard plumbing system. Even wipes genuinely designed to break down in water (the dinky flushable wipe is one of them) should only go down a standard connected toilet. In a portaloo, everything goes into a tank. Put it in the bin.

The broader rule: only the flushable product should ever be flushed, and only down a standard toilet. Every other wipe — including cotton wipes, bamboo wipes, and anything labelled "biodegradable" — goes in general waste.

How to stop your wipes drying out over a long weekend

The enemy is air. Every time you open a pack, moisture escapes. A few habits help:

Press the flap down firmly and smooth out any air bubbles after each use
Keep packs out of direct sun — heat accelerates drying
If a pack is more than half used and you won't need it for a few hours, fold the top of the pack over and use a clip or elastic band
Store in a cool spot in your bag, not in an outer pocket that bakes in the sun

Smaller packs dry out less quickly than large ones, because there's less air inside and you're opening them less often. Another reason the pocket-size format is genuinely useful rather than just a gimmick.

Common questions

Are baby wipes good enough for adults at festivals?

Yes — a full-size baby wipe is exactly what most adults need for a body freshen-up, and fragrance-free baby wipes are gentler on adult skin too. The only thing to check is that they're large enough (some "baby" travel wipes are actually quite small) and that the formula doesn't contain parfum, which can irritate skin that's already hot and sweaty.

Can you use wet wipes instead of showering at a festival?

For a day or two, yes — wipes can handle sweat, suncream, dust and most of what a festival throws at you. They're not a substitute for a proper shower over a longer trip, but for a weekend they're a practical and widely used alternative. Prioritise armpits, feet, face and hands, in that order, if you're rationing wipes.

Are wet wipes OK to bin at a festival?

General waste bin, yes — that's the correct disposal route for almost all wet wipes, including cotton ones. Do not put them in recycling, compost bins or portaloo waste. Do not leave them on the ground. If you're wild camping, the wipe goes in your rubbish and comes out with you.

Originally published at dinky wipes

Best Tape for Cold Weather and Low Temperatures (What Actually Bonds When It's Freezing)

Ross — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 07:02:01 +0000

The best tape for cold weather is a closed-cell acrylic foam mounting tape — the same VHB-type used in automotive and construction — because its acrylic adhesive stays pliable and grippy well below freezing, rather than going brittle and losing its bond the way rubber-based adhesives do. For outdoor use in the UK, where temperatures regularly drop to -5°C or lower overnight, this matters far more than the headline strength figure. Standard double-sided tape, foam tape from DIY shops, and most duct-tape variants will stiffen, shrink slightly and lose adhesion once temperatures fall below around 5°C.

Why most tapes fail in the cold — and what's actually happening

Adhesive failure in cold weather comes down to chemistry. Most budget tapes use a rubber-based or low-grade acrylic adhesive that requires warmth to flow into the microscopic texture of a surface and form a real bond. As temperature drops, these adhesives stiffen, stop wetting the surface properly, and essentially grip nothing but themselves.

There are two distinct problems:

Applying tape in the cold. If the surface is below about 10°C, even a good-quality tape needs extra care. The adhesive simply won't flow and grab properly on a freezing substrate — you'll get apparent adhesion that fails within hours once the load kicks in.

Tape that's already bonded then exposed to cold. Rubber-based adhesives become brittle at low temperatures and can crack or delaminate when the surface expands and contracts with thermal cycling. Acrylic foam tapes flex with the movement.

Closed-cell acrylic foam tape handles both situations better than any alternative: the foam core absorbs the stress of expansion and contraction, and the acrylic chemistry stays tacky at temperatures as low as -40°C in most formulations.

What types of tape actually work at low temperatures

Acrylic foam mounting tape (VHB-type)

This is the category to reach for. The acrylic adhesive maintains tack and shear strength across a wide temperature range — typically rated from around -40°C up to 90°C or higher. The foam core gives the bond flexibility, so it doesn't crack when metal, uPVC or plastic expands and contracts between a cold night and a warmer day.

Professional 3M and tesa products in this category are the same materials used to bond vehicle trim, architectural cladding and signage — applications where thermal cycling is a given, not a special condition. At Spyder Tape we stock genuine 3M and tesa mounting tapes in this category, supplied to trade and dispatched from the UK — you can see the full range at /products.

Butyl tape

Butyl rubber tape stays flexible in the cold and is excellent for sealing and waterproofing (roofing, caravans, gutters). It's not strong in shear, so it's a sealant, not a mounting tape — don't use it to hold things up.

Transfer tape and thin double-sided film tape

Avoid these for cold-weather mounting. They have no foam layer to absorb stress, and the adhesive layer is thin enough that any surface irregularity — frost, condensation, a slightly textured substrate — kills the bond.

Duct tape and gaffer tape

Neither is rated for cold-weather mounting. Duct tape's polyethylene backing stiffens and can delaminate from its adhesive. Gaffer tape will hold temporarily but the cloth backing has almost no resistance to prolonged outdoor exposure. If you want to know more about where each fits, our post on gaffer tape vs duct tape covers the differences in detail.

How to apply mounting tape in cold conditions so it actually holds

Even the best cold-weather tape will underperform if you apply it to a freezing surface without prep. Follow these steps:

Warm the substrate if possible. The surface — not the air — needs to be above 10°C for the adhesive to flow and grab properly. For outdoor work on a cold day, use a heat gun or even warm water (dried off completely) to bring the bonding area up to temperature before applying the tape.
Clean the surface with an IPA wipe. Cold surfaces collect condensation, road salt and oils that will destroy adhesion. An isopropyl alcohol (IPA) wipe removes all of these. Our mounting tape kits include an IPA cleaning wipe and an adhesive-promoter wipe for exactly this reason — surface prep is what separates a bond that lasts from one that falls off in a week.
Apply the adhesive-promoter wipe. On porous, low-energy or weathered surfaces, a primer wipe dramatically improves initial and long-term bond strength. Let it flash off (30–60 seconds) before applying the tape.
Apply firm, even pressure. Press the tape along its full length — ideally with a roller or the heel of your hand — for at least 30 seconds. The adhesive needs pressure to flow into the surface texture.
Allow a dwell time before loading. For a full bond, give the adhesive 24–72 hours before applying the full load. In cold weather, lean towards the longer end. The adhesive continues to wet the surface and build strength over this period.
Don't apply and immediately expose to extreme cold. If you can, apply in a warmer environment (a garage, for example), allow the dwell time, then fit the assembly outdoors.

Which surfaces can cold-weather mounting tape bond to?

Acrylic foam tape bonds well to:

Metal (steel, aluminium, stainless)
Glass
uPVC and rigid PVC
Most painted surfaces (sound, clean paint — not flaking)
ABS and polycarbonate plastics
Powder-coated metal

It struggles with:

Dusty, contaminated or friable surfaces (crumbling render, chalky old paint)
Very low surface energy plastics (polypropylene, polyethylene) without a primer
Wet or frosted surfaces — prep is non-negotiable

If the surface is structural or load-bearing — roof fixtures, anything above people, anything where failure could cause injury — use mechanical fixings. Tape is excellent for light-to-medium mounting jobs; it isn't a substitute for a bolt through a structural bracket.

For more detail on getting tape to grip on difficult substrates, our guide on how to prep a surface before taping covers the full process.

Does cold-weather tape also handle the summer heat?

Yes — this is one of the reasons acrylic foam tape is specified for automotive and outdoor use. The same formulation that stays flexible at -40°C also resists softening and creep at high temperatures. A car bonnet on a UK summer day can reach 60–70°C in direct sun; the adhesive needs to resist shear at those temperatures too. VHB-type acrylic foam tape is rated for continuous use well above this.

This dual performance — cold flexibility and heat resistance — is why it's the default choice for anything that lives outdoors year-round: signage, number plates, trim, sensor holders and similar.

Common questions

What is the best outdoor tape for cold weather in the UK?

A closed-cell acrylic foam mounting tape (VHB-type) is the most reliable choice for UK outdoor conditions. It bonds across a wide temperature range, copes with the freeze-thaw cycling common in UK winters, and is weather resistant. Apply to a clean, primed surface above 10°C for best results.

Does double-sided tape work in the cold?

Standard double-sided tape — thin film or foam from a DIY shop — typically fails in the cold because the adhesive stiffens and loses tack below about 5°C. Professional-grade acrylic foam double-sided tape is different: the acrylic chemistry stays active at very low temperatures, making it the right choice for cold-weather applications.

What is the best tape for extreme cold weather?

For extreme cold (below -10°C), a professional acrylic foam tape with a temperature rating down to -40°C is the correct product — the same category used in automotive manufacturing and architectural cladding. Rubber-based tapes, duct tape and standard foam tapes are not suitable for extreme cold and will fail quickly.

Originally published at Spyder Tape

Best Deterrent Spikes for Fence Tops (What to Look For and What to Avoid)

Ross — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 06:03:05 +0000

The best deterrent spikes for fence tops are ones with irregular, staggered spike heights — not flat single-height strips. Flat spikes stop birds from landing but let squirrels, cats and foxes walk straight over them; staggered heights disrupt the footing of climbing animals as well. You also need a strip that wraps the top of the fence on multiple sides, not just sits flat on one face.

Why most cheap fence spikes fail within a season

Walk down any garden centre aisle and you'll find flat plastic spike strips for a few pounds. They work, briefly, for pigeons on a clean horizontal surface. But they fail in three ways that matter on a fence top:

They sit flat. A fence top isn't just a horizontal surface — it has two faces and a top edge. A flat strip covers one face. A pigeon or squirrel simply moves to the other side.

The spike height is uniform. Single-height spikes are easy for squirrels, foxes and cats to navigate. These animals don't approach a surface the way a pigeon does — they step across it. A consistent spike height becomes a known obstacle they step over or between.

The plastic goes brittle. Most cheap spikes are made from recycled or mixed polypropylene with minimal UV stabilisation. After one UK winter — freeze, thaw, UV, repeat — they snap when you brush against them. You end up with broken spikes that deter nothing and look worse than nothing.

What the spike design actually needs to do

A fence top spike strip needs to solve three separate problems simultaneously:

Stop birds landing — the spike points need to be close enough together and tall enough that a pigeon can't find a flat foothold.
Stop climbing animals crossing — the spike heights need to be irregular so animals can't step confidently between them. A squirrel or fox testing a uniform spike row quickly works out the rhythm; irregular heights remove that predictability.
Cover the whole fence top — including the two side faces, not just the horizontal cap. This means the strip needs to fold or wrap, not lie flat.

ThornGuard spikes are designed around exactly this problem. The strip uses three spike heights — 12mm, 22mm and 36mm — in an irregular pattern. The shorter spikes catch birds; the taller, staggered spikes disrupt the footing of anything trying to walk across. The strip also folds along its length, so it wraps a fence top and covers both faces as well as the horizontal surface — three sides from one strip. You can read more about fitting on the ThornGuard fitting guide.

How to measure your fence and work out how many strips you need

Measure the total run of fencing you want to protect in metres. Then decide whether you're fitting to just the top cap of the fence or wrapping it around the top edge and down both faces.

Top cap only (flat): one strip covers 0.4m per strip (ThornGuard strips are 400mm each).
Wrapped three-side: splitting the strip lengthways roughly triples the run — one strip covers the top and both sides of about 0.4m of fence, but you can also split sections to cover a longer run at reduced width.

ThornGuard comes in a 4m pack (10 strips) and an 8m pack (20 strips). Because the strips can be split lengthways, a 4m pack can cover up to around 12m of fence top when used in split configuration.

For a standard 6-panel fence (roughly 10–12m run), the 4m pack in split configuration is usually enough for the top cap. If you're wrapping all three sides fully, go for the 8m pack.

Fixing methods: screws, cable ties or adhesive

The right fixing depends on your fence material:

Timber fence tops are the easiest. Pre-drill and screw directly through the strip's base channels into the wood. This is the most secure long-term fix and what we'd recommend wherever you can drill. Screws are included in every ThornGuard pack.

Gravel boards and capped fence panels work well with cable ties fed through the base of the strip and around the fence cap. Also included in every pack. This is faster than screwing and still holds well.

Concrete or composite capping — if you can't or don't want to drill, waterproof adhesive pads (sold separately) bond the base of the strip to the surface. Clean the surface first with isopropyl alcohol, press firmly, and allow 24 hours before exposing to rain. Full prep guidance is on the fitting guide.

If your fence posts have a different profile to your fence panels — which is common on close-board fencing — cut a strip to length to cover the post cap separately.

Does the fence height matter?

Yes, but not for the reason most people assume. Deterrent spikes don't stop a fox from jumping over a fence — a determined fox can clear 1.8m from a standing start. Spikes on a fence top work by making the landing zone too uncomfortable to use as a crossing point. A fox's usual method is to put its front paws on top of the fence, test the surface, and pull itself over; spikes interrupt that test. The same is true of cats.

For fences under 1.5m, spikes alone may not be enough for a determined fox — consider combining them with an angled topper or roller bar above the spike line. For standard 1.8m close-board garden fencing, spikes on the top are effective against both casual climbers and birds.

Squirrels are the trickiest case because they can launch from trees, sheds and overhanging branches. If you have a squirrel problem, spikes on the fence top help but you should also identify what they're launching from. We've covered this in detail in how to stop squirrels climbing your fence.

What about fence posts specifically?

Fence posts are a separate problem. Birds — particularly pigeons and crows — use fence posts as perches far more than they use the fence run itself, because posts offer an elevated clear view. Flat fence-top strips don't cover posts well; a post cap is usually square or round, not the same profile as a flat fence panel.

Because ThornGuard strips fold, they can be wrapped around a square post cap to cover all four faces, or cut to fit a smaller surface. This is one of the practical differences between a flexible folding strip and a rigid flat strip — the latter simply can't conform to a post shape.

Common questions

Do deterrent spikes work on squirrels as well as birds?

Flat single-height spikes do not reliably stop squirrels — they step between the spikes or push them aside. Spikes with staggered heights (such as 12mm, 22mm and 36mm) disrupt footing and are much more effective. Combining fence spikes with removing nearby launch points (overhanging branches, adjacent sheds) gives the best results.

Are fence-top spikes legal in the UK?

Yes. You can fit deterrent spikes to your own fence, wall or property without any special permission. The only restriction is that spikes must be genuinely deterrent — they should not injure animals. Humane plastic deterrent spikes are completely legal. For more detail, including rules on party walls and rented properties, see our full guide on whether bird spikes are legal in the UK.

How long do plastic fence spikes last outdoors?

This depends almost entirely on the plastic grade. Spikes made from recycled or unspecified polypropylene typically go brittle after one or two winters and snap. Spikes made from UV-stabilised virgin polypropylene — the grade ThornGuard uses — resist UV degradation and freeze-thaw cycles significantly better, lasting several years under normal UK outdoor conditions.

Originally published at ThornGuard

Do you need Water Wipes for newborns — or will any fragrance-free wipe do?

Ross — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 08:03:55 +0000

You don't need WaterWipes specifically — what newborn skin actually needs is a wipe that is fragrance-free, made from natural fibres rather than plastic, and as gentle as possible on a brand-new skin barrier. WaterWipes is one way to tick those boxes, but it isn't the only way, and for many parents it isn't the most practical one either.

What makes a wipe safe for newborn skin in the first place?

Newborn skin is thinner than adult skin, has a weaker barrier function, and is still adjusting to life outside a very controlled environment. The ingredients most likely to cause a reaction are:

Fragrance (listed as parfum on ingredients labels) — the single biggest trigger for newborn skin sensitivity, including contact dermatitis
Preservatives — particularly phenoxyethanol, which several European regulators have flagged as unsuitable for use on infant skin under three months
Plastic or synthetic fibres — these don't cause chemical reactions, but they're rougher on delicate skin than cotton and they don't break down in the environment

What newborn skin doesn't need is a specific brand name. It needs the absence of those three things.

Why do so many midwives and health visitors recommend WaterWipes?

The NHS and most health visitors suggest using cotton wool and plain warm water for the first few weeks, then switching to fragrance-free wipes. WaterWipes became the dominant recommendation in UK parenting circles largely because they market directly at that "first weeks" window and carry a minimal ingredient list (water and a tiny amount of fruit extract).

The recommendation makes sense in principle. A wipe that's 99.9% water is hard to react to. But the underlying logic is really just "fragrance-free and gentle" — not "must be this specific product."

Some parents find WaterWipes dry out faster than other wipes, feel thinner than they'd like, or come in packaging that's less convenient on the go. None of that makes them a bad product — it just means there are other options that meet the same criteria.

What should you actually look for on the ingredients list?

When you're standing in a supermarket aisle with a newborn at home and not much sleep, decoding an ingredients list is not fun. Here's the short version of what to check:

Good signs:

Aqua as the first ingredient (it's just water)
Natural fibre material — cotton is the gold standard
Short, readable ingredient list
No parfum anywhere
Fragrance-free clearly stated (not just "unscented" — these are different things)

Red flags:

Parfum anywhere on the list — even low down
Phenoxyethanol — worth avoiding for under-three-month-olds especially
EDTA (sometimes listed as disodium EDTA) — a chelating agent some parents prefer to avoid on very young skin
Vague phrases like "natural fragrance" — fragrance is fragrance, natural or not

If you're not sure whether "unscented" and "fragrance free" mean the same thing, they don't — and the difference genuinely matters for sensitive skin. The short version: a wipe can be unscented (no detectable smell) while still containing masking fragrances. Fragrance free means no fragrance ingredients at all.

Does material matter as much as ingredients?

Yes — arguably as much. Most conventional wipes, including some marketed as gentle or natural, are made from a blend of polyester and viscose. Polyester is plastic. It's not the same as having parfum on the label, but it does mean the fibres are synthetic, rougher under a microscope than cotton, and — relevant for the environment — they don't break down.

Cotton wipes, by contrast, are softer, naturally absorbent, and biodegradable. For newborn skin specifically, 100% cotton is the gentlest option available in a disposable wipe.

This also matters beyond the newborn stage: the UK is banning the sale of plastic-fibre wet wipes in 2027. Brands that have been selling plastic-fibre wipes as "soft" or "gentle" will have to reformulate. If you're choosing a wipe to use for months or years, picking one that's already plastic-free saves you the disruption of switching later.

How does dinky sensitive fit into this?

dinky sensitive is 100% cotton, fragrance free, and contains no phenoxyethanol, no EDTA, and no plastic fibres — the three things newborn skin is most likely to react to. It was plastic-free before the ban and will stay that way.

The pack is also genuinely pocket-sized — which matters more than you'd think when you're one-handed at 3am trying to fish a wipe out of a changing bag. The wipe inside is full baby-wipe size, just folded down to fit. That's the whole point of dinky: a tiny pack, a proper wipe.

We're not going to tell you it's the only good option for newborns — because the honest answer is that any wipe meeting the criteria above is fine. But if you're comparing, those are the facts.

What about cotton wool and water — is that actually better?

For the very first days and weeks, cotton wool and warm water is a perfectly sensible choice, and it's what most health professionals still suggest as a starting point. It has zero ingredients to react to and costs almost nothing.

The practical reality is that it's also slow, gets cold quickly, and becomes genuinely inconvenient once you're out of the house. Most parents transition to wipes within the first month — which is fine, as long as the wipe is fragrance-free and made from natural fibres.

There is no evidence that a good fragrance-free cotton wipe is harmful to newborns. The NHS guidance is cautious by design — it's written for all parents, including those whose babies may have undiagnosed skin conditions. If your baby has eczema, very dry skin, or a diagnosed condition, speak to your GP or health visitor before switching from cotton wool.

Do you need a separate wipe for face versus nappy changes?

Not necessarily — but some parents prefer to keep face wipes separate purely for hygiene reasons (which is fair enough). If you're using a 100% cotton, fragrance-free wipe, it's gentle enough for both. There's no ingredient reason to use a different product on the face versus the nappy area, assuming both wipes are equally gentle.

The main thing to avoid is using an antibacterial wipe on a newborn's face or nappy area — antibacterial wipes are designed for hand hygiene and surface cleaning, not for infant skin. If you're looking at dinky antibacterial, that one's for hands and on-the-go hygiene, not for nappy changes.

Common questions

Can I use any fragrance-free wipe on a newborn, or does it have to say "baby" on the pack?

The word "baby" on packaging isn't a regulated claim in the UK — it's marketing. What matters is the ingredient list: no parfum, no phenoxyethanol, and natural fibres rather than plastic. A fragrance-free, 100% cotton adult wipe that meets those criteria is equally suitable for newborn skin.

Are WaterWipes the same as cotton wool and water?

Not exactly. WaterWipes are 99.9% water with a small amount of fruit extract, made from a plant-based (though not always 100% cotton) material. Cotton wool and plain warm water has no ingredients beyond water at all. Both are gentle — the difference is mainly practical convenience rather than skin safety.

When can I switch from water-only or very gentle wipes to regular fragrance-free wipes?

Most health visitors suggest staying with cotton wool and water or the gentlest possible wipe for the first four to six weeks. After that, any good fragrance-free, plastic-free wipe is generally fine for healthy skin. If your baby has eczema or persistent skin irritation, ask your GP or health visitor before switching.

Originally published at dinky wipes