That old bumper sticker – “Save Water – Shower with a Friend” used to conjure up scenes from Woodstock and the muddy masses who didn’t really care if they were clean or not.  But the other day I was reading about hair wipes in Glamour and it suddenly occured to me: Sheesh, it seems you don’t even need water to clean anymore.  Is there anything they don’t make wipes for these days?

A couple hours of research and the answer is flatly no.  Babies bottoms. Faces. Windows. Whitewall tires. If it exists, there is likely a pre-packaged moist-towellette product made to be dragged across it.

In fact, you could do an entire daily cleansing routine without ever stepping into the shower.

We’re friends, right? Join me for a virtual shower. We’ll start with the hair.

Glamour raves about Ted Gibson’s hair sheets (pkg of 5/14.99). The company says wiping on these proteins and vitamins bond to the hair, fill damaging sites and condition it, “increasing flexibility and shine.”  They can be used day or night.

Jonathan Product offers Pocket Redo Wipes (6/$20) that are supposed to allow you to restyle and refresh your do without a shower.

After the hair, the face and neck. Olay may have started this whole trend with its Daily Facials in the early 90s. Search “face cloths” on Drugstore.com and you get 41 hits. I’m not talking makeup removers. In addition to Olay, there are offerings from Ponds, Biore, Basis, Dove, Aveno, Noxema (blah, blah, blah )… MD Skincare’s boast antioxidants and Lab Series makes Oil-Control Towelettes for Men (30/$15). In other words, if a company makes a cleanser or face wash, it comes in a wipe.

But what about the body, you might ask? DHC touts its personal cleansing cloths as a “shower-in-a-sheet.” They are alcohol- and fragrance-free, as are Comfort Bath Rinse-free Disposable Washcloths. Comfort’s personal cleansing system works for us “even in trying times.”  Who knew?

Continuing our journey south, more companies are offering wipes for the nether regions. Always Clean offers a moist-towelette/feminine protection combo.  But what caught my eye is the Natracare Organic Intimate Wipes (12/$3.99).  Not for the enticing ingredients like calendula and chamomile, but because according to drugstore.com, this is a “famine hygiene product.”

Do your legs with the body sheets mentioned above, then finish your feet with Cool + Clean Foot Wipes from Earth Therapeutics.  Infused with tea tree oil and mint, they are supposed to refresh, revive and clean overworked feet.

So there you have it, top to bottom, and then some.  You don’t need a friend to conserve water. Just a wipe!