Bee’s Wrap Pros and Cons: What You Need to Know
Have you heard the buzz about Bee’s Wrap, the beeswax wraps? Touted as a sustainable, reusable alternative to plastic wrap, there’s a whole lot to like. Sarah Kaeck, the founder of Bee’s Wrap, started waxing her own cloth in her kitchen with beeswax before launching her product. They sound super earthy and look adorable. But are you going to like using Bee’s Wraps? Here’s everything you need to decide if reusable beeswax wraps are right for you.
Bottom Line on Bee’s Wrap
Bee’s Wrap brand beeswax wraps are a great choice for people who prioritize sustainability. The wraps do require a bit more work than plastic wrap or bags, and they can’t be used for certain foods. Still, they are versatile, easy to use, and the higher upfront cost will even out with repeated use over time (they last about a year).
What Is Beeswax Wrap?
Beeswax wraps are reusable food wraps made from cotton cloth coated in a mixture of wax, plant oil, and tree resin. Basically, a mixture of the wax, oils, and resin are painted in a thin layer onto sheets of organic cotton and, presto! You have Bee’s Wrap.
This coating makes the cloth pliable and helps it keep its shape when you wrap it around a sandwich, for example. The coating also creates a protective but breathable barrier around your food, keeping it from dirt, moisture, and contamination — keeping it safe and fresh, in other words.
How to Use Beeswax Wraps
To use wraps like Bee’s Wrap, simply form the wrap around your sandwich, over the top of a bowl, or around whatever other food you want to keep fresh. Press in place. The warmth of your hands will melt the wax just enough to help it keep its shape.
How To Clean Beeswax Wraps
Wash your beeswax wraps with cold, soapy water and then hang or drape to dry. Avoid using hot or warm water, which will melt the wax. Definitely do not wash in the dishwasher. When dry, store in a cool, dry space.
How Long Do Beeswax Wraps Last?
If you consistently wash and store the wraps carefully they should last up to a year. Over time the wraps become less pliable; that’s when you know it’s time to replace it.
Bee’s Wrap Pros
It’s made from mostly sustainable ingredients.
One of the main selling points of Bee’s Wrap is that it’s made from materials you can feel good about: responsibly sourced beeswax, organic plant oils, tree restin, and organic cotton.
Bee’s Wraps also makes vegan wraps using candelilla and soy wax, organic coconut oil, tree resin, and organic cotton. Candelilla is a plant native to the Southwest US and Mexico.
It’s reusable.
The other main advantage? It’s reusable. Once you’re done with your wrap, just wash it with gentle soap and cool water (hot water can melt it), then let it air-dry to use it again.
It’s compostable.
Of course, once the Bee’s Wrap has been used for about a year, it won’t work as well, but you can cut it into strips to compost it — or use it as a fire-starter.
Bee’s Wrap Cons
It doesn’t seal as tightly as plastic wrap.
So why wouldn’t you make the switch? While Bee’s Wrap is relatively bendy — the warmth from your hands makes the wax mixture pliable, so you can press it onto the rim of, say, a glass container or fold it around a sandwich — some users complain that it’s not quite pliable enough to get a complete seal.
It doesn’t work for all foods.
Beeswax wraps are also not ideal for wrapping things like raw meat (i.e., things you wouldn’t want to touch other surfaces you’ll use again). You should also avoid using it to wrap very oily foods, which can stain the wraps.
The upfront cost seems high.
Finally, there’s the sticker shock: A single extra-large wrap will cost you $14.99 and a set of three small wraps is $16. That said, on a per-use basis the price will even out with plastic wrap — it may even be less expensive, depending on how often you use it.
What do you think? Have you tried it? Will you try it?