How to Make Reusable Disinfecting Wipes
If you’re looking to save money and remove harsh cleaning chemicals from your home, one simple way to do both is to make your own reusable disinfecting wipes.
Take a look under nearly any bathroom or kitchen sink, and you’ll likely find a container of disposable disinfecting wipes. While they’re certainly convenient, they also have several issues.
Fortunately, it’s very easy to make your own homemade reusable disinfecting wipes. If you’re using these DIY disinfecting wipes to clean your home during cold and flu season, don’t forget to check out our post on how to make DIY hand sanitizer.
Don’t have time to DIY? Not a problem, simply check out this list of the best eco-friendly disinfecting wipes for an excellent selection of wipes that get rid of germs and bacteria without using toxic chemicals.
Plus, while these wipes are perfect for cleaning hard surfaces around your house, they don’t really work on soft surfaces. That’s why you should also check out our post on how to make DIY disinfectant spray.
Problems With Disposable Disinfecting Wipes
The first problem with disposable disinfecting wipes is the chemicals they use to clean. The Environmental Working Group gives both Clorox disinfecting wipes and Lysol disinfecting wipes a “D” grade because the ingredients have the potential to cause respiratory issues.
Related: The Scary Secrets Hiding in Your Toxic Cleaning Products
Along with the health hazards, the other major problem with disposable disinfecting wipes is right in the name: they’re disposable. You use them once and then throw them away.
They end up in a landfill where it takes them years to breakdown, and they leach those harmful chemicals right into the ground. Plus, every time you use a disposable wipe and throw it away, it’s basically like throwing away money.
Making Your Own Reusable Disinfecting Wipes
If you’re ready to make the switch to reusable disinfecting wipes, you’ll find it easy to make your own at home. Best of all, you’ll enjoy plenty of advantages when you make these DIY wipes.
They’re safer than commercial disinfecting wipes, which is better for you, your family, and the environment. Plus, you can use them again and again, which can help you save money and is ideal as part of an eco-friendly cleaning routine.
Reusable Disinfecting Wipes Ingredients
- 2 cups of water
- 1 cup of 70% rubbing alcohol
- 5 drops of lavender essential oil
- 5 drops of tea tree essential oil
- 5 drops of cinnamon essential oil
- 5 drops of thyme essential oil
How to Make Reusable Disinfecting Wipes
Once you have the ingredients gathered for your DIY disinfecting wipes, you’re ready to put everything together. These simple steps outline what you need to do.
Choose Your Cloth
The first step to making homemade reusable disinfecting wipes is deciding what type of cloth you want to use. If you’re just wiping down countertops, you can simply use an organic cotton unpaper towel.
See why I always recommend using cotton unpaper towels instead of microfiber cleaning cloths.
On the other hand, if you plan on doing a good amount of scrubbing, you might find some washcloths will work better because they’re thicker.
You can even have one container with the cotton wipes and another container with the washcloth wipes so you can switch back and forth as necessary.
Select a Container
Once you’ve picked out your cloth, it’s time to decide what type of container you want to use.
If you’re interested in making numerous wipes, you might find a large glass jar or a quart-sized mason jar will have enough space to hold them. You can also simply reuse the plastic containers that held the disposable wipes.
Just keep in mind that essential oils can react with plastic and cause it to wear down. Although these DIY wipes don’t require a lot of oil, you might have to eventually switch to a glass jar.
Combine Everything
When you have the container you’re using, simply pour all the ingredients inside and stir to combine. Press your cloth wipes into the solution to soak it up. You’re now ready to get cleaning with your homemade disinfecting wipes!
Important Notes About Reusable Disinfecting Wipes
I often see homemade disinfecting wipe recipes that call for vinegar. While vinegar is a good disinfect and can clean a surprising number of things, it can’t kill every type of bacteria.
Vinegar also isn’t safe to use on granite countertops because it can cause etching and pitting. Check out our post on other things you shouldn’t clean with vinegar to make sure you don’t accidentally damage items around your home.
On the other hand, rubbing alcohol is very effective at killing all types of bacteria. Just make sure you’re using rubbing alcohol that has a concentration of at least 70%.
Related: 6 Things You Should Never Do With Rubbing Alcohol
Depending on how absorbent your cloths are and how many you’re using in one container, you might need to increase the liquid measurements a little. Experiment with your measurements until you find one that offers just the right amount of liquid for your needs.
Rubbing alcohol can sometimes have a strong scent that some people don’t like. Not only do the essential oils help cover the smell, but they also add some extra disinfecting power.
For example, thyme essential oil and cinnamon essential oil have been found effective in treating bacterial infections like staphylococcus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA).
I keep a basket next to my washing machine to hold dirty cleaning towels. Whenever I use one of these reusable disinfecting wipes, I simply toss it into this basket. Then I can throw all the towels and reusable wipes in the washing machine together when I need more.
Making Reusable Disinfecting Wipes
When you make your your own reusable disinfecting wipes, you’ll still enjoy all the cleaning power and convenience of disposable wipes. However, you’ll also be helping the environment and saving money at the same time.
More Eco-Friendly Cleaning Tips
Now that you see how easy it is to make DIY disinfecting wipes, are you interested in even more eco-friendly cleaning tips? Then be sure to check out some of our other popular posts:
- Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
- Streak-Free Glass Cleaner
- Homemade Furniture Polish
- All-Purpose Cleaner Without Vinegar
