Homemade Natural Cleaning Wipes that Disinfect

Make Your Own Homemade Natural Cleaning Wipes that Disinfect

Companies will have us believe that we need wipes for everything – our countertops, our toilets, our faces, and our babies’ bottoms. Yeah, I admit that I was a consumer who bought into this one. You could find disinfecting cleaning wipes under every sink in my house, once upon a time. Right beside the paper towels and the harsh chemical cleaners.

Why you don't need commercial wipes

The average person spends over $70 on disposable cleaning wipes every year – packaged in wasteful plastic and eventually tossed in the trash. I prefer reusable over disposable, and can easily make wipes with old t-shirts or rags that I already have. (The word FREE is music to my ears.)

Besides being expensive, commercial cleaning wipes usually rely on harsh chemical ingredients, like bleach, to disinfect. While bleach definitely kills germs, it has some well documented harmful side effects that have been known for decades.

How about a homemade cleaning wipe that will disinfect with natural ingredients like white vinegar and antibacterial essential oils? Want wipes that can be washed and re-used? How about a wipe that can be made with the material of your choice, in the size you prefer for wiping up messes? Guess what? It’s time to DIY.

Homemade cleaning wipes are an absolute cinch to make, and will become your go-to cleaning helper around the house. Our recipe for citrusy vinegar wipes will leave surfaces shining, save you money, and won’t pose a health risk to your family. Feel free to use the essential oils in the recipe, or other antibacterial/antiviral essential oils of your choice.

You will need:

• Wide-mouth quart-size mason jar with lid (or other 4 – 6 cup capacity container with tightly-fitting lid)
• 15-20 pieces of pre-cut cloth (we use cotton t-shirts cut into 10-inch x 10-inch squares)

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup filtered water (Water Filter Systems)
• ¾ cup white distilled vinegar
• 15 drops lemon essential oil  (Link to Purchase Essential Oils)
• 8 drops lavender essential oil
• 4 drops bergamot essential oil

Directions:

Combine your liquid ingredients in the mason jar or other container of your choice. (Glass is best because essential oils will react with plastic.) Swirl or stir to combine. Add pre-cut cloths to jar and press down firmly to soak up liquid. Secure lid and tip jar upside down if needed to further moisten wipes.

Store wipes in a cool dark cupboard to preserve the properties of the essential oils.

To use:

Wring excess liquid from cloths before using. After using, rinse cloth out with clean water and use to wipe surface again if necessary. Wipes can be rinsed out or machine washed after using and returned to the container to be used again.

Cleaning wipes for a multitude of tasks

Since these wipes don’t contain any harsh chemical ingredients, they're safe to use just about anywhere, and on almost any surface. They're great on glass, stainless steel, tile, linoleum, porcelain, and more.

Keep a jar of homemade wipes in the kitchen for disinfecting countertops and wiping up spills. Use them to clean the stovetop, sink, microwave, floors, faucets, and refrigerator messes.

A jar of wipes should always have a home in the bathroom. They're great for wiping down sinks, mirrors, toilets, floors, shower doors, and shining faucets.

So use up the rest of those expensive cleaning wipes you have under your sink, and replace them with a new, effective DIY version!