Why Make Your Own Alcohol Wipes?
On to the top of my head, I can think of what you make to Keep Your Surroundings Virus-Free, Cleanse and Disinfect, Aim to Your Home’s High-Touch Surfaces.
When you start thinking about the number of wipes you will use in just one day, you also may wonder how much you’re spending on wipes alone. Because let’s be honest, who only uses one or two to clean, right!
Depending on the type/brand, the cost of store-bought wipes varies. This is where the term ‘homemade’ becomes interesting. Why not make your own wipes and save maybe a few bucks while you’re at it.
Knowing how to make your own wipes also come in handy when let’s say, imagine a dystopian universe when you can’t find store-bought disinfectants because you are in the middle of a pandemic.
Plus, if you make your own at the comfort of your home, it means your not only saving money, but it’s also environmentally friendly, and who doesn’t want to ‘go green;’ did you know that many wipes are made from polyester or polypropylene materials, which means they aren’t biodegradable.
Plus, you are aware of what is exactly in them because, well, you made them, and this way, very important, you can avoid irritations and even unnecessary allergies.
Store-bought cleaning wipes may have active ingredients that pose moderate asthma and respiratory issues concerns.
There’s a difference between cleaning and disinfecting
Now that we’re living in times of coronavirus, you are most likely staying at home and following all the right measures or what some might label as ‘extreme measures.’ One thing is for sure, these days, you are becoming a bit of an expert in terms such as cleaning and disinfecting, and after a few days in quarantine, you’ve become aware that these are two very different terms. No? Well, we got answers for ya!
In the natural order of cleaning and disinfecting, you first need to do one to the other. First things first, clean the surfaces, removing any contaminants, dust, or debris. You can do this by wiping them with soapy water (or a cleaning spray) and a hand towel.
After step number one is completed, you can go ahead and apply a surface-appropriate disinfectant.
Clear enough? What really needs to be clear is that we need to do a bit of both. Incorporating these simple two steps into your daily routine can make a huge difference in helping lower the risk of infection for you and anyone else in your home and other surroundings.
Homemade Alcohol Wipes
How to Make HOMEMADE “LYSOL” DISINFECTING WIPES
These days, like many others, if you can’t find these essential cleaning supplies, don’t stress, go DYI. During an ongoing pandemic, you need to be extra careful to keep your home and its surfaces clean and disinfected -but there’s no need to spend your hard-earned money on tons of disinfecting wipes when with just a few ingredients, you can perfectly make them at home. Now, you may be thinking that DIY cleaning wipes only use vinegar, castile soap, or detergents like Sal Suds or natural dish soap. And that, although those types of ingredients make for great homemade cleaning wipes, they are not effective when it comes to disinfecting your intimate surfaces.
Well, worry no more. There is also a way to make homemade Lysol wipes, or Clorox wipes that will truly disinfect. There are three key materials you’ll be needing to make your own disinfecting wipes; alcohol which can be either isopropyl alcohol (aka rubbing alcohol) or grain alcohol that is at least 140 proof. Our second ingredient is hydrogen peroxide and essential oil -one that disinfects properties, such as tea tree, lavender, lemon, and thyme.
Ingredients
- In a large bowl, mix together 3 cups alcohol, 3/4 teaspoon hydrogen peroxide (3% hydrogen peroxide), 20 drops lemon essential oil, 15 drops clove essential oil, 10 drops cinnamon bark essential oil, 5 drops eucalyptus Radiata essential oil, and 5 drops rosemary essential oil.
- Pour about 2 cups of the alcohol/hydrogen peroxide/essential oil mixture into your wipes container.
- Pick the paper for your wipes; you can use paper towels, dinner napkins, or disposable guest towels.
- Stack between 30-40 wipes on top of each other and put them in a container.
- Turn the wipes container on its side and swirl the disinfectant liquid around the wipes so that they all get wet. Pour any remaining disinfectant over the wipes trying to get all the wipes wet.
Homemade Disinfecting Alcohol Wipes
Keep in mind the ingredients in these wipes are not proven to kill coronavirus or any other virus specifically; they’re effective for general household use.
Prepare your materials/tools:
- You’ll be needing a one-pound coffee canister with a plastic lid
- Paper towel roll
- a sharp knife
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
- 1 teaspoon liquid dish soap
- 10 drops essential oil (optional)
- spray paint (optional)
- A needle
- scissors.
Instructions
- The one-pound coffee canister with a plastic lid will serve as your wipes container since it can be used over and over again. You can either leave the can as is or give it a quick coat of spray paint.
- To create the cleaning wipes, cut the paper towels in half using a sharp serrated knife, and squish them into the painted can.
- Mix together the vinegar, dish soap, rubbing alcohol, and water in a small bowl. You can add several drops of essential oil to the wipes.
- Slowly pour the liquid over the paper towels. Once they’re saturated, carefully remove the cardboard center, and pull a paper towel from the middle.
- Press a craft needle through the center of the plastic lid several times, and then fit the scissors through to cut a circle from the center, around one half-inch in diameter.
- Feed the paper towel through the hole in the plastic lid, and secure it to the painted coffee can. Voila!
Homemade Baby Wipes
If you have little ones at home, you’ll probably also wonder about homemade baby wipes -which you can perfectly make. These can come in handy if you run out or can no longer purchase at the store. And since you are at home anyways, why not go deep into your domestic side, right!
Baby wipes are probably one of the things you spend more money on than you’d like to. But did you know that making your own at home would cost you less than a dollar a box to make? This is a huge area to save your bucks.
Ingredients:
- 1 roll of paper towels cloth-like (I used Bounty brand)
- 2 cups of water
- 2 tablespoons liquid baby bath soap
- 1 tablespoon baby oil
- 7 to 8 cup square or round container
Instructions
- Cut paper towel roll in half with a serrated knife; a bread knife works great.
- Place one of the halves in the round or square container. Save the other half for when you are ready to make another batch.
- Boil 2 cups of water for 2 minutes.
- Add liquid bath soap and baby oil to the boiled water.
- Pour mixture evenly over paper towels.
- Pull out the cardboard core of the paper towel roll. It comes out easily once it is wet.
- Place lid on the container.
- Keep the lid securely on the container until ready to use; start by pulling the wipes from the center of the roll, and then replace the lid after each use.
- The wipes should stay wet and fresh for up to a week. If you haven’t used all of the wipes and they start to dry out, add some boiled water to refresh the roll.
Homemade Makeup Remover Wipes
We’re all about all kinds of wipes because we know in times like this (world crisis) you desperately need them, and you know the saying ‘for desperate times desperate measure.
Here is what you’ll need for that much-needed makeup remover and which makes your face come to ‘life.’
6 individual paper towels or squares of soft cloth plus 2 cups warm water, 2 tbsp. Olive oil* lifts makeup, and 2 drops tea tree oil anti-bacterial, great for skin, and prevents mold.
Now follow these simple steps.
- Place cloths or paper towels in the container.
- Combine the ingredients and pour over the cloths in their container. Shake gently to saturate.
To use: - wipe face gently with a homemade makeup remover cloth. Hold the cloth softly against your closed eyes for several seconds to loosen mascara before wiping. Repeat with a fresh cloth to ensure all makeup is removed.
Homemade Cleaning Wipes
What you need to do about this type of wipes is that they’re perfect for general light cleaning. If you have at-home surfaces such as granite, marble, or other natural stone surfaces — which should not be cleaned with vinegar — use the homemade disinfecting wipes instead!
Ingredients
- 36 individual paper towels or squares of cloth
- Container to hold wipes
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar, not apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup of water
- 2-3 drops liquid dish detergent
- 15-20 drops lemon or lavender essential oil (for fragrance and additional grease-cutting power)
Now follow these simple steps
- Place cloths or paper towels in the container.
- Combine ingredients and pour over the towels in their container. Shake gently to saturate.
Remember, these wipes are not great for granite, marble, or other natural stone surfaces.
Which essential oils have disinfecting properties?
- Tea tree
- Lavender
- Geranium
- Lemon
- Orange
- Eucalyptus
- Rosemary
- Cinnamon
- Clove
- Thyme
- Peppermint
With COVID being a part of our daily lives, what about learning how to make Homemade Hand Sanitizer with Fresh Aloe Vera.