DIY Sanitizing Wipes

Between the end of flu season and the corona virus, everyone is wondering what they can do to stay healthy. One thing we should all be doing is sanitizing surfaces that are touched frequently. From door handles and knobs to countertops and toys sanitizing wipes are a must.

But the wipes you buy at the store are expensive and bad for the environment. They can also be loaded with chemicals and fragrances you don’t necessarily want in your home. So what can you do? Make your own! It is super easy, requires no sewing, and uses things you probably already have on hand.

Make the Wipes

Reusable wipes are super easy to make. All you need is a cloth item at the end of its life and a pair of pinking shears. Old t-shirts, dead underwear, a worn through sheet, or an old pair of socks all make great reusable wipes.

Once you have picked your fabric, just cut it into squares you feel are a good size. I’ve found I really like 8-9 inch squares (like the sort side of a piece of paper), but you may like them bigger or smaller. Don’t worry about if the sides are straight, just cut them into a good size and set them aside.

Once you have your cloth cut, consider putting the fabric squares through the wash one more time. Going through the wash will burnish the edges so the cloth doesn’t deteriorate further and clear out any tiny cut threads. This step is completely optional, so don’t do it if you don’t want to.

Pick Your Container

Just about any container will work to hold your wipes and solution. But before you choose, here are some things to consider:

• The container should be air tight so your cleaning solution doesn’t evaporate
• You probably need to be able to fit your hand in the container to grab a wipe
• Depending on where you use/ store your wipes, you may want to consider a plastic container so it doesn’t break

We use an old peanut butter jar for our wipes, but you could use anything from Tupperware to old food containers to old disposable wipes jars. Use what you have on hand that makes sense to you.

Choose Your Solution

All of the solutions below will disinfect, and you may want to make more than one of the solutions and use them in different areas. I use the food friendly version for everyday cleaning, and the lysol one once a week just to be extra sure.

Make your chosen solution in the jar you have chosen and then you are ready to clean.

Food (and Baby) Friendly

1 part distilled vinegar to one part water.

Optional: 10 drops of essential oil or citrus peels.

That’s it. Just vinegar and water. Of course you can dress it up a bit. If you want to add essential oils, good ones include: lemon, orange, tea tree, lavendar, and rosemery. All of these oils have antimicrobial properties and could give your solution a boost.

But essential oils typically aren’t good for eating. If you are going to use this solution on baby toys, I recommend leaving the oils out in favor of citrus peels. If you eat oranges or use real lemons in the kitchen this is a great hack to get the most of them. Instead of throwing the peels away, put them in some vinegar. After a week remove the peels from the vinegar and you will have a citrus scented vinegar with extra cleaning properties that is well and truly safe to drink.

Lysol

Lysol and water.

A simple one again. You can vary the strength, but be sure to follow the instructions on the bottle.

You don’t have to use lysol either. Use whatever your favorite cleaner is, but make sure to read the instructions so you don’t make the cleaning solution too concentrated.

Streak Free

This recipe is from the frugal navy wife and it is one of my favorite glass cleaners ever. You can throw it in a spray bottle for windows, or drench some wipes in it for counter tops and stainless steel.

And the recipe is: 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 cup water, 2-3 drops of dish soap.

That’s it. Super simple.

Put it All Together

At this point all you need to do is put it all together. Mix the solution in your chosen container, and then take a wipe and either dip it into the solution just before use or store some wipes in the solution for a quick grab. Wring the wipe out and use. Then throw the used wipe in the laundry to be reused.

If you choose to store the wipes in the solution, make sure to use them within a week of putting them in.

Just keep adding wipes to the solution until you run out and then make more solution.

We have small containers of reusable wipes stashed all around our house to clean up messes and disinfect things on the fly. Honestly, I can’t live without a container of wipes next to the changing table or in the kitchen.

What are your favorite cleaning hacks? Let me know in the comments below!

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