In these days of chaos and uncertainty, it doesn’t hurt to have a few good ideas on how to pinch some pennies. For that matter, many stores are being emptied out of basic essentials by panicking masses. While some things just are not practical to make on your own, other household items can be crafted with only a few dollars worth of easily attainable supplies and a little know-how. Getting a little thrifty and crafty can make your life easier, save you some money, and help keep you and your family safe from dangerous bacteria. In this article, you’ll learn how to make homemade disposable disinfectant wipes.
Making your own disposable disinfectant wipes may not have ever occurred to you before now, but these are the kind of things that are being grabbed up in stores so fast that most people can’t get their hands on them. On the other hand, the few basic supplies you will need to make your own disinfectant wipes will be fairly easy to come by, and shouldn’t be sold out any time soon. If you’re worried that you aren’t particularly handy, don’t fret, this is extremely easy.
In this article, we will discuss a few different kinds of disposable disinfectant wipes, and we will give step-by-step instructions on how to make your own right at home.
Why Do You Need Disposable Disinfectant Wipes?
You might be asking yourself why you would even need disposable disinfectant wipes? Perhaps you’re thinking that you already have a washrag and some disinfectant spray, so what more could you need? If you have already gotten by with that old dishrag and spray for as long as you remember, it might be time to consider an alternative that is safer and better for the environment. Not only that, it will save you some money, which is always a good thing.
The old ways are not always the best ways. Let’s take the towels in your bathroom as an example. Did you know that the towels you use to dry off with after a shower can contain bacteria like E. Coli and salmonella? That is just two of the countless bacteria you might find. Even the towels you use only on your own body after you just got done cleaning yourself off in the shower are covered in potentially harmful bacteria.
If your towels are that unsanitary, imagine what must be on a dishrag that you’ve used to wipe up multiple spills and dirty counters? Thinking on that will make you want to throw that dirty rag away, and that’s exactly the point of disposable disinfectant wipes. You can use them once, then never worry about whether or not you should use them again, because you toss that one and use a fresh one every time.
Now you might be wondering why you should make your own, rather than just buying them at the store. Let’s temporarily disregard the money you’ll be saving and the fact that homemade wipes are safer for you. Disposable wipes sold in stores contain plastic fibers, making them dangerous to animals and terrible for the environment. Twenty minutes of your time can help your environment immensely.
There are so many reasons to take a little extra time to make your own cleaning and hygiene products. It will save you money, keep you safer, and protect the environment. Let’s explore a few different types of disposable wipes.
Disposable Bathroom Wipes
If you’ve made a trip to the store recently, you might have noticed that they’re a little low on sanitary products like toilet paper and flushable wipes. Perhaps you thought you’d sneak on over to the baby section and get some baby wipes instead. Well, there are two problems with that idea.
First, you’re not the only one that had that idea. Most stores are limiting the number of purchases you’re allowed on those types of products because they are becoming scarce. Second, have you ever actually looked at what flushable wipes are made of? The ingredients in baby wipes are harsh, unnecessary, and sometimes even dangerous.
Take Pampers Clean and Go wipes for example. The ingredients are Water, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Caprylic Triglyceride, PEG 40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Sodium Hydroxymethlyglycinate, Citric Acid, Fragrance
Does anyone know what Hydroxymethlyglycinate is? Most of us can’t even pronounce that word, but they expect us to put it on our skin.
There is a solution. All it takes is some heavy-duty paper towels, which are much easier to come by right now, and a few other ingredients that won’t be hard to find.
Ingredients:
1 cup of water
1 tablespoon of pure aloe vera
1 tablespoon of liquid castile soap
1 teaspoon of olive oil
The process for making the wipes is surprisingly simple:
- Cut the paper towel roll in half.
- Put one half of the roll in a plastic container of some kind. An old baby wipe container would work great, but any plastic container will do.
- Mix the ingredients from above in a bowl or cup. You can choose to add things like essential oils or vitamin e extract, but keep in mind that highly sensitive skin might be bothered by additives.
- Pour the mixture onto the paper towels, and let it soak with the lid closed for ten minutes, then flip the container and wait another ten minutes.
- Open it up and enjoy your homemade sanitary wipes.
- Remember to keep the lid closed so they won’t dry out. After you use up the first half of the roll, you can simply make a new batch with the other half. These wipes are sturdy, effective, and very safe.
Disposable Disinfectant Cleaning Wipes
We’ve discussed just how unsanitary a washrag can be after a few uses, so by now you understand the need for a safer alternative. Items that are used for cleaning and sanitation are selling out nearly as fast as hygiene items like toilet paper. Why not take the time to learn how to make your own disposable disinfectant wipes, and save yourself some frustration, as well as some money?
Furthermore, making your own wipes ensures that they will be safe and environmentally friendly. This particular recipe for disposable disinfectant wipes is only four simple ingredients. None of these ingredients are expensive or difficult to come by.
The ingredients are as follows:
1 roll of paper towels
3/4 cup of water
1/4 cup of vinegar
1/4 teaspoon of dish soap
Before we move on to the instructions, you might be asking yourself why you would want to add vinegar to something you’re going to be wiping all over your countertops and other hard surfaces. Vinegar is a natural disinfectant and bactericide. While most research states that vinegar on its own is not as effective as commercial chemicals, it is much safer and it is proven to kill most bacteria. For that matter, we aren’t using it on its own. Acetic acid is the part of vinegar that kills the germs. Most vinegar sold in stores is going to have about 5 percent acetic acid, but if you can find one with 7-12 percent, it’s going to work a lot better. These can sometimes be found in certain environmentally conscientious stores.
So here is how you’re going to turn those ingredients into disposable disinfectant wipes:
- Cut the paper towel roll in half, or in this case you can choose to leave it whole. The trick is to shop around for a container that is the right shape and size to hold a whole roll of paper towels.
- Put one half, or the whole roll, into a plastic container of some kind. A few more suggestions would be old plastic coffee containers or Tupperware.
- Mix the ingredients from above in a bowl or cup. You may choose to add more ingredients if you wish, but remember that more isn’t automatically better.
- Pour the mixture onto the paper towels, and let it soak with the lid closed for ten minutes, then flip the container and wait another ten minutes.
- Open it up and enjoy your homemade disposable disinfectant wipes.
There are many variations of this recipe. Some people use rubbing alcohol or baking soda in place of the vinegar. Some people add lemon juice. Another common idea is to add certain scented oils to spruce the mixture up and little. I do not suggest adding anything with a good smell to vinegar, because the combination usually isn’t pretty.
Final thoughts: How to make homemade disposable disinfectant wipes
Times are uncertain, and we can’t always rely on grocery stores and department stores to have everything we need to keep our homes safe and sanitary. Even if the stores were packed full of expensive products, there’s really no reason to pay more for products that are unhealthy and bad for the environment.
It’s not always people’s favorite pastime, making products that you would normally rather buy outright. After you have tried it, you may realize that making your own homemade disposable wipes and disinfectant wipes is actually cheaper, easy, safer, and better for the environment.