Quit single use cleaning wipes & learn how to make these simple reusable cleaning wipes in this video!
This is the part of my new series The Upcycle Project – where I teach you how to reuse and upcycle old clothes after decluttering your wardrobe. In other words, it’s a series on what to do with the items you cannot sell or donate but still may want to revert from going into landfill.
You might or might not know that the 99.9% anti-bacterial cleaning wipes out there might not be the best for your health. For example, both Lysol and Clorox scores a D in the EWG-database, and even ‘greener’ brands such as Seven Generations actually also scored a D.
Find out more about why anti-bacterial products might not be a good idea here: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/clusters/Fallon/oppfaq.htm#make_sick
On top of that, it’s really really wasteful to use a wipe and then just throw it away in the trash. If that wasn’t enough single-use wipes are also very expensive in the long run. Therefore, the DIY reusable wipes which I’m sharing with you today are such a great replacement to single-use wipes if you want to save money, improve your health, and reduce waste.
To make your reusable wipes you will need:
1 cup distilled or filtered water
1/2 cup Vinegar
1/4 cup Rubbing Alcohol
A repurposed quart-sized glass jar with a tight-fitting lid
12 drops lavender essential oil
10 drops lemon essential oil
10 drops tea tree essential oil
Old textiles – I used my old flannel pj’s and a tea towel
Pinking sears
You might need to adjust the ratio depending on what textiles you use!
‼️ PLEASE NOTE ‼️ I DO NO LONGER USE CASTILE SOAP! In the video above I used a few drops of Castile soap, but I do no longer add this to my solution. This is because it is base and shouldn’t be mixed with any acids such as vinegar or lemon juice. This causes the soap to be “unsaponified” which means that the vinegar reduces the Castille soap back out to its original oils and you will end up with an oily, curdled white mess.
For the essential oils, I decided to go for lavender as its anti-infectious, anti-septic, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial. I decided also to go for lemon essential oil as it’s a powerful cleansing agent that purifies the air and surfaces and it’s used commonly as a non-toxic cleaner throughout the home. I also decided to use tea tree oil as it is anti-infectious, anti-septic and anti-viral and anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal.
⚠️ CAUTION! ⚠️ Do NOT use lemon and/or vinegar if you have a granite surface as it can cause etching over time. Here is a link to an all-natural granite spray recipe that I found at the blog Natures Nurture – which you could use as a replacement to the solution used in this video.
For the textiles I decided to use my old flannel PJs and an old tea towel. You can also use old t-shirts, baby washcloths, towels, receiving blankets etc.
For this project, I decided to cut out 17 x 17-cm squares. The flannel PJs were already cut out into squares as such I just used pinking shears to pink the edges to prevent them from fraying.
The cut-out edges I will use for another project (floor pillows stuffed with fabric scraps) as such I will put them aside and save them for that project.
It’s time to mix!
Start by adding 1 cup of distilled or filtered water to the glass jar. Then add a 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol to the jar.
Now it’s time to add the essential oils. I used approximately 12 drops of lavender essential oil, 10 drops of lemon essential oil, and 10 drops of tea tree oil. Make sure to stir well to combine.
Now it’s time to add the pieces of fabric to the jar. Make sure to press the cloths down properly to make sure they are submerged into the liquid and are absorbing all of the solution.
Once you fill-up the jar put a lid on and flip it upside down to ensure all the pieces of cloths are perfectly moist. Now the cleaning wipes are ready to be used! The only thing to bear in mind is to just store them out of daylight to not lose the properties of the essential oils. A perfect place to store them with easy access whilst also keeping them out of daylight is under the sink.
Use as needed for quick cleanups!
Pin it for later 💗
Please leave a comment below and let me know if you have made your own reusable cleaning wipes and/or if you’re planning to make some for yourself! I would love to hear from you how you find using your DIY reusable cleaning wipes!
