Do-It-Yourself: Homemade Cleaning Wipes

by Crystal on August 16, 2011

Homemade Ginger shows you how to make all-natural cleaning wipes.

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{ 7 comments }

Willing Cook August 16, 2011 at 9:35 am

I have a recipe for homemade baby wipes that uses paper towels. I bet the same idea would work for this. You cut a roll of paper towels in half and remove the cardboard center. Mix up the solution and place the paper towels in a sealable container to soak up all the solution. Pull an individual paper towel up from the center to use as needed.

It doesn’t cut out the paper waste but it does allow you to use a less harmful cleaning product. I might have to give this a try!

Thanks!

Amanda August 16, 2011 at 9:37 am: Nice idea

Jen Freeman August 16, 2011 at 11:04 am

Honestly, I have tried making homemade cleaning wipes using many different ideas and ways, in my opinion~none work well! The fall apart quickly and I like the antibacterial properties on store bought varieties! Just my opinion I wanted to share.

Jen August 16, 2011 at 12:57 pm: Hi Jen. Antibacterial cleaning products really aren’t good for you or the environment. Here is part of an article featured on Yahoo right now (9 Habits That Can Do More Harm Than Good):

Cleaning with disinfecting products.

While keeping your home pristine and germ-free may seem like the path to perfect health, using cleansers that boast antibacterial or disinfecting properties could have the opposite effect. “These products haven’t been proven to be any more effective than regular cleaning products, and there is significant evidence that the chemicals in these disinfecting cleansers—called quaternary ammonium compounds––can lead to asthma,” says Rebecca Sutton, PhD, senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group. Other cleaning product chemicals to avoid include 2-butoxyethanol, which the Environmental Protection Agency considers a human carcinogen and has been linked to cancer; alkylphenol ethoxylates, which can disrupt hormones; and ethanolamines, which can cause asthma. But because cleaning product companies aren’t required to list most ingredients on their product labels (you can call or go online instead), it can be tough to know what to buy. However, Seventh Generation, an eco-friendly company, clearly lists their ingredients on their labels, so that’s one option. Another, which Dr. Sutton recommends, is cleaning with a mixture of one part water and one part vinegar, or scrubbing surfaces with baking soda, both of which have natural antibacterial properties. She emphasizes that when it comes to ousting germs, the key is cleaning often and thoroughly—not blasting every surface with the harshest cleaner you can find. “Your goal should be to clean regularly,” says Dr. Sutton. “That way you’ll get rid of dirt, so there’s no place for bacteria to grow.”

I’ve also read that antibacterial products can contribute to antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. When you use those products, they don’t kill 100% of bacteria. The one’s that survive will then be resistant to that product’s active ingredient.

I believe it’s good for our immune system to be challenged, in order to keep us healthy. It’s impossible to kill every micro organism, and we shouldn’t want to!

Just thought you might want to research the harm that antibacterial and disinfecting products can cause to human health.

Elias August 16, 2011 at 3:24 pm

Thanks for sharing! I”m going to see if I can find this product locally or maybe I can find an alternative at our organic/health food store. I like the idea of putting it in a spray bottle and then using the cloths to wipe down.

Ann August 16, 2011 at 6:42 pm