With all the flu and illnesses that have been passed around this year, it’s important to keep your surroundings as germ-free as possible. Having disposable disinfecting wipes handy makes the job easier. And yes, you can make your own disinfecting wipes.
And what mom hasn’t at some point run out of baby wipes? Have plenty on hand, and for far less money, by making your own.
Here are tips to get you started:
- Buy nice, thick, and strong paper towels so they don’t fall apart when wet. You’ll still save money over the store-bought wipes.
- Remove the cardboard inside by tearing the spiral and rolling it up with a pencil. Or try pinching the cardboard into a long fold, and pulling. Removing the tube is the hardest part, so be creative.
- Don’t use the wipes as baby wipes, unless you replace the disinfectant solution with a gentle cleanser made specifically for babies. See our recipe below.
Make Your Own Disinfecting Wipes:
- Cut a roll of Bounty paper towels in half, and remove the cardboard tube.
- Find an old 5-quart ice cream bucket, storage container, or an empty large canister of commercial wipes to store your wipes. Just make sure it’s airtight.
- Cut an “X” at the top. This is optional since you can just open the container and pull one out.
- In your airtight container, mix 1-1/2 cups water and 1/2 cup of cleaners such as Lysol or Mr. Clean Anti-Bacterial.
- Place 1 half-roll of paper towels inside and seal with lid.
- Turn upside down until all the liquid is absorbed in paper towels.
- To use, pull each piece of paper towel out of the center.
- If they become dried out, add more of your diluted cleaning solution.
Make Your Own Baby Wipes:
Using the technique above, substitute this recipe for the disinfectant.
- 2 cups of hot water
- 1/2 cup of aloe vera
- a few drops of natural baby wash, Dr. Bronner’s and California Baby
- 2 drops of tea tree oil
