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Disinfecting wipes are fabulous for scrubbing away grime and killing germs but they can also do a number on your wallet. In an effort to cut back on cost and chemicals I found and a DIY Homemade Disinfecting Wipes Recipe. This is an old recipe from back before DIY was an acronym and when “do it yourself” was a way of life. I found this recipe in an old, nearly falling apart, recipe book a church put together decades ago. My mom gave it to me a few years back and I can’t remember where she told me she got it from. The front cover is torn off so I can’t even read what church it was from. I love old tried and true recipes, don’t you?
Now on with the wipes!
Supplies:
– A large size old disinfecting wipes container {or you could use a storage container with a hole cut in the top as the book suggests – I’ll take the easy route!}
– Electric knife {or any fancy saw of your choosing}
– Roll of paper towels
– Pine-Sol
– Measuring cups
Instructions:
– Choose a good thick paper towel that will hold up well while pulling it through the dispenser and for scrubbing purposes. My favorite for this project is the Viva Vantage paper towels. They’re strong, stretchable, and they’ll get the job done.
– Leave the paper towel plastic wrapper on if you bought the individual rolls, if not, you can skip this step, it’s no big deal. Use the electric knife to cut your paper towels in half {horizontally}. Remove the wrapper if applicable and sit your roll down inside the empty disinfecting wipes container.
– Mix 1/2 cup of Pine-Sol and 2 1/2 cups of water.
– Pour your cleaning solution to fill your wipes container and allow to soak overnight.
– Remove the lid and carefully pull out the cardboard tube from the center of your wipes. Now find the center paper towel where the tube had been and carefully pull that up and thread it through the lid of the container.
UPDATE: If you want a natural homemade disinfecting wipe recipe you can try this recipe that our reader Lorrie so kindly recommended.
Instead use 1 cup vinegar, 15 drops of oregano oil, and 1 tsp dish soap. Add water to the mix (about 1 1/2 cups depending on the container size, and pour over your towels.
With all the cleaning power that rubbing alcohol has been discovered to have lately it might be a good idea to substitute some of that water with rubbing alcohol.
That’s all there is to it! I hope you’ll give these homemade disinfecting wipes a try. If you do be sure and stop back by here and let me know how you liked them!
This is great. I have been looking for a recipe for homemade wipes like this.
I love this idea. I made homemade baby wipes like this when my kids were babies
That is so stinkin’ brilliant. Why haven’t I ever thought of that? Thank you, thank you!
Wow, that’s easy! I never thought about creating my own. I bet it’s far less expensive too.
What a huge money saver!!! I can’t wait to try this out.
This is such a great idea. I think I would use my all natural cleaning solution and use these paper towels! Should work the same way… hopefully.
besides saving money I would LOVE to make these! I had no idea they were so easy to make. I’m sure it’s much easier on your hands than the store bought wipes too.
What a great idea. I like using disinfecting wipes but they cost so much. I’ll have to try your idea.
I love this idea! Thanks so much for sharing!
how easy!!!! I love how easy they are and I love making things like this – that way I know exactly what is in it.
I have been making these since my children were infants, so 17 years. I make them for cleaning another recipe for baby wipes and another for car wipes. But if you are doing it to avoid chemicals, using pine-sol sort of defeats the purpose. Instead use 1 cup vinegar, 15 drops of oregano oil, and 1 tsp dish soap. Add water to the mix(about 1 1/2 cups depending on the container size, and pour over your towels. If you are in Canada, the only paper towels I have found that REALLY work are bounty. Use your imagination, and have fun! Chapman’s 2l ice cream containers are what I use. Just use a bread knife to cut the paper towel to size.
Lorrie, I am beginning to use, and recently signed-up to sell, essential oils so this recipe is one that prefer using. (Learning slowly how fantastic vinegar is as an alternative to chemical cleaners, plus, I don’t care for the smell of pine.) Thank you so much for sharing!!
I’ve made homemade cleaners and laundry detergeant, but not wipes. I’m definitely adding this to my list of things to do.
Love this recipe for disinfecting wipes. Thanks for sharing and I can’t wait to make up a batch,
I had no idea you could make your own. What a neat idea, thanks for sharing!
Awesome idea! So cost effective. I’m going to start doing this.
This is a great idea – we are always running out of cleaning wipes but they can be so expensive! Also, we’ve been using Viva for years now. Discovered them in college and now with two toddlers, we are definitely loyal to the brand as they stand up to the messes little boys can make!
LOVE the smell of PineSol more than just about anything in this world, and paid $3.19 for Clorox wipes yesterday so I am definitely gonna try this!
Fantastic idea! I make homemade wipes with essential oils so I can choose what scent I want.
This is great! So easy and simple too.
This is a great way to make your own cleaning wipes. I’m going to bookmark this page and make some soon! Thanks for sharing.
I never thought of making my own disinfectant wipes! What a way to save some money AND know for sure what’s in my wipes. I need these, like, yesterday!
I love this idea and plan on trying it so I can do some shelf cleaning and not waste extra money on expensive wipes.
Thank you.
I was introduced to your webpage from facebook and it offers a lot to learn. I am a great grandmother and still learning new ideas. Love it!
Paper towels? I use light weight dish towels I get used from the laundry service. At $8 for 50 good, clean, all cotton towels that I can wash and reuse I see no point in paper towels. Use a plastic storage box with a tight fitting lid and you can have bigger and better reusable wipes. The towels work for several years and save the trees! Just pour your solution over them and take them out one at a time. If you use too much solution just wring it out back in the box.
What is the purpose of the oregano oil? Thank you
So you have been making your own wipes since 2014?
I’ve made them several times since then, yes. We’re also big fans of soap and water. I can share my whole cleaning arsenal if you’re interested.