Do you spend too much money on those fancy Cleaning Wipes?

by ellagrindle in Crafts

cleaning wipes wipes

We all love them. They are easy and convenient. They make cleaning up slick, but they are so expensive and full of harsh chemicals. So what can you do? Make them yourself!

Homemade cleaning wipes are just as easy and convenient, but cost significantly less and contain only the cleaning compounds you select. These wipes are easy to make, and you can make them for a variety of cleaning causes.

You will need:

cylindrical or tall square plastic food storage container, 10-cup capacity (Large Coffee Can)
extra-large roll of paper towels
cleaning compounds of your choice (recipes follow)
electric drill with 1/2-inch drill bit
electric knife
liquid measuring cups

OR if you have an empty container from a commercial cleaning wipe or baby wipe box you may be able to use that.

How to put the container together:

Place the lid of the storage container onto a piece of wood. Use the drill to make a ½ inch diameter hole in the center.

Higher quality paper towels will not shred when pulled through the hole, so look for thicker quilted towels in order to have a better cleaning wipe experience. Using the electric knife and keeping the paper towels wrapped in their wrapper, cut the paper roll in half; making two shorter rolls. This will take a few minutes, as you need to cut through all the paper towels and the cardboard tube inside. Set one half aside for a later use or a different cleaning solution.

Now remove the wrapper and place one half inside the storage container. Slowly pour one type of cleaning solution over the top of the paper towel roll. You will use between two and four coups of the solution depending upon the size and absorbency of the towels you selected. Once saturated, place the lid on and allow the towels to soak for at least four hours, overnight is better.

Once well saturated, gently remove the cardboard tube from the roll and discard it. Carefully pull the end of the paper towels from the INSIDE of the roll up and thread it through the hole in the lid. Replace the lid.

Pull gently on the exposed end to separate the cleaning wipe.

As these sit around, they may begin to dry out. You can always add a little water or cleaning solution when needed to soften them up. If you add cleaning solution, do let them stand overnight before using.

Vary the strength of the cleaning solution by adding more water for a milder solution or more cleaning compounds for a stronger solution.

Happy Cleaning!

General Recipes: