DIY reusable disinfectant wipes will save you money and reduce waste

Emerald Pellot
·2 min read

Disinfectant wipes can come in handy when you’re giving your home a thorough cleaning. But they can also be super wasteful.

If you’ve got roommates or kids, there’s likely no shortage of messes. Grabbing a disinfectant wipe is a great way to quickly clean up a spill or sanitize a kitchen surface. However, it’s easy to go overboard with the product, which isn’t exactly environmentally friendly (the wipes are not compostable) or economical.

In The Know’s Phoebe Zaslav has the perfect solution. These four-ingredient reusable disinfectant wipes are a lifesaver.

“Let’s talk about disinfectant wipes,” Phoebe says. “They’re usually a tub of 75 wipes or so, and if you live with a lot of roommates, like me, that tub may last you about a week. That’s a lot of wasteful wipes!”

You’ll need:

  • 64-ounce glass jar with screw-on lid

  • 2 cups rubbing alcohol (70%)

  • 2 to 3 teaspoons dish soap

  • 10 to 15 drops essential oil

  • Small washcloths

  • Medium-size bowl

“It’s so so so important, in fact, it’s absolutely necessary, that the rubbing alcohol you use is 70% or higher,” Phoebe adds. “Anything less than 70% would be ineffective and would not kill germs the way disinfectant wipes are supposed to.”

What to do:

1. First, decide what size you want your wipes to be. You can cut your washcloths in half if you want smaller ones.

2. Place the cloths into the glass jar.

3. Combine the wet ingredients in your bowl and mix them together.

4. Next, pour the cleaning solution into the jar over the washcloths. Close the lid and you’re done!

“The best part about this DIY is that it’s a hack that lives on,” Phoebe says. “Once you’ve used all your cloths, you can just throw [them] in the wash and remake your cleaning mixture and start fresh each time.”

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