Do you buy disposable cleaning wipes? I used to all the time, but then I started thinking better of it. Even the ones that are compostable aren’t the greatest. I’d rather have a product I can reuse.
Why Disposable Wipes Aren’t Ideal
Three reasons:
- Not Environmentally-Friendly: paper products are thrown away so often. They can be replaced with a reusable alternative and we can keep our houses clean and put less in the landfills.
- Harmful Side Effects: Many of the store-bought brands we’re familiar with contain toxic chemicals with harmful side effects. For example, Clorox wipes contain ingredients that can cause respiratory problems and Lysol wipes also have risks for respiratory and cancer. No thanks. Check out the Environmental Working Group’s guide to Healthy Cleaning to learn more about the products you’re cleaning with.
- Financially Wasteful: They might seem cheap if you’re buying a container at a time, but let’s assume you like your home very clean and you buy the bigger canisters to save on money. They cost about $8. So if you buy one of those a month you’re looking at $86/year for something you throw in the trash.
How do you feel about that? I feel crappy about it, so I decided to make my own cleaning wipes with a non-toxic cleaner that will make my house smell lovely. If you’d like to do the same, grab the supplies below and follow the steps.
Cleaning Wipes Supplies
I got the cloths and sponges at Family Dollar for $4 and spent about $25 dollars on everything. That’s much better than $86, right?
- thin cleaning cloths
- microfiber cleaning cloths
- sponges
- Castile Soap (citrus scented)
- Glass jars with lids
I got a small jar for the bathroom wipes and a large jar for the microfiber cloths and sponges. You can use whatever sizes work best for you.
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Step 1: Fill your jars with water
Take your jars to the sink and fill them about halfway with warm water.
Step 2: Mix in the Castile Soap
Check your bottle the recommended dilution for the size of jar you have. Then mix the soap with the water and stir.
Step 3: Add the Cloths
Fold your cloth set to a size that will fit in your jar and squeeze them in!
There you go. 5 minutes later you have your very own REUSABLE cleaning wipes. When there’s a mess to clean up, or you’re just tiding and wiping everything down, take a sponge or cloth, do your thing and throw the cloth in the laundry when you’re finished.
For the sponges you have two options:
- throw it in the dishwasher
- microwave it
I’m not kidding! You can microwave your sponges. I learned this recently and it’s changed everything.
Give it a go and let me know what you think! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
By the way, I know it’s been a while since we talked. I’m sorry 🙁 But you’ll be happy to know I’m back in action. I have a ton of great projects planned out for the rest of the year and I’m excited to craft with you regularly again! Thanks for not giving up on me. You’ll see some great changes coming soon. Stay tuned. Talk soon!
