It is true that the disposable cleaning wipes that we buy in supermarkets are convenient for cleaning.
The problem is that they contain chemicals and that they are really expensive.
Fortunately, there is an easy and economical alternative:homemade cleansing wipes!
Homemade wipes are easy to make and inexpensive.
In addition, you choose the household products they contain. So, no more chemicals!
You can use these homemade wipes to clean the kitchen, the bathroom or even to wash the windows.
The only big drawback is that they are as disposable as those found on the market. Remember to use them SAVINGLY to avoid increasing your waste.
To make 100% reusable wipes, read our tip here.
- 1 plastic container with a lid of about 250 ml. The ideal is a cylindrical container or a tall plastic box.
- 1 roll of double or triple-ply paper towels made from recycled paper if possible.
- homemade household products . See our cleanser recipes below.
- 1 drill and 1 drill bit 10-12 mm.
- 1 large kitchen knife.
- 1 graduated glass.
In your garage or workshop, place a piece of wood under the lid of the container.
Using the drill, drill a hole of about 10-12 mm in right in the middle of the lid.
For best results, buy a good quality paper towel.
If you use cheap paper towels, it may tear when you pull on it.
In addition, the paper towels of good quality is more conducive to cleaning and more resistant to cleaning surfaces.
Using your kitchen knife, cut the roll in half.
Be patient, it may take up to 2 min to cut through the paper and the cardboard tube!
Once done, put 1 roll in the plastic container. Keep the 2nd roll as a refill.
Using the measuring cup, slowly pour the cleaning product onto the paper towel roll. See below for our homemade cleanser recipes.
Close the lid of your box to let the paper absorb the product.
Wait at least 4 hours (the best is to wait a whole night).
Open the container and remove the cardboard roll in the middle.
This is the only "delicate" part of the fabrication.
Pull gently on the paper towel.
But be careful:pull on the INNER part roll (where the cardboard tube was).
Pass the paper through the hole in the lid, and close the box with the lid.
There you go, now you know how to make your own cleansing wipes :-)
To use your wipes, simply pull the wipe out of the lid.
As a general rule, you need between 50 to 100 cl of cleaning product for your container of homemade cleaning wipes.
It depends on the size and absorbency of the paper towel you have chosen.
The following recipes produce approximately 75 cl of cleaning product.
Depending on your needs, you can increase or decrease quantities.
- 30 cl of white vinegar
- 30 cl of water
- 5 to 10 cl of disinfectant
- 50 to 60 cl of water
- 10 cl alcohol at 90°
- 60 cl of water
- 1 tablespoon of white vinegar
For a pleasant fragrance and a personal touch, add 2-3 drops of your essential oil favorite.
Lavender essential oil is particularly pleasant and has a relaxing effect.
Over time, the wipes may dry out slightly. If so, add a little water or cleaning product of your choice.
But don't forget to wait a bit for the wipes to absorb the liquid well (between 4 hours and overnight).
Depending on your household chores, you can also vary the power of your cleaning product.
Add more cleaner for a stronger wipe.
For a gentler clean, use less product (or cut it with water).
Even though these wipes are homemade, they end up in the trash after their first and only use. Not very green!
In comparison, traditional household cleaners generate about 1.2 kg of waste per year per person compared to 23 kg for disposable wipes!
In short, disposable wipes create 20 times more waste than conventional cleansers.
So it's better to make reusable wipes that we told you about here.
As soon as possible, consider using a sponge with a natural cleaning product instead of a disposable wipe.
Consider replacing the wipes with a sponge, as this is just as effective and creates a lot less waste.
You can save disposable wipes for big grease stains or really dirty places around the house.
Most of the equipment you need can be found at the supermarket .
To buy now, we recommend these products (click on the link):
- round plastic food box
- premium paper towel
- graduated glass
- 90% alcohol
- organic lavender essential oil
