Are you guilty of relying on packaged, disposable kitchen wet wipes? Are you looking for more eco-friendly ways to keep your house clean? Well, today I've got the perfect DIY solution! Five minutes is all it takes for a greener alternative that's just as convenient.
First, let's look at the ingredients of a popular disinfecting wipe on the market:
- Water, Substrate, Hexoxyethanol, Alkyl C12-18 Dimethylbenzyl Ammonium Chloride, Alkyl C12-14 Dimethylethylbenzyl Ammonium Chloride, C12-14 Alcohols Ethoxylated Propoxylated, Citric Acid, d-Limonene, Fragrance, Isopropanol, Sodium Bicarbonate
The ingredients shown in bold are known allergens and respiratory irritants! (according to Environmental Working Group) Yikes!
Now, let's think about just how many single use cloths and plastic packages you'd be throwing away using these wipes on the regular. Yikes again!
Thankfully, there are options. Using natural castille soap and pure (antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral) tea tree essential oil, these DIY kitchen wipes are easy, effective and safe for all members of your household. Give the recipe below a try and let us know what you think!
DIY kitchen wipes
You will need:
- 1 airtight glass container
- 6-8 kitchen cloths
- 2 cups filtered or distilled water (*see note)
- 1 tablespoon liquid castille soap (I'm using Dr. Bronners)
- 10 drops tea tree essential oil
Method:
- Gather your materials
- Pour the filtered/distilled water in to your glass jar
- Add the castille soap and tea tree oil and stir
- Roll up your kitchen cloths / cloth wipes / paperless towels and stand them on end inside the jar.
- Close the lid tightly and give the jar a shake. Let sit for a bit before using so that the cloths can get fully saturated.
- To use: remove a cloth, squeeze out excess liquid and wipe away! Rinse if desired.
*Notes:
- Always use filtered or distilled water. If using filtered water, be sure to use your wipes within one week to prevent bacteria growth. If you want to store your cleaning solution for longer, use distilled water.
- I used washi tape and a waterproof marker to put the recipe right on my jar!
