A few weeks ago, I shared my recipe for DIY laundry detergent. (Yes, I’m still making this detergent and loving the clean, soft clothes…and the money I save!) My success with this homemade household cleaner got me thinking, “What other cleaning products can I make myself?”
That’s when I came across this idea for homemade cleaning wipes on Pinterest. I love cleaning wipes. They’re a quick and easy way to handle spills on the kitchen counter…and a great way to cheat when you have to clean your bathroom fast!
What I don’t love is the waste and expense of the leading consumer brand. That’s why this idea from One Good Thing makes perfect sense. Reduce waste and expenses, recycle old T-shirts (as well as the old cleaning wipes container), and re-use the cleaning wipes themselves. What could be better?
Here’s how to make cleaning wipes at home:
Step 1: Cut up old T-shirts. I found that by cutting 4 rectangles from the front of my husband’s old T-shirts and another 4 from the back, I could make about 8 wipes per shirt. I cut up 3 T-shirts for a total of 24 wipes.
Step 2: Mix up the cleaning solution. All you need is:
1 cup water
¼ cup rubbing alcohol
2 Tbs. Dawn dishwashing liquid
2 Tbs. ammonia (optional)
Stir ingredients together in a small bowl.
Step 3: Place cloth rectangles in an old cleaning wipes container. (A baby wipes carton also works nicely.) Then cover the wipes with the cleaning solution. I find it works best to put a few wipes in the container at a time, pour enough solution to cover them, add a few more wipes and continue until you fill the container.
Note: I like my wipes really moist, so I made a double batch of cleaning solution for all 24 cloths.
Step 4: Drop the used wipes in the washing machine, not the trash can! Whenever you’ve finished your cleaning job, just throw the wipes in the laundry hamper. Wash with any load you like, and they’re ready to go. I don’t even fold mine. I just toss them in this cute little tin on my laundry room shelf as soon as I pull them from the dryer:
Hi Mary Jane, I have been using your homemade laundry detergent and love it! I will be trying your homemade cleaning wipes next. Do you have a remedy for bringing faded black clothing back to a bit brighter state?
Thanks!
Jane
Hi, Jane. Glad you’re enjoying the homemade products. I have never personally tried to restore faded black clothes. Some quick research on the web revealed some ideas, such as adding vinegar to the rinse cycle, adding some salt to the wash cycle, or adding coffee to the rinse cycle. Hmmm. Aside from the coffee, the basic idea is that the vinegar or salt will remove any residue that is clouding the dark colors. If actual fading has occurred, the only solution I could find is to dye the fabric using the dye you can purchase in the laundry aisle.
This is great!!! I’m going to make these! Thanks for the idea!!!
I would like to try this, but I don’t have Dawn brand dishsoap. Just wondered if I could use either Palmolive or Gain brand of dishsoap instead?
Hi, Sarah. I would think that any brand of dishwashing soap would work. I personally like the way Dawn suds up when I wash dishes (might have something to do with hard/soft water), but my mother-in-law swears by Palmolvive! 🙂 If that’s what works best in your house, give it a shot! I think the idea is to get a bit of degreasing, sudsing power in the wipe. I will say that I have recently cut back to just a few squirts of dishwashing liquid instead of the 2 Tbs. mentioned here, because I use it on all kinds of surfaces, and it was sudsing up too much. That’s the beauty of a homemade recipe…you can make adjustments to suit your cleaning needs and preferences. Good luck! 🙂