Anybody make their own Clorox Wipes?

[ekatiel]

So, I spend a ton of cash each month on these things (our house is on the market and we have 2 preschool boys and all their messes!). I googled how to make my own, but about 8 different "recipes" come up. I was wondering if anyone's actually done this and what recipe works best. TIA! --Katie

 

[sherry7]

Subscribing...I'd like to know too.

 

[Hannathy]

Why do they have to be Clorox wipes? I only use the Clorox spray when I have used raw chicken on the counter. wouldn't a spray bottle of something and a roll of paper towels be a heck of a lot cheaper?

I never will understand this compulsion for "wipes"

Sorry just think on a budget board you really should look at saving money.

 

[balletmom97]

Buy a pack or two of white bar towels (cheap!).

Get a small, lidded plastic container (like a large margarine container). Mix up your sanitizing solution (diluted bleach or vinegar and water). Put just enough bar towels in the solution for 24 hours of use (solution starts to break down immediately...).

Grab a fresh, wet towel for your messes, then put the used towel in a second (dedicated) collection bin. Wash when you get a full load. Refresh your sanitizing solution every day.

Hope that helps...

I'd be interested in seeing other recipes, too.

 

[sherry7]

Your post interested me, so I started reading about this. From what I've read, it seems like you want to avoid using bleach, because it starts breaking down almost immediately. It seems that Clorox Wipes actually don't have any bleach in them. I'm not sure, but I think they use a solution similar to the Clorox Anywhere spray.

Anyway, here's the best recipe I found so far, using cleaners other than bleach (recipes for disinfectant wipes, general wipes, and glass wipes):
http://www.ehow.com/how_4665329_making-own-homemade-cleaning-wipes.html

Most of the recipes agree that you should use a high quality paper towel such as Bounty. I'm definitely going to try this. I really like the convenience of the Clorox Wipes especially in the bathroom, but I'm too thrifty (i.e. cheap!) to buy them on a regular basis.

 

[ekatiel]

Why do they have to be Clorox wipes? I only use the Clorox spray when I have used raw chicken on the counter. wouldn't a spray bottle of something and a roll of paper towels be a heck of a lot cheaper?

I never will understand this compulsion for "wipes"

Sorry just think on a budget board you really should look at saving money.

I am looking at saving money. That's why I asked if anyone MADE THEIR OWN wipes. Yes, a spray bottle and paper towel will work, but I like the convience of the wipes. If I can have the convience of the wipes and spend about the same amount of money that I would on a spray bottle and paper towels, then I would like to make the wipes. The tone of your post makes me think you might need a little reminder of, "If you don't have anything nice to say. . ."

Your post interested me, so I started reading about this. From what I've read, it seems like you want to avoid using bleach, because it starts breaking down almost immediately. It seems that Clorox Wipes actually don't have any bleach in them. I'm not sure, but I think they use a solution similar to the Clorox Anywhere spray.

Anyway, here's the best recipe I found so far, using cleaners other than bleach (recipes for disinfectant wipes, general wipes, and glass wipes):
http://www.ehow.com/how_4665329_making-own-homemade-cleaning-wipes.html

Most of the recipes agree that you should use a high quality paper towel such as Bounty. I'm definitely going to try this. I really like the convenience of the Clorox Wipes especially in the bathroom, but I'm too thrifty (i.e. cheap!) to buy them on a regular basis.

Thank you so much. I was wondering if the bleach solution ones would work. The cleaner/water mixture looks like it might get the job done. I also saw a post where someone just dumped about half a bottle of the Clorox Anywhere spray onto some paper towels. It still ended up being cheaper than the wipes. I'll update if I get these made and let you guys know what works! --Katie

 

[Hannathy]

Thank you so much. I was wondering if the bleach solution ones would work. The cleaner/water mixture looks like it might get the job done. I also saw a post where someone just dumped about half a bottle of the Clorox Anywhere spray onto some paper towels. It still ended up being cheaper than the wipes. I'll update if I get these made and let you guys know what works! --Katie

And isn't that exactly what a bottle of something and a roll of paper towels is?

 

[kydisneyfans]

We usually just stock up during a BOGO sale or something similar. It's cheaper than a bottle of cleaner and paper towels that way.

 

[timzagain]

Instead of buying Clorox wipes or making my own version, I bought a sturdy spray bottle from the Garden dept at the hardware store. The bottle is filled with diluted bleach - spray and wipe down with paper towels! Does the same job as the Clorox wipes for a lot less money.

 

[SandrA9810]

You can buy 12packs of white washclothes for a couple bucks at the store. I use strickly white towels for cleaning (and all the colored ones are for baths). And because the laundry closet is off the kitchen, they get tossed into a pile until there's enough for a small load.

You can also buy painter's rags at Home Depot, a huge box for like 5$. It's excess materials from companies that make shirts and sheets. I love keeping these around for messes that just need to be thrown out. Like when the dog would puke or something. They work so much better than paper towels. And I can rinse them off till I'm done entirely, then toss them.

 

[reservations4five]

this is the one I use- HTH

"1/2 roll BOUNTY paper towels (the others turn to mush)
2 and 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup bleach

Cut BOUNTY in half with serrated or electric knife.Place cut side down in airtight container. Boil water, add bleach, pour over paper towels. Remove wet cardboard tube. To use, pull out wipes one at a time from center.

I use a Folger's plastic coffee can for my container. It's the PERFECT SIZE!! To use: fill with cold water and 1/4 cup white vinegar and let sit overnight, this removes the coffee smell."

 

[sherry7]

Thank you so much. I was wondering if the bleach solution ones would work. The cleaner/water mixture looks like it might get the job done. I also saw a post where someone just dumped about half a bottle of the Clorox Anywhere spray onto some paper towels. It still ended up being cheaper than the wipes. I'll update if I get these made and let you guys know what works! --Katie

You're welcome. Definitely let us know what you try and how it works. I'm going to try one of the recipes I linked to, as soon as I find a suitable container. I need to look in the basement and see if we have an empty plastic coffee can.

I just tried my own experiment. Yesterday, I found a dried up container of Cottonelle personal cleaning wipes, and tossed them in the trash. I just dug them out of the trash, and mixed up cup of solution (1/2 Mr. Clean anti-bacterial and 1/2 water) and poured it over them. I'm going to let it sit and soak up the solution for a couple of hours, and then try them out in the bathroom and see how they work. At the very worst, I've only wasted a 1/2 cup of Mr. Clean if they don't work.

 

[timzagain]

You can buy 12packs of white washclothes for a couple bucks at the store. I use strickly white towels for cleaning (and all the colored ones are for baths). And because the laundry closet is off the kitchen, they get tossed into a pile until there's enough for a small load.

You can also buy painter's rags at Home Depot, a huge box for like 5$. It's excess materials from companies that make shirts and sheets. I love keeping these around for messes that just need to be thrown out. Like when the dog would puke or something. They work so much better than paper towels. And I can rinse them off till I'm done entirely, then toss them.

I like the idea of the painter's rags instead of paper towels too. Depending on what you've cleaned with them, you could theoretically wash and re-use them too! Of course, if you wanted to go really low-cost, you could save the "fit-for-the-garbage" T-shirts, socks etc to use as rags!

 

[SandrA9810]

I always have the hardest time cutting up shirts and socks to use as rags (don't know what it is). But most of them are fairly worn out and gross by the time I throw them out. She can wear through a pair of socks in 6months to a year, so it's not like they're old really. I can wear socks for years before getting a hole in them or stretching them out.


And yes, I do throw painters rag in the wash too if they're not too bad. It just seems paper towels get so wasted around here, that it doesn't make any sense to keep buying them. And I hate how some people like to use 2 or 3 at a time for no reason.

 

[dunbarfamily]

Painter's rags are a great idea!

I agree with one of the pp's about having a hard time cutting up old shirts/socks/etc. I have a stack of cloth diapers that we used for the first couple of kids. They are just about thread bare and are not absorbant anymore, so we bought new ones for the next couple of kids. Anyways, I can't bare to use my cloth diapers as rags! So there they sit, under the kitchen sink, just waiting.

 

[*Seanaci*]

Instead of buying Clorox wipes or making my own version, I bought a sturdy spray bottle from the Garden dept at the hardware store. The bottle is filled with diluted bleach - spray and wipe down with paper towels! Does the same job as the Clorox wipes for a lot less money.

Ditto.

Or if you have a memebership to Sams or Costco, buy in bulk.

Personally, I agree with Hannathy on this one. I clean house every couple of weeks. And the only time I pull out the bleach or bleach spray is after I've handled raw meat on the counter tops and stove. My 2 year old has a fantastic Little Tykes table that he plays on and eats on...and even that only gets wiped down with bleach about once a week. *shrugs* Wet wash rags work just well for me when cleaning up after my little one.

But to each their own.

 

[Disney Doll]

Clorox bleach spray and paper towels clean my bathrooms. It also cleans the kitchen counters after raw chicken has been prepped there.
Window cleaner cleans just about every other wipeable surface in my house.
Occasionally I dust the wooden furnitue with Endust or one of those type of things.

My cleaning needs are actually pretty simple now that I think about it.

 

[sherry7]

You're welcome. Definitely let us know what you try and how it works. I'm going to try one of the recipes I linked to, as soon as I find a suitable container. I need to look in the basement and see if we have an empty plastic coffee can.

I just tried my own experiment. Yesterday, I found a dried up container of Cottonelle personal cleaning wipes, and tossed them in the trash. I just dug them out of the trash, and mixed up cup of solution (1/2 Mr. Clean anti-bacterial and 1/2 water) and poured it over them. I'm going to let it sit and soak up the solution for a couple of hours, and then try them out in the bathroom and see how they work. At the very worst, I've only wasted a 1/2 cup of Mr. Clean if they don't work.

Just an update...my little experiment with the dried out Cottonelle wipes turned out pretty good! I think I used a little too much liquid for the amount of wipes in the container, but I'm still satisfied. Next time, I'll follow the recipe I posted earlier in this thread using paper towels, etc.