Homemade disinfecting wipes is a simple cheap way to make kitchen wipes at home! I recommend not using bleach in a solution like this. Thank you in advance! Add rags or clothes to your plastic jar with lid. THANKS AGAIN, 8-3-20……….BE SAFE…. I may or may not have tried this once to clean my shower. Just follow these simple instructions. It did create strong fumes. If you have difficulty accessing any content, feature or functionality on our website or on our other electronic platforms, please call us at 1-800-227-1860 so that we can provide you access through an alternative method. Given that we mix this product down with water anyway, what would you suggest as a ingredients adjustment? I read regularly for needs and research. You can continue to use it, I would just make sure to mix it up well. According to The Clorox Company, water is one of the main ingredients in their wipes. I never said rubbing alcohol does disinfect but doesn’t. Just keep the ratios the same. !THE LEMON OIL I USE IS THE LEMON AROMATHERAPY OIL!! You can dry it with a towel if you want, but it will I usually buy my Clorox wipes at Costco, and the 5 pack lasts me many months, so I can see this version of the homemade solution being less than ideal for me. It will add a little acid to the mix, not anything else. I add some castor oil to my hands when they are really dry. In a bowl, mix together water, rubbing alcohol, Dawn, and lemon essential oil. I’ve also worked with this brand along with other brands and visited their labs to learn about ingredients. Readers have been most concerned about the fragrance and ammonium chloride. Then fill your jar with the washcloths. I never comment on blog posts, but came to your website to look up some information. I have awful water where I live and everything comes out of my dishwasher with a thick, nasty, white film dried onto it. Pour the cleaning mix into the jar over the washcloths. One of my favorite things to do as a chemist is examine cleaning ingredients, then match them up to make a homemade solution. I usually just wipe my counters and let it air dry. If you want this to be like it comes from the store, add just enough liquid to cover everything Check out photos below for photos of each one. Use paper towels, rubbing alcohol or Everclear and vinegar to make this alternative to Lysol or Clorox wipes. Make your own with stuff you already have on hand! There is minimal suds to achieve results. It will still take about 2 weeks to infuse the lemon even if you puree it. This post may contain affiliate links. Here is the thing, when you make homemade solutions, you have to create something that is SAFE for surfaces. Hi Cassia! We have it noted in directions if you are using anything concentrated. Once the alcohol dilution is 70% or higher (or close to), it kills germs. With quartz and some marbles, you want to use diluted oil based soaps (like dish soap). You have to use one or the other. Follow on Facebook | Bloglovin | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Hometalk. NO SUGAR IS IN IT, ALL THAT IS IN THE INGREDIENCE IS ; WATER, LEMON JUICE CONCENETRATE AND LESS THAN 2% OF: LEMON OIL, SODIUM BENZOATE AND SODIUM METABISULFITES (PRESERVATIVE), CONTAINS SULFATES. We are simply using dishwashing liquid which is a great surfactant. Hello! We answer questions like mixing bleach and dawn, etc. You cannot control stability with homemade solutions because they don’t contain preservatives, so please keep this in mind. I would decrease the soap a little for easier spraying, Thank you for the recipe. Learn how your comment data is processed. If you have breathing issues, those are both items you can’t use. It increases the acidity making it not safe for all surfaces. Would you recommend this in the mix? This will keep it from being as strong at disinfecting. To meet CDC requirements, you would need to use all rubbing alcohol and eliminate the water completely. Take good care. This is safe for ALL surfaces (this is why water is added)! You cannot use ammonia with isopropyl alcohol at home because it is dangerous. It means you must spray a surface with isopropyl alcohol, then follow up with a homemade cleaner. PLEASE scroll down a few paragraphs for a breakdown on ingredients plus how to disinfect. The other benefit of using the lemon infused alcohol is you aren’t getting high levels of acidity which makes it safe for all surfaces. You are welcome to use grapefruit or any other citrus you have on hand. Cleaning and disinfecting are two different things. How much is a little bit of citric acid? Question. Lately can find a 50% version (for twice the previous cost but at least it smells like Isopropyl should, you know?) Questions AND ANSWERS! You don’t need much at all to get the benefits of this. Remember there is a difference between cleaning and disinfecting. Mix the ingredients and pour over the rags. I chose NOT to add ammonia to this solution so it would be more user friendly and safer for handling. Hi, interesting info, thanks for taking the trouble to post it. Thanks Alexis I just love your PROFESSIONAL WISDOM…..and assisting us with a more natural way of cleaning….. People like you make my research loving personality happy. It isn’t as stable or cleans as well as rubbing alcohol. Readers have asked if they can use citric acid in place of the lemon infused alcohol. On their list you will also find: Hexoxyethanol, Alkyl C12-18 Dimethylbenzyl Ammonium Chloride, Alkyl C12-14 Dimethylethylbenzyl Ammonium Chloride , and C12-14 Alcohols Ethoxylated Propoxylated (using dishwashing liquid instead). They are not safe to use on marble, such as marble countertops. How to Clean Rust Stains Off Of A Stainless Steel Sink, 10 Organizing Secrets – Easy Organizing Ideas. If you are using a concentrated dish soap, make sure to use a much smaller amount. You only need a few ingredients for homemade Clorox wipes. DIY Disinfectant or Clorox Wipes. Just use a little less if you want less suds. Wow! BE SAFE WE NEED YOU . Again, this is why homemade cleaners are mixed with other ingredients to make sure they are safe for all surfaces over a long period of time. It makes the perfect base for homemade cleaners. I only recommend using this type of alcohol if it is all you can find. I, like everyone else, is finding it impossible to get these, so I’d really like to roll my own, but trying as close as possible to be faithful to the original formula, as it seems to work great for me, especially in cleaning which is what my main use was, before the pandemic that is. It can create unhealthy fumes. CHaun, This uses lemon infusion from the rinds which doesn’t contain the acids in lemon juice. I juice the lemons and use it for cooking and putting on fish. We used single-ply wipes for diapering with good luck, but prefer two-ply wipes … Stop saying it disinfects, but it doesn’t, but it does….. Be sure you read this post on cleaning vs disinfecting so you can learn how to clean surfaces, then disinfect properly. Any suggestions? Now I’d like to have the disinfecting aspect as well. I use bronners Castile soap because I have that on hand, and lemon-infused vodka, again because I already have that made up. How does one make lemon infused alcohol? The only home solution that can do this is rubbing alcohol. , Can you use tea tree oil, and how much citric acid is a little bit, You can use tea tree oil. It adds just enough alkalinity to this solution to enhance the cleaning effect. It disinfects right away, so it doesn’t need to stay wet for a certain time. They are called Clorox as a brand name This homemade version disinfects really well just like the store-bought version. Just make sure the lid is air tight . See more ideas about Household hacks, Diy cleaning products, Cleaning hacks. For cleaning, adding in the 50% alcohol and doubling the amount will work fine And definitely the PINK fabric works best!!! CAN THIS LA BE SUB FOR ANY OF YOUR CLEANING PRODUCTS? I really appreciate hearing that I hope you are doing well and have a good week. Do I still need to add the lemon essential oil? Thanks in advance and stay well. a lot. Here is the link. This solution lasts for about a month. We have marble countertops in our bathroom & have to be very careful about this. Thanks! If using this on glass ( like a stovetop) I wipe with a microfiber to make it shiny . You can use it as a spray, wipes, or whatever you are able to find. The thing about most DIY clorox wipes, is they are missing some important ingredients that will make it more like store-bought. It doesn’t go bad, but it can separate after about a month. You can find more information on it in this post. Just keep adding clothes as you run out, then create a new batch each month. The BEST Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe, How To Make Bone Broth – Bone Broth Recipe, What to Do When Adult Children Won’t Leave Home, 4 Easy Ways To Save Money On Groceries Before You Leave Home, After Valentine’s Day Sales And Flower Tips, to say vinegar totally disinfects as well as bleach is not true at all. If so, how much should I add? Let the paper towels soak in the solution for 12 hours, then pull out the softened cardboard tube in the center of the roll. When it comes to disinfecting, we recommend not using ethanol. Hope this helps , Okay thank you!!! Verb Energy Bars For a Healthy Afternoon Pick Me Up! The soap is the surfactant which is the extra cleaning action, so reducing it is okay . I CANNOT EAT/DRINK ACIDIC FRUIT SO IF I CANNOT SQUEEZE THE JUICE INTO THE PEELS I’ll just have to throw it away….Sorry for being not knowledgeable but I have to be very frugal now and buying a dozen lemons where I cannot use all of it is wasteful to me….BOY OH BOY ALEXIS…DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER REUSEABLE WIPES RECIPE WITH LESS EXPENSIVE INGREDIENCE. Tip: You can easily double the recipe to meet the needs of your jar. Or do they sanitize? Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. We have accidentally set things down, or splattered lemon-scented cleanser, from the sink, onto the countertop & those splatters have etched the mat Le & it is permanent. The only way to be sure of disinfecting is to use pure isopropyl alcohol. So I am in the same boat as the previous person. I really appreciate this science-based site. So kind of you to answer every question even though many of them were just repeated in different words. You can also just use paper towels and dispose of them when finished! We have had so many questions about this. There is a 151 proof rum; that is 75.5% ethanol. The only problem is that once you get used to wiping everything clean with wipes … You can use microfiber, wash clothes, old T-shirts, or anything else you have on hand. I rinsed it immediately and googled it. Do to our current situation we disinfectant a lot with me being pregnant. One last question I have is about the material they are made of. Allow your wipes to soak in the bleach solution for 5 minutes before using. Dry on it’s own soon after using and you can throw it right into washing machine after use. I would like to use this but am having a hard time finding the lemon products…… Anything acidic, such as lemon, or even vinegar, cannot be used on marble. We have a post from a few years ago dedicated to some information about using drinking alcohol vs rubbing alcohol for cleaning. Copyright ©2021, Chemistry Cachet. Thank you Alexis for your researvh, sharing, attention to detail, and clarity. Thank you and keep up the good work!! I cannot stress this enough. 7 Convenient Uses For Emery Boards Or Nail Files. !IS THAT WRONG TOO….HELP ME, Hi Sandy, the lemon infused alcohol is homemade. Yes, they are a great deal disinfectant. If you pop over to SmartLabel, you can quickly see the ingredients most of their basic wipes contain. Exclusive recipes and tips straight to your inbox each month! There is A LOT going on with water too. For many, Clorox® disinfecting wipes or Lysol® sprays are used on a daily basis with the promise to keep your family “healthy.” But what is the tradeoff, and what other harmful chemicals and … Saying it cleans well doesn’t mean it disinfects. As another reader pointed out, this amount of diluted alcohol does NOT disinfect, AT ALL. Saturate and Cover the Wipes . It is also found in lemon essential oil. The main question I have, seeing as I don’t have a problem using ammonia, is that I’d like to replicate their formula as close to exact as possible. Cut a roll of Bounty paper towels in half, and remove the cardboard tube. Lemon oil is really the best option for this time of mix and has the added antimicrobial benefit. does the alcohol act as a preservative, which is what keeps it from going bad? This is the most stable solution. I have 100% IPA wipes 800 pieces per bag, to dilute this wipes to make it 70% can I just infuse those lemon water plus all the other ingredients you have mentioned in the recipe? Inexpensive Homemade Clorox Wipes. Please wash your hands no matter what you touch before doing anything else! Do these wipes disinfect? I have the citric acid, not the fresh lemon. I recommend not using powdered citric acid. Use an EPA-approved disinfecting solution, like 60-90% rubbing alcohol, Lysol Multi-Surface Cleaner, or Clorox Disinfecting Bathroom cleaner, to ensure your wipes effectively kill germs and bacteria. It is great! So, for traveling, it would be best to just use pure rubbing alcohol. These help support this website. Thanks for all the time you take to do this! You can add 10-12 tbsp and decrease water slightly. Again, STRAIGHT alcohol or high percentage alcohol works WITHOUT water or very little water….NOT this recipe. Love, love, this. They do have similar properties, but I have found the lemons to be stronger. For your dishwasher, have you tried any type of heavy duty dishwashing pods? If you choose to pack it tight, the clothes will actually soak up most of the liquid, so just make a fresh batch when you refill it. No problem! Thinking of using more water perhaps. Oh, I also use crocheted scrubby washcloths and they aren’t completely covered with the solution, but they have completely soaked it up. You have to take all this in to account which is why the original solution does not use straight rubbing alcohol. . Chemistry Cachet is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. It is tiring to read so many comments that ask fir information that you clearly explain in your posts and recipes and explain reasoning for and against using various ingredients and methods. To make effective homemade Lysol wipes or Clorox wipes that will truly disinfect, the liquid disinfecting solution needs to be at least 70% alcohol according to the CDC. You can use hydrogen peroxide on your hands if you can’t use alcohol wipes. Making your own disinfectant wipes is ridiculously easy. Keep them coming. The other ingredients just enhance the cleaning power, but they aren’t needed for homemade solutions!