Homemade Disinfectant Cleaners

Homemade Disinfectant Spray Cleaner

A while back, my family and I decided to try to lessen our environmental impact while living more frugally. We have started our own family garden, started cooking meals from scratch as much as possible, and have been making our own cleaning products. Now, if you are anything like me, you are probably thinking to yourself, "I'll spend the $2.75 and buy something that I'm sure works. But, for just pennies, yes pennies, you can have a disinfectant spray cleaner that is not only green, but frugal as well.

Materials

• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. borax
• 4 Tbsp. vinegar
• 4 cups hot water

Instructions

Simply add the baking soda, borax, and vinegar in a spray bottle. You can either reuse an old spray bottle when through with it (making sure to clean thoroughly) or buy a cheap one at the dollar store for a buck. Slowly add 4 cups of hot water to dissolve all the ingredients. Put the spray nozzle on, and shake to mix ingredients.

I have used this recipe in the bathroom, outdoors, on glass, and in the kitchen, everywhere I would use our old spray cleaners, and have had fantastic results. I do not worry about spraying it near kids or pets, and I know that it is safe to use around food. That's it.

A good tip to ensure that ANYONE can mix up a new batch when you are running low is to write the "recipe" on the bottle. I have done this on all of my bottles of cleaning solutions, and even our nine year old is able to replace an empty bottle.

By happymissm from Omaha, NE

Make Your Own Disinfectant Wipes

Never buy disposable cleaning wipes again. Layer inexpensive coffee filters in a resealable container and pour in just enough multi-surface cleaner to dampen each one. Coffee filters are made with longer fibers than paper towels and will stand up to your toughest scrubbing.

Source: Women's magazine

By Anne from Green Bay, WI

Make Your Own Cleaning Wipes

I save the large can that cleaning wipes come in and then make my own. Buy a roll of good quailty paper towels. Cut them in the middle with a knife and remove the cardboard tube. Then add 2 Tbsp. of your favorite cleaner, plus 2 Tbsp. water to the can. Put the roll in the can and wait about 30 minutes. Turn them over to the other end, and that's it! Poof, a large quanity of wipes for a small price. This can also be done with baby wipes, using baby oil and water.

By Carmen from Daytona Beach, FL

Homemade Cleaning Wipes

Cut up old t-shirts into rectangles and put into an old wipes container. Add about 2 tablespoons of Dr. Bronner's soap or whatever soap you prefer. Add 1 cup of water until the shirts are moistened. Then they're ready to use. You can wash and re-use wipes. Only make enough for a week, then refill as needed.

By Tracy C. from Brockville, Ontario

Make Your Own Disinfectant Wipes

I love the disinfectant wipes you can buy (Clorox Wipes, Lysol Wipes), but they are expensive and not environmentally friendly! So, when I am making my own baby wipes and house cleaners, I take the time to make my own disinfectant wipes. Now, they do not use bleach or anything chemical, I simply use a mixture of vinegar, water and essential oils, including tea tree oil which is said to have disinfecting properties. I figure I am paying 1/16 or less of the price of one of those tubes of Clorox wipes. They are great for quick wipes, just as you would use the store-bought wipes. Here's what to do...

You will need:

• An empty wipes holder (the tube kind with the flip top), washed out well with soapy water
• A roll of Bounty paper towels
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• Tea tree essential oil
• Lemon essential oil

Cut paper towel roll in 1/2 (width-wise) with a sharp, non-serrated knife. Carefully remove the cardboard from the middle using your fingers to break it away from the paper towels. Remove the outer 1/2 of the roll by using your fingers to break apart one of the paper towels at a perforation and carefully sliding the two parts apart. Now you have two rolls. Save the outer one and you can use it as napkins or on your paper towel holder.

Pour water and vinegar in the holder and add 10 drops of tea tree oil and 6 drops of lemon oil. Mix well.

Put the inner portion of paper towels in the holder. You may have to work it in. Make sure you can get ahold of the inner-most paper towel, the one you broke the cardboard away from. This will be the piece that you can thread through the top.

Let the paper towel soak up the mixture and then carefully feed the inner sheet through the top. They will continually feed through this way and will break off at the perforations.

Essential oils can seem expensive, but you are only using them several drops at a time, and the little bottle lasts forever. You are still saving money, and not using harsh chemicals in your home or adding to a landfill.

Every little bit we can do to save money and the environment means something!

By Carrie from Okemos, MI

Disinfectant Cleaner

Make your own disinfectant general cleaner. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

• one part 91% rubbing alcohol
• one part lemon ammonia
• one part white vinegar
• two parts water, (boiled and cooled)

Directions:

Use in spray bottles. makes about a gallon and can be diluted by half.

By Ardis