How to Make Homemade Disinfectant Wipes

1. Select a Container

   The container you select must be air-tight if you are making more wipes than you plan to use in the next hour or so. Alcohol evaporates very quickly, and you'll be left with dry wipes.

   A glass container like a wide-mouth jar, an old commercial disinfectant wipes container, or a plastic container with a lid works well. It should be large enough to hold 40 folded paper towels and three cups of liquid.

   Tip

   If you plan to add essential oils, choose a plastic container that is labeled #1 HPDE or #2 PET. Other types of plastic can react with essential oils and discolor or dissolve.

2. Select the Towels

   The paper products that you use to make the wipes should be strong enough to stand up to cleaning while they are wet. Paper towels, paper guest hand towels, and paper napkins work well. Choose a heavy-duty paper towel with fewer chemicals like Reel Recycled Paper Towels that has a half-sheet option to reduce waste. For others, you can leave them full-size or cut them into smaller pieces if desired.

   If you would like to go green and create reusable wipes, 100 percent cotton, bamboo, or microfiber washcloths can also be used. Reusable wipes should be machine-washed in hot water after every use.

3. Layer the Towels

   Separate the towels into individual pieces and fold or roll to fit the container. If you are reusing a pop-up wipe container, fold them with one layer interwoven with the next towel so they will pull up together.

   If you have a round container, you may be able to cut a roll of paper towels in half and remove the inner cardboard core to create a "pull-from-the-center" roll of wipes.

4. Measure the Disinfecting Solution

   You need enough alcohol to cover and saturate the towels. Three cups of alcohol will saturate about 40 folded paper towels.

5. Add Essential Oils

   Essential oils add a pleasant scent and some oils do have antibacterial qualities. You may mix and match to suit your sensibilities in the quantity that you desire.

   Recommended oils with some antibacterial qualities are tea tree, lavender, geranium, lemon, orange, eucalyptus, rosemary, cinnamon, clove, thyme, or peppermint.

6. Saturate and Cover the Wipes

   Pour about half of the alcohol (with essential oils, if desired) over the towels. Wait until the liquid is absorbed and pour in the rest. You may need to add a bit more alcohol if the towels are not fully wet. There should be some liquid visible in the container. Cover the container tightly and the wipes are ready to use.

7. Label the Container

   Use a paper label or a piece of masking tape to label the container. Place out of reach of children and pets.

How to Use a DIY Disinfecting Wipe

Now that you know how to make your own disinfecting wipes, be sure to use them correctly to disinfect surfaces.

1. Remove Heavy Soil

   While your disinfecting wipes will remove some grime from surfaces, they will be more effective if you clean away grease and heavy soil from surfaces first before disinfecting.

2. Check the Moisture Level

   The wipes don't need to be drippy, but they do need to be very moist. There must be enough of the alcohol left on the kitchen counter, doorknob, or television remote to kill bacteria.

3. Allow the Disinfectant Time to Work

   To kill most bacteria, the surface you are cleaning should remain wet for at multiple minutes. Do not wipe away the alcohol; allow it to air dry.

4. Use More Than One Wipe

   One wipe will not disinfect an entire kitchen or bathroom. One wipe will usually disinfect an area of around three-square-feet.

5. Dispose of the Wipe Properly

   Paper products soaked in alcohol should not be added to a compost pile. Dispose of the wipes in a trash can. If you are using cloth wipes, place them in a small hamper until it is time to wash a load of laundry.

6. Wash Your Hands

   After cleaning and disinfecting any area, wash your hands properly to remove any cleaning products or lingering bacteria.