Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Homemade Disinfectant Wipes

I was running Gavin's bath water last night.  Before he got into the tub he used the bathroom....well, sort of.  He was at least a foot away from the toilet arching his back trying to stream his urine into the bowl. 

"Scoot up Gavin!"  I ordered.

"I don't want to step on pee,"  he argued.

"There's not pee on the floor."  I assured him.

"Yeah there is.  I always accidently pee on the floor." 

 Boys are just gross....awfully cute, especially this particular one, but still gross. 

That's where these awesome homemade disinfectant wipes come in handy.  The disinfectant wipes you buy at the store are very pricey...not to mention what's in them?  Do you feel comfortable handing a container of them to your four year old and tell him to clean the bathroom?  Not me. 

I use the same concept as homemade baby wipes to make these disinfectant wipes.  Check out my tutorial here. on "Or So She Says."

Here's what you need:

Roll of paper towels (I like Viva) cut in half
cup of vinager
1/2 cup of water
about 10 drops of your favorite essential oil....I like lemon oil for these wipes
Tall tupaware or other container....a large coffee can would work great.


Cut your roll of paper towels in half, like this. 



Pull the cardboard center out.  You will pull the wipes from the middle like this.



Place paper towel half in container.  Mix ingredients and poor over towels.  Put an airtight lid on and let set for about 30 minutes.  It's that easy. 

These are a non toxic alternative to those pricey commercial anti-bacterial wipes.  I wouldn't go as far to call them "green" because you are using paper towels but I really love the convenience of them. 

Gavin can now clean up his own pee off the floor and the toilet seat.  (Just be sure to tell your children to throw them in the trash not flush them!)

5 comments:

Martha said...

What a great idea...but where do you get the essential oils?

suburban hippie mama said...

Whole Foods or Akins has essential oils. I like the selection at Whole Foods better. You can smell the testers and have a veriety of brands and prices to choose from. A small bottle will cost around $10 but they smell AMAZING and last a LONG time....you only use a few drops when making cleaning supplies. Your hubby will be happy that the house doesn't smell like easter eggs! LOL

Erynn said...

Lavendar essential oil has natural antibacterial properties and smells lovely to boot.

suburban hippie mama said...

i lOVE lavendar and tea tree oil as well! it ALMOST makes moping the floor enjoyable ;)

suburban hippie mama said...

Caitlin~ thank you! i hope you like them....if the mixture isn't good for you don't be afraid to adjust it....more or less water ect...

i can't wait to check out tht website....it sounds right up my alley!