Inside: Tired of spending too much money on disinfecting wipes that fall apart in less than 2.7 seconds? Make your own DIY disinfecting wipes with ingredients you already have in your home. (Plus, they’re reusable and last many uses.)

Scrubbing the counter with my dishrag I send crumbs flying to the floor like little mistles.

I know that I’m probably just spreading more germs on the surfaces I’m wiping than actually cleaning them, but I keep wiping anyway.

Why?

Because it makes me feel like I’m doing something to keep our house clean.

It turns out, feeling like I’m cleaning my house and actually cleaning my house are two completely separate things.

The NSF did an international survey of U.S. homes, here’s what they found:

“77 percent of the sponges and dish cloths contained coliform bacteria, 86 percent had yeast and mold, and 18 percent had Staph bacteria.”

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Spreading The Germs

As it turns out, even though I was making the surface look like it was clean, all I was really doing was giving myself a false sense of security.

After learning that I wasn’t doing my family any favors in keeping germs away, I did what I do best: started researching for ways that I could actually keep the many germ-infested surfaces in my house clean without running to the store to grab Lysol wipes.

* This post is not sponsored – these are just the products I use and love.

Homemade DIY Disinfecting Wipes

What I found were endless recipes and ideas for making homemade DIY cleaning wipes.

But I wasn’t satisfied with just a cleaning wipe.

I wanted something that packed a punch behind it and would not only clean off some of the bacteria living and multiplying in our home, but something that would kill it all right then and there.

Wanting to halt the spread of bacteria in my home, I came up with my very own homemade DIY disinfecting wipe recipe that works well and smells amazing.

(I was expecting the smell to be unappealing and overpowering, but thanks to some trial and error and just the right amount of scent-inducing ingredients, it smells wonderful.)

Want to make your own homemade disinfectant wipes that are natural and actually work… without going to the store and spending 8$ on a small pack?

It’s possible.

When I went about creating my homemade disinfectant wipes solution, I had three important criteria I needed the wipe solution to meet:

Something that was cheap & I could make out of the ingredients I already had at home
Something that worked
Something that didn’t smell like the inside of a hospital

I’m pleased to say that these disinfectant wipes are exactly that.

They smell awesome, I had everything I needed to make them at home already, and they really do work.

Download the cleaning checklist that has helped thousands of families clean their homes: The Whole House Deep Cleaning Checklist

3 Things You Need to Know Before Making Your Own DIY Disinfecting Wipes

The recipe is below, but first here are a few important things you’ll want to note while making your DIY disinfecting wipes:

Both ethanol and isopropyl alcohol work for making your homemade disinfectant wipes, but you want to make sure the alcohol is at least 70%, up to 90%+.

70% is recommended to disinfect surfaces and kill bacteria.

You can go up to 90% to get more disinfecting power, however, the higher percentage you go, the harsher it will be on your skin.

If you have sensitive skin, gloves may be required when dealing with rubbing alcohol in higher percentages.

While the use of essential oils in this diy disinfectant wipe recipe is optional, I highly recommend the use of tea tree essential oil and lemon essential oil.

Why Use Essential Oils in DIY Disinfecting Wipes?

Tea Tree essential oil has been shown to kill certain bacteria, viruses, and fungi and is antimicrobial. (Healthline)

This is why Tea Tree oil was a necessary ingredient in my diy disinfectant wipes.

Here’s why Lemon essential oil made the cut, too…

Not only is Lemon essential oil a refreshing, energizing scent. It also kills harmful viruses and bacteria with its natural antiseptic, antifungal, and disinfectant properties. (Healthline)

While Lavender essential oil does have antiseptic properties in it, it is mainly used to treat anxiety and insomnia. But, on top of that, it brings a calming scent to the table, which is why I included it in my diy disinfectant wipe solution, because I didn’t want the sent to be so strong that it knocked my socks off.

These three essential oils together covered up the potent smell of the rubbing alcohol while adding to its cleaning and disinfecting powers.

(I’ve also used Peppermint essential oil in my homemade disinfectant wipe solution before and it also brings a wonderful smell to the table, as well as some bacteria-eliminating properties, too. I didn’t use it in this particular solution, but if you have it on hand, there’s no harm in adding a couple drops into the solution.)

Download: Home Room-by-Room Deep Cleaning Checklist

Making the Wipes

These wipes are by no means complicated to make. In fact, you can make them in under 5 minutes once you have all your supplies gathered.

First, you’ll combine the alcohol and warm water.

Then, you’ll mix in the soap:

After you’ve stirred the soap around, drop in your essential oils – whichever ones you’ve chosen to use, but especially Tea Tree and Lemon essential oils.

After you’ve added your essential oils, it’s time to mix it up and pour your homemade disinfectant solution over the wipes.

…and just like that you’ve made homemade disinfecting wipes that work just as well – if not better – than your typical store-bought wipes, and they can be reused time and time again.

Find the whole recipe below:

The Best DIY Reusable Disinfectant Wipes

(Made with natural ingredients you already have in your home.)

DIY Disinfectant Wipes

Yield: 15 wipes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Active Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Make your very own DIY disinfecting wipes with ingredients you have in your home. (Plus, they're reusable and last many uses.)

Materials

3/4 c. rubbing alcohol (70% or higher)
1 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. dish soap
5 - 10 drops tea tree essential oil
5 drops lemon essential oil
3 drops lavender essential oil
3 drops peppermint essential oil

Tools

Instructions

Fold the small cloths accordion style and place them into the baby wipe container
Mix the rubbing alcohol, warm water, and dish soap together
Add the essential oils and mix well
Pour the homemade disinfectant wipe solution over the prepared wipes

Notes

If you have sensitive skin or will be using rubbing alcohol that is higher than 70%, wear gloves when using your wipes to protect your skin.

The Best Homemade Cleaning Wipes

Your wipes are now ready to use. Practice safe storage and keep them out of reach of children.

I love using these homemade reusable disinfectant wipes because instead of throwing each wipe in the trash when I’m done with it, I toss it into my washing machine and wash it with a load of laundry.

After they’re washed, they’re ready to be used again, which makes these diy reusable disinfectant wipes very affordable.

Download Your Free Printable: The Exclusive Whole-House Cleaning Checklist

Ready to start learning how to deep clean your house like an expert? Use this free deep cleaning checklist that has helped thousands of families deep clean their home in a day or less. Here’s how to get it for free:

Download the deep cleaning checklist. As a bonus for joining my newsletter, you’ll get the free printable deep cleaning checklist. You can click here to download and subscribe.
Print it off. Any printer paper should work, but I find cardstock works the best.
Use it. Don’t skip this step. You’re 42% more likely to achieve your goals when you write them down.