Happy Summer as you make these homemade cleaning wipes!

I don’t know about you, but my house is a disaster most of the school year. Especially since baby M came along (So cute but so messy!). After working all day, the last thing I want to do when I get home is clean. I love the summer because once I get sick of the heat I can get my house sparkling clean again!

Recently we went on a road trip with baby M. 15 hours in the car. While baby was sleeping, I spent a LOT of time on Pinterest. Since I was in a cleaning state of mind, I looked a lot at the DIY cleaning pins and decided I’d try a few and share my experience with you!

The first one I decided to try was the make your own cleaning wipes. Baby M is a disaster when it’s time to eat. We get mushed strawberries or cheese all over the place. I like his high chair to be clean, but I don’t like to use Clorox or Lysol wipes on a surface that he is going to eat on. So I thought these would be perfect!

Here’s the original pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/134756213823335804/ but there are a million on Pinterest with lots of different ways to do it. This one is pinned to the OUTFOX board!   You can also see this on www.Instructables.com at http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Hmeade-Cleaning-Wipes-with-Holder/

Here’s a before and after picture of the high chair. Actually, this is one of the least messy meals he’s had (but you can imagine how kids get everything all over):

Here’s my step by process with a few notes-

First of all, buy or get a container that would fit a paper towel roll in half (roughly the size of a toilet paper roll).  I found this AWESOME container for about $4. It already has a hole in the top! Next, cut a hole in the top if yours already does not have one.  I had to use a knife to scrape around the edges and make the hole a little bit bigger so the towels would fit through the hole. It was just a generic grocery store brand. (Don’t mind our cheesy 50’s countertops. Renters can’t be choosers.) 

Next, you will need to cut the roll of paper towels in half.  I used a serrated bread knife which was obviously messy but it got the job done quickly!  You can use any sharp knife or even a saw?  ;)

You will now need to choose the cleaner that you prefer.  Some prefer solutions that have few to none chemicals... but some don't mind as much.  I used Windex Multisurface. This version is NOT the antibacterial kind that is now being frowned upon, just the regular made with vinegar. I poured it all over the roll to soak up in every corner. I used almost the whole bottle, but you do not have to.  Just watch it carefully as you pour to soak into the towels.  A little extra is advised so your towels do not dry out.   

 

Next, you will need to pull out the cardboard center roll.  This is where you will get the strand so you have a contiunous stream of towels.

 

Be careful with this step to not ruin the towels, but I then pulled out the center towel and stuck it through the lid! Keep trying to get a clean pull because the first few tore to pieces.  To help from tearing, I made the hole bigger and it worked great. The ONLY thing I would do differently is use less cleaner next time. These towels are really SOAKED because I over poured the solution into the container. I might leave the lid off or pour out some of the extra in the bottom for the first bit.  At least until I get the correct consistency of towels. They cleaned the high chair so well without yucky stuff in Clorox or other solutions that have harmful chemicals.  I still had to take a dry paper towel and wipe it off, but I think it’s because I used so much cleaner! 

 

For summer this was a great project and really simple! Realistically, it works just the same as spraying and

wiping, but who has two hands to hold a bottle and a towel? It can also save money since the wipes on the shelf are sometimes expensive.

 

Just keep basking in that this will be a really fast way to wipe down the high chair after particularly messy meals. There are lots of pins with lots of recipes for different kinds of wipes, so browse for some on Pinterest if this particular one doesn’t work. And happy cleaning!

 

Goodbye Germs!

Mrs. T