Home Organization Tips I Love

Homemade Cleaning Wipes

You will need:

• cylindrical or tall square plastic food storage container, 10-cup capacity (the Rubbermaid Servin' Savers brand is the best one, but they don't make them any more.  Keep an eye out at thrift shops and yard sales.)
• extra-large roll of paper towels (Select-a-size types are the most economical)
• cleaning agents of your choice (recipes follow)
• electric drill with 1/2-inch drill bit
• electric knife
• liquid measuring cups (yes, there is a difference in measuring cups)

Instructions:

In the garage or workshop area (yeah, right!  The kitchen works fine), place a small block of wood beneath the plastic food storage container lid. Use electric drill to drill a 1/2-inch diameter hole in the center of the container lid. (This step is optional.  I don't do it because I'm afraid I'll crack the lid to the only cylinder container I have.  They are rare...remember.)

For best results, select an extra-large roll of good quality paper towels for this project. Less-expensive towels fray or shred when pulled through the holder; thicker quilted towels have greater cleaning strength and withstand more scrubbing.

Without removing the paper towel wrapper, use the electric knife to cut the paper towel roll into two shorter rolls half. Save the second roll for a refill later. This takes some time, so don't worry if you think you'll never get it cut all the way through.

Place one half of the paper towel roll inside plastic food storage container. Using a liquid measuring cup, gently pour one of the following cleaning solution recipes over the top of the paper towel roll.

You will need between 2 and 4 cups of cleaning solution, depending on the size and absorbency of the paper towel product selected. These recipes make about three cups of solution; increase or decrease amounts if needed.

General Surface Cleaning Recipe:

• 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups water

Disinfectant Cleaning:

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup pine cleaning solution (there are very good all natural/organic products out there)
• 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cup water

Window and Glass Cleaning:

• 1/2 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Place the lid on the plastic food storage container,  and turn it up-side-down.  Allow paper towels to absorb cleaning solution for at least 4 hours (overnight is best).

Open the food storage container. Gently pull the wet cardboard tube from the center of the paper towel roll and discard. Carefully pull the end of the paper towels from the inside, where the cardboard roll had been. Thread the end of the towels through the hole in the lid, and replace the lid.
Pull gently on the exposed end to separate the cleaning wipe.

Tips:

As you use the wipes, they eventually begin to dry out. If this happens, just add more water and/or cleaning solution as needed. Allow wipes to stand overnight before continuing to use them after adding more solution.
You may vary the strength of the cleaning solutions as necessary for your household, using more cleaning agents for a stronger wipe, less solution and more water for a milder product.

Homemade Baby Wipes

These work pretty much the same way, only without the hole in the top of the container, which is optional anyway.  For these, I use 2 to 2.5 cups of water, 2 Tablespoons of baby wash and a Tablespoon of baby oil.  Mix it in the measuring cup and pour over the paper towels.  The rest is the same.  These work great for the car, bathroom, kitchen...if you can find enough containers, I suggest making one for each place.