You'll need a container and tools in order to do this recipe, namely:
Please keep in mind that the first two recipes will contain bleach, which isn't suitable for cleaning all surfaces, such as wood and granite. To read more about cleaning with bleach, we direct you to a previous article: How to Use Bleach to Disinfect Surfaces.
Ingredients
¼ cup regular bleach (or ⅙ cup concentrated bleach)
½ gallon of water
1 roll of paper towels
Directions
Once you have laid out all the ingredients and tools and put on protective gloves, follow these instructions:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the water and bleach, set aside.
2. Cut a roll of paper towels in two as shown in the picture above.
3. Put the paper towel into the container, making sure you will be able to close the container.
4. Pour the water and bleach mixture over the paper towels. Let it sit for 5 minutes, and then pull out the middle cardboard part of the paper towels. You will be able to pull out one piece of the towel at a time, just like a usual Clorox wipe or the like.
5. Now your DIY disinfectant wipes are ready for use. Seal the container and keep closed and away from pets and children at all times.
The main advantage of this method is that you can easily wash the cloths in the washing machine after use, and reuse them the following day.
Ingredients
¼ cup regular bleach (or ⅙ cup concentrated bleach).
½ gallon of water.
Several small pieces of cloth*.
*You can use any cloths in this recipe. Microfiber cloths like the ones in the picture below work well, but so do other cleaning cloths and even old T-shirts you no longer use cut up into small squares.
Directions
Once you have laid out all the ingredients and tools and put on protective gloves, follow these instructions:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the water and bleach, set aside.
2. Lay the pieces of cloth flat and stack one on top of each other, or roll each one, depending on the container you're using. If you have a tall glass jar or any tall container, it's best to roll them, but if you're using a flatter container, it would be more convenient to lay them flat.
3. Put the cloths into the container, making sure you will be able to close the container.
4. Pour the water and bleach mixture over the cloths. Let the mixture be absorbed by the cloths by allowing it to sit for 5 minutes before using it.
5. Seal the container and keep closed and away from pets and children at all times.
To make alcohol-based disinfectant wipes at home, follow the same instructions we listed in the previous sections, simply replacing the bleach and water solution we used in the previous recipes with 70% rubbing alcohol or 140+ proof grain alcohol. Do not dilute the alcohol and make sure the container you use can be shut airtight, as alcohol will evaporate and make the wipes ineffective otherwise.
Related Article: 7 Items You Might Be Disinfecting the Wrong Way
Storage
The storage guidelines for all these disinfectant wipes are the same: if keep them in an airtight container between uses, they will remain effective at killing the Novel Coronavirus and other germs for 24 hours. We recommend making smaller batches so that you can use them up within a day. If you'd like to take these wipes with you, you can transfer some of them in a ziplock bag.
