Breaking Free From My Wipes Addiction
Disinfectant wipes are practically impossible to find in stores or on-line as we enter our 6th week of Covid-19 lock-down. Those disposable wipes in their large plastic containers with instructions not to flush are the NON-environmentally-friendly cleaning supply I’ve resisted letting go of because, well, they are so easy to use. But here I am, after scrolling and searching in stores for weeks to no avail, forced to find an alternative because Covid-19 has made disinfectant wipes more popular than toilet paper!
There are several clever recipes on-line to create your own disposable wipes by drenching a roll of paper-towels in a homemade bleach solution, storing in a coffee-tin or plastic lidded container, pulling out the paper roll and using just like you would a store-bought version. It occurred to me however, that this is the perfect opportunity for me to substitute a more Eco-friendly version – without the paper-towels which are non-recyclable once used or bleach, which is hazardous to our water supply and environment. To push me away from disinfectant wipes even more I read up on the dangers of the Quats (quaternary ammonium compounds) which are the chemicals commonly found in them, which have been proven to cause not only environmental damage but also health problems ranging from asthma to infertility.
A Boozy Essential Oil Spray & a Swedish Dishcloth
It turns out that rubbing alcohol, or even better if you don’t like the smell of hospitals, vodka, can make a cleaner that is powerful against germs and bacteria. Here is a modified version of the several recipes I found on-line, scented with citrus essential oil: The vodka kills germs without any odor and the citrus essential oil offers a refreshing, very pleasant, scent adding even more disinfectant power to the vodka-vinegar mix. Use a clean Swedish dishcloth – they are as comfortable and easy to use as a wipe and you can wash them in your dishwasher over and over again. You can find Swedish dishtowels anywhere now, a local Pyrex boutique called JoRetro even has them custom made to match her Pyrex collections. I have a couple in my kitchen at all times, one specifically designated for my disinfectant spray to wipe down door-knobs, faucet handles, counter-tops and yes, now glass jars and boxes from the grocery store.
You Will Need:
- Glass Spray Dispenser
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 T white vinegar
- 2 T vodka (you want to use the strongest, not the best, you can find – 70% or 140 proof if possible)
- A Citrus Essential Oil as you wish (I use a full teaspoon)
- Clean Swedish Dishcloth
Add the ingredients together into your dispenser bottle and store under your sink (or cool dry place). When you need to disinfect around your home just spray generously onto a clean damp Swedish dishcloth and wipe! Rinse out your cloth so it’s ready for the next time you need it. I have gotten into the habit of wiping down my door-handles, faucet levers, counter-tops and yes, even my cereal boxes before I put them in my pantry after a stressful race through the grocery store.
This method really is just as easy as using the disposable wipes, and each time we don’t buy a container of disposable wipes we save our landfills from another one of those bulky plastic containers, and save our water supplies from all that bleach. And since we can’t find them in the stores now anyway, it’s a perfect time to break our wipes-habit!
My husband Johnny agreed to record me as I made a batch of disinfectant spray to show you how super easy it is: https://www.facebook.com/103442774633686/videos/2864915503556414
This spray doesn’t kill Covid-19 and neither do Disinfectant Wipes
But, like soap and water, wiping down can remove the virus:
The irony of not being able to find disinfectant wipes on the shelves is that they are not proven to kill Covid-19. My DIY recipe isn’t either. The Center for Disease Control doesn’t mention vodka but they do mention 70% ethanol alcohol as effective against Covid-19. This would lead one to think that 140 proof vodka, which would be 70%, would be effective too but there are no clinical trials to date. And, any solution you use, store bought or homemade, will be diluted The main reason why washing your hands with warm soapy water is such an important protection against Covid-19 is that you’re removing the virus off of your hands and down the drain, not killing it. Wiping your countertops and doorknobs is helpful because it can remove the virus from commonly touched places. Here’s a useful breakdown of cleaning products and how effective they have tested to kill Covid-19 (spoiler – only pure bleach and 70% ethanol alcohol pass the kill test): https://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-the-expert-advice-on-which-cleaning-products-to-use-against-coronavirus.
I hope that you all are coping well in these challenging times – if we’re hunkering down in our homes and healthy we are the lucky ones but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. If we are working on the front-lines during this pandemic I don’t know how hard your life is at this moment and I would love to give you a voice with this blog. I and many others could learn a lot from you. If there are topics which you think this blog could tackle, that would be helpful as we live out our Covid-19 Pandemic realities, please let me know. Stay safe and well.
Wanda
