Eco-friendly Re-usable Cleaning Cloths - Modern Parents Messy Kids

I love the convenience of the disinfecting wipes that come in the nice little packages. But I don’t like the chemicals that come in them, the waste that they produce, or the cost. Especially when my little ones are using them.

Thankfully, the DIY versions are super easy to make and may even encourage the kids to help with the clean up.

You will need:

an old baby wipes container (decorated or plain)
distilled white vinegar
essential oil of your choice – we used grapefruit (affiliate link) but if you’re interested in starting your own essential oils collection this is the best deal we’ve seen. (See end of post for more info.)
pieces of cotton, old washcloths, etc.

Our wipes container was anything but fun looking, so we started by decorating it. My daughter is obsessed with anything yellow, so she chose a fun yellow polka dot piece of scrapbook paper.

She cut it into strips as wide as the wipes container was tall, then we glued it on using regular school glue. To make sure the paper stayed securely on the wipes container and didn’t get damaged by wet fingers, we covered the paper with clear contact paper.

We then took the pieces of cotton that we use for wipes (which is just a bunch of old undershirts cut into rectangles) and folded them accordion-style so that they will come out of the wipes container continuously. This is also a great trick if you use cloth baby wipes with your cloth diapers!

If you have never folded wipes, it is pretty simple. A lot easier than it sounds, trust me. My five year old can fold these like a champ.

To fold your wipes:

start with a cloth flat on the table.
add a second cloth overlapping the right half of the first cloth.
fold the bottom cloth over into the center.
add another cloth on top on the folded cloth.
continue in this manner, alternating folds until you have enough cloths.
place your stack of cloths into the wipes container.
pull the top wipe through the opening and close the box.
they should now pull out continuously.

Once the wipes are in the wipes container, you are ready to add your cleaning solution.

Start with 1 part vinegar to 1 part water. Then add a few drops of your favorite essential oil.

I use grapefruit essential oil because it is a great disinfectant and antiseptic, and I also love the refreshing smell of grapefruit while I am cleaning.

Add just enough of the cleaning solution to your container to just moisten all of the wipes, but not leave them dripping.

Keep the box of cleaning wipes next to the kitchen table, by the door, in the bathroom, or anywhere else you need quick clean-ups. Enjoy the convenience of the wipes, without worrying about toxic chemicals!

*Like many folks lately, we have started using essential oils around the home in more and more ways (MPMK projects include pine cone decor, calming lavendar play dough for quiet time and montessori scent bottles). As such, we’ve noticed lots of different offers for saving money by buying in bulk.

But this kit, from our friends at Kids Activities Blog, complete with some great primers on getting started with oils and a $20 Amazon gift card is by far the best we’ve seen. (Note: we’re not affiliates or associated in any way with this product, just a deal we spotted from a trusted source and thought we’d pass along to you.)