DIY HOMEMADE CLEANING WIPES

“Not only are bloggers suckers for the remarkable, so are the Did Did Did you know that your most common disinfecting cleaning wipes are filled with toxins you wouldn't want to put on or in your body?

These toxins can definitely cause harm to your body and experience anywhere from minor to major illnesses. 

The most common disinfecting wipes we hear of are Lysol, Chlorox, Arm & Hammer, etc. Ones you would definitely want to avoid. 

Most disinfecting wipes contain bleach or chemicals called Quaternary Ammonium Compounds, or Quats for short. Quats are antimicrobial chemicals that kill germs, but also present health risks like asthma and asthma attacks, allergic reactions, hormone-disruption and general skin and eye irritation.

Research shows that chronic exposure to these ingredients can be as damaging to our lungs over time as smoking a pack of cigarettes per day. This research was done on adults – imagine the health risk to children who are disproportionately at risk due to their small size and rapidly developing bodies! Infants and children are more susceptible to these health risks, so it’s dangerous to use disinfectant wipes on children’s toys and anything else they come into contact with. These wipes contain toxic ingredients that put children’s health at risk. Cleaning products have been linked to the increase in cases of pediatric allergies and asthma, possibly increasing the risk of developing these conditions by almost 50%. 

Fragrance/Parfume are other known hormone and endocrine disruptors. Don't let the word "Natural Fragrance" fool you. This is still toxic to your body. Manufacturers are not required to list their fragrance ingredients because of "trade secrets". Fragrance ingredients contain more than 100 toxic ingredients, which includes phthalates. Found in your personal care items, candles, most essential oils, laundry detergents, perfumes, lotions, etc. 

I know for me, I don't want to use these things in my home or around my children and pets! I know you don't either! Our children are most susceptible because they touch everything and put everything in their mouths (in they are younger) so having products in the home that are safe and toxic free, but still effective is key!

Why you need to ditch the toxins?

When my husband and I first got married, we used to use cleaners like Lysol and Chlorox, but it ended up just being me having to clean all the time. This was because every time my husband tried to clean, he would start coughing, gagging and his throat would start to close up and he'd up with a panic attack. So, I ended up doing most of the cleaning. I'd still end up with a headache afterwards, but I definitely didn't want him experiencing all that. After some time, I realized that it was the chemicals and toxins from these cleaners that were affecting my husband and I so I knew it was time for a change... and for him to start doing a little more cleaning! And we began our journey of swapping out our home.

How to you start?

There are two ways you can swap out your cleaning wipes! You can simply just swap to a safer toxic free product. 

Here is my favorite TOXIC FREE CLEANING WIPES or simply DIY and make your home! I'll share a recipe of how to make your own below!

DIY HOMEMADE CLEANING WIPES RECIPE

Ingredients: 

1. Quality, durable paper towels - (my favorite are VIVA or Bounty)

2. Serrated Knife

3. Airtight container - (I use an old cleaning wipes container or you can simply just buy one)

4. 1/2 cup vinegar

5. 1 cup water

6. 1 tsp liquid dish soap - (These are my favorite options: Abode Dish Soap  or On Guard Hand Soap is my personal favorite to use:)

7. 5-10 drops essential oils - (optional - grab my favorite essential oils to clean with)

Instructions:

1. With your serrated knife, cut your paper towel roll in half. Put aside one half to use when you make this recipe again.

2. Place the other half in your airtight container. You may need to squish the paper towel into the container or simply take off some of the paper towels.

3. Mix the vinegar, water, liquid dish soap and essential oils (optional) in a bowl.

4. Pour the mixture over your paper towels making sure to move around as you pour so every bit of your paper towels get saturated.

5. Once you have poured in all your liquid let it sit for a couple of minutes then reach in and pull the cardboard tube out of the center.

6. Now you can grab a paper towel from the center and pull up so it feeds from the middle.

Note: If you used an old store bought cleaning wipes container then it is already set up to let you pull one towel at a time. Just feed the paper towel you pulled from the middle of the roll through the hole in the lid. If you used another container just put a hole in the top so you can pull the paper towels through, or, don’t put a hole in the top and just open up your container to get your paper towels. It works either way.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and start cleaning with ease knowing you are keeping your family safe from toxins in your home!

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