Homemade Disinfecting Cleaning Wipes: Cheap, Easy, and Flushable!

Another great reason to use witch hazel- it's a great way to clean your appliances and even your bottom without breaking the bank! Here is a great way to make homemade (flushable) disinfecting and cleaning wipes, so versatile you could use them for almost anything!

All you need is an old wet wipe container or a freezer bag that can zip closed, preferably a quart-sized or larger, coffee filters (any size, but the larger ones are better, brown or white in style makes no difference), and witch hazel. Witch hazel is only about 50 cents or so more expensive than rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, but let me tell you, the stuff is amazing. If you don't believe me, check out Witch Hazel- Why It's a Must in Your Medicine Cabinet and see for yourself why you should have some.

Anyhow, simply grab a handful of coffee filters about a half inch thick, place them in either the old wet wipe container (I bought cheap wet wipes at the dollar store just to have the container that snaps open and shut) or the bag. Try to make sure they lie flat rather than get all scrunched up. This makes them easier to pull out when you need one. Once you have the coffee filters situated, take your witch hazel and douse the coffee filters until the bottom coffee filter is saturated. It's OK if there is liquid sloshing around, the absorbent and super strong coffee filters will soak up the liquid.

That's it! Witch hazel is a great antibacterial and dries quickly, so you can use it to wipe down counters, computer keyboards, and yes, your baby's bottom, quick and easy! Witch hazel is safe enough to use on skin and sensitive body parts, and these wipes can even be used as a makeup remover! The durable coffee filters don't break apart and really hold onto dust- I love to use these wipes to pick up dried jam on the floor. Flushable as well, at least as far as I can tell. If your toilet soaks up everything in sight like mine does then you should be OK. I asked a family member (who is a plumber) if it should be alright, and he just shrugged. So using them as part of daily hygiene is great, too! Who knew?

note: to make the wipes extra disinfecting, particularly as flu season evolves (shudder), consider adding a few drops of tea tree oil to the container or bag and then shake slightly to mix this super oil into the mix. Witch hazel is amazing on its own, but just for extra security when wiping down door handles and such in the winter, tea tree oil can make a huge difference in your defense against germs!

Sources:

family member who is a plumber

personal experimentation