Disinfecting Wipes - Where to find these? Or how to make these DIY

[Beggar for the Spirit]

Most everywhere it is hard to find any disinfecting wipes. In fact, I read a report that says that it may take until summer before the companies like Lysol, Clorox, etc, will be able to produce enough wipes to equal the great demand. Or maybe it will take even longer. So I thought it may be helpful to start a topic so that when anyone finds wipes online or has a good DIY recipe for making homemade wipes they can post it here to help others. And so here are several recommendations for DIY disinfecting wipes and a hand sanitizer that I found which all sound fairly easy to make, but since I have little knowledge/experience with cleaning products, I wanted to see what some of you thought about these and what recommendations you have. Thanks. 

 

 A recipe that mimics the ingredients of actual CLOROX WIPES. Here’s what you need.

3 Cups of Water
4 TBSP of Rubbing Alcohol
2 TBSP Dawn Dish Soap
1/2 TSP Baking Soda
Lemon Essential Oils
Mix all the ingredients and then pour over your rags. (If you don’t have a bunch of extra rags consider cutting up an old t-shirt!)

 

HOMEMADE HAND SANITIZER

¾ Cup Rubbing Alcohol (Would this be 70% alcohol? Or could you use 50% or 90% alcohol?)

¼ Cup Aloe Gel (What kind of Aloe Gel would you recommend?)

Essential Oil - Optional

Mix the rubbing alcohol and aloe in a plastic or glass bottle. Add a few drops of essential oil if you prefer, like Thieves oil)

 

HOMEMADE WIPES

same ingredients as the hand sanitizer

dump the hand sanitizer solution in a Tupperware container full of rags or cut up an old t-shirts.

 

Edited April 11, 2020 by Beggar for the Spirit

[Friends just call me Ross]

 

My Sister/Sister Lori's homemade

disinfectant wipes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BLEmom]

I got baby wipes and poured some rubbing alcohol over them. This is to have in the car for when we have to go out.

[Beggar for the Spirit]

7 hours ago, Friends just call me Ross said:

My Sister/Sister Lori's homemade disinfectant wipes:

Hi Ross, 

Thanks for your post. So did your sister put the shop towels into a liquid bleach which was in the Maxwell coffee can?

Or did she have her own chemical mix in the coffee can?  

[Beggar for the Spirit]

6 hours ago, BLEmom said:

I got baby wipes and poured some rubbing alcohol over them. This is to have in the car for when we have to go out.

Hi Dawn,

I liked your idea, so may I ask what kind of rubbing alcohol(50% or 70% or 90%) you poured onto the baby wipes?

And does it matter what kind of baby wipes? In other words could the rubbing alcohol mix badly with certain baby wipes because of certain chemicals?

[Friends just call me Ross]

3 hours ago, Beggar for the Spirit said:

Hi Ross, 

Thanks for your post. So did your sister put the shop towels into a liquid bleach which was in the Maxwell coffee can?

Or did she have her own chemical mix in the coffee can?  

Here is what she just texted me:

Homemade Disinfecting Wipes

Paper towel roll cut down in height to fit inside coffee can

Remove center cardboard

Place cut down towel roll in coffee can

Add a mixture that is one quart of water and 4 teaspoons of bleach

[BLEmom]

4 hours ago, Beggar for the Spirit said:

Hi Dawn,

I liked your idea, so may I ask what kind of rubbing alcohol(50% or 70% or 90%) you poured onto the baby wipes?

And does it matter what kind of baby wipes? In other words could the rubbing alcohol mix badly with certain baby wipes because of certain chemicals?

Sooo I’m not into chemical science so I have no idea. Lol. I think it was 90 percent alcohol but I’m not positive.  I didn’t want to use a bleach mixture because I didn’t want polka dot clothing. 

[Beggar for the Spirit]

17 minutes ago, BLEmom said:

Sooo I’m not into chemical science so I have no idea. Lol. I think it was 90 percent alcohol but I’m not positive.  I didn’t want to use a bleach mixture because I didn’t want polka dot clothing. 

But Dawn, maybe "polka dot" clothing will soon be the hottest new "Corona Fashion"? 

Spoiler

 

Edited April 12, 2020 by Beggar for the Spirit

[Beggar for the Spirit]

Here is a good explanation from "Consumer Reports" concerning DIY cleaners/disinfectants

 

Q. Can you make your own cleaner or disinfectant to kill coronavirus?

Yes. Though it’s safest to use a store-bought cleaner, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a diluted bleach solution (⅓ cup bleach per 1 gallon of water or 4 teaspoons bleach per 1 quart of water) for virus disinfection.

If you don’t have bleach, you could use isopropyl alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to disinfect certain surfaces.

 

But do not mix different active ingredients together because doing so can create poisonous gases and cause serious burns.

"An important general rule is that you shouldn’t immediately wipe a disinfecting solution off as soon as you’ve applied it to a surface," Schaffner says. “Let it sit there long enough to kill the viruses first.” Read the product’s directions and let it dry completely.

If you can’t find your favorite brand of cleaner right now, know that there are many store-bought products that work to inactivate viruses. You could look for options on the Environmental Protection Agency’s website, which has a list of disinfectants that meet the agency’s criteria for use against the new coronavirus. And see our report on household cleaners that destroy the coronavirus. 

One thing you should not make at home: hand sanitizer. “If made incorrectly, hand sanitizer can be ineffective, and there have been reports of skin burns from homemade hand sanitizer," according to the Food and Drug Administration. "The agency lacks verifiable information on the methods being used to prepare hand sanitizer at home and whether they are safe for use on human skin." 

[Beggar for the Spirit]

Cleaning Products That Destroy Coronavirus

Quote

Soap and Water
Just the friction from scrubbing with soap (any kind of soap) and water can break the coronavirus’s protective envelope. “Scrub like you’ve got sticky stuff on the surface and you really need to get it off,” says Richard Sachleben, an organic chemist and a member of the American Chemical Society. Discard the towel or leave it in a bowl of soapy water for a while to destroy any virus particles that may have survived.

Using antibacterial soap won’t give you added protection against the coronavirus because it kills bacteria, not viruses. You can still use it as long as you scrub.

 

Bleach
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a diluted bleach solution (⅓ cup bleach per 1 gallon of water or 4 teaspoons bleach per 1 quart of water) for virus disinfection. Wear gloves while using bleach, and never mix it with ammonia—or anything, in fact—except water. (The only exception is when doing laundry with detergent.) Once mixed, don’t keep the solution for longer than a day because the bleach will lose potency and can degrade certain plastic containers.

“Always clean the surface with water and detergent first, since many materials can react with bleach and deactivate it,” Sachleben says. “Dry the surface, then apply the bleach solution and let it sit for at least 10 minutes before wiping it off.”

Bleach can corrode metal over time, so Sachleben recommends that people not get into the habit of cleaning their faucets and stainless steel products with it. Because bleach is harsh for many countertops as well, you should rinse surfaces with water after disinfecting to prevent discoloration or damage to the surface. 

If you can’t find liquid bleach, you can use bleach tablets instead. You may have seen Evolve bleach tablets, which dissolve in water, at Walmart or on Amazon. Just follow the dilution instructions on the packaging (1 tablet is equal to ½ cup liquid bleach). A label on the bottle states the product is not a disinfectant, but chemically, it’s the same as liquid bleach. A company spokesperson at Custom Bottling & Packaging, which acquired Evolve three years ago, says the company hasn’t had the time or resources to put their product through the Environmental Protection Agency’s registration process that would allow them to make disinfecting and sanitizing claims. As of this update, Evolve is not experiencing any shortages and is supplying hospitals, research centers, and correctional facilities. 

 

Isopropyl Alcohol
Alcohol solutions with at least 70 percent alcohol are effective against the coronavirus on hard surfaces. First, clean the surface with water and detergent. Apply the alcohol solution (do not dilute it) and let it sit on the surface for at least 30 seconds to disinfect. Alcohol is generally safe for all surfaces but can discolor some plastics, Sachleben says.

 

Hydrogen Peroxide
According to the CDC, household (3 percent) hydrogen peroxide is effective in deactivating rhinovirus, the virus that causes the common cold, within 6 to 8 minutes of exposure. Rhinovirus is more difficult to destroy than coronaviruses, so hydrogen peroxide should be able to break down the coronavirus in less time. Pour it undiluted into a spray bottle and spray it on the surface to be cleaned, but let it sit on the surface for at least 1 minute. 

Hydrogen peroxide is not corrosive, so it’s okay to use it on metal surfaces. But similar to bleach, it can discolor fabrics if you accidentally get it on your clothes. “It’s great for getting into hard-to-reach crevices,” Sachleben says. “You can pour it on the area, and you don’t have to wipe it off because it essentially decomposes into oxygen and water.”

 

Edited April 14, 2020 by Beggar for the Spirit

[Beggar for the Spirit]

What Not to Use Against Coronavirus

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Homemade Hand Sanitizer
You’re probably seeing all sorts of hand sanitizer recipes floating around your social media and the internet, but Thomas at Upstate Medical University advises against making your own. “People don’t know the right ratios to use, and the internet won’t give you the right answer,” he says. “Not only can you hurt yourself, but it could give you a false sense of security.” 

Sachleben seconds that advice. “I’m a professional chemist, and I don’t mix my own disinfectant products at home,” he says. “Companies spend a bunch of time and money to pay chemists specifically to formulate hand sanitizers that work and that are safe. If you make it yourself, how can you know if it’s stable or if it works?”

 

Vodka
There are widely circulated recipes on the internet using vodka to combat the coronavirus. A couple of vodka makers, including Tito’s, have already come out with statements telling their customers that their 80-proof product does not contain enough ethyl alcohol (40 percent compared with the 70 percent required) to kill the coronavirus. 

 

Distilled White Vinegar
Disinfection recommendations using vinegar are popular online, but there is no evidence that they are effective against the coronavirus.

 

Tea Tree Oil
While there is preliminary research that suggests tea tree oil may have an effect against the herpes simplex virus, there is no evidence that it can kill coronaviruses.

 

Edited April 14, 2020 by Beggar for the Spirit