You love the convenience of disposable disinfectant wipes in your kitchen and bathroom, but hate the plastic tub waste. We don’t blame you. According to GlobalCitizen.com, eight million tons of plastic is dumped into the ocean every year–the equivalent of a garbage truck every minute! April 22 was Earth Day, so we think this is a great way to honor Mother Earth AND keep convenient wipes at the ready with this green and simple idea.

Have children or grandchildren? This is a great craft project for little hands to practice eye-hand coordination and math skills. And with the pride they take in helping you make these reusable wipes, they’ll be more likely to help you keep the kitchen and bathroom clean. A word of caution: Pro-Tek Cleaner is non-toxic, but just as nobody snacks on a bar of soap, neither should Pro-Tek Cleaner be swallowed. Make sure kiddos practice common sense with any cleaning product.

You’ll need:

One half-gallon (65 oz) wide-mouthed jar with lid
Old bath towels or t-shirts cut into twelve 8” x 8” squares OR twelve dish cloths
3-cup (24 oz) measuring cup or larger, or empty 22 oz spray bottle
Pro-Tek Multi-Purpose Cleaner & Degreaser
Water
Optional: peppermint, cinnamon, orange, lemon,Thieves, or lavender essential oil

1. Prepare. Thoroughly wash your wide-mouth jar and let dry. If you’re using store-bought cloths, go on to step two. Otherwise, use a measuring tape or ruler to mark 8” x 8” squares and have a hay day cutting up those those old t-shirts. This is a great job for little hands! Pinking shears will keep the edges from fraying, but any sharp scissors will do. 

2. Measure. Stuff the rags inside the jar. In your measuring cup or spray bottle make a 10:1 kitchen/bathroom solution by diluting 3 ozs of Pro-Tek Cleaner with 22 ozs of water. Add 20 drops of your favorite essential oil, if you like. Pour the solution in the jar and tightly replace the lid. Turn the jar upside down a few times to allow the cloths to soak up the solution.

3. Clean! Now whenever you need to disinfect your kitchen counter or bathroom sink, simply grab a wipe from the jar. Pop the used cloth in the laundry, and you’ll never need disposable wipes again. Just think, if you normally use three tubs of disposable wipes a month, and you live to be 100, you’ve just kept  2, 520 plastic tubs out of a landfill. If I wore a hat, I’d take it off to you.

Hacks:

• If you’re using a two-quart sized jar, stuff it with six rags. Adjust the cleaning solution 1.5 ozs of Pro-Tek Cleaner, 11 ozs of water, and 10 drops of essential oil.

• Boost the convenience factor by making a jar for every room you’ll need them–kitchen, bathrooms, nursery, outdoor dining, bar.

• Keep a spare set of cloths at the ready while your used cloths are in the laundry. That way, you’ll never run out of wipes.

• Choose an essential oil inspired by the season. We like peppermint and cinnamon for the holidays, and citrus or lavender scents for spring and summer. Cedarwood and cloves make autumn seem warm and cozy.

No old towels or t-shirts? No problem. Cleaning cloths are available cheaply at your local grocery or other discount store, but these homemade cloths from Etsy are so fun you can almost hear them laughing. Plus, you get the warm fuzzies from supporting working artists.

• These sustainably-sourced cloths are absorbent enough to have their own story, and they come in adorable seasonal prints.
• These colorful cloths are value-priced and already the perfect size. No cutting needed. 

Wide-mouthed jars are available at your local grocery store, or for an even more earth-friendly option, hunt for them in thrift stores. Still can’t find one? We like these jars:

• These 65 oz jars are value-priced.
• Need more variety? This fun on-line store has wide-mouthed jars in sorts of shapes and sizes. You’re sure to find a jar with the perfect personality for your every room in your home. 
• Can’t bear plain old clear glass? Try these sassy baby blues.

Did you make this project for your home? Tell us in the comments how your reusuable rags work for you! Post your pics to any of our social media links. We LOVE hearing from you.