Easy DIY Disinfecting Wipes (plus a free Checklist)

In this post: How to make easy, DIY disinfecting wipes when the stores are sold out of the others; plus a master checklist of surfaces to disinfect. 

Aren’t these the craziest times? We’ve turned into homebodies who hoard toilet paper and wash our hands like surgeons preparing for the operating room!

In all seriousness though, I think we do these things to try to exert some kind of control in an uncontrollable situation. And while hoarding toilet paper is bad, keeping our hands and homes clean is definitely good. Today, I’ve got a couple of ideas to help you with the home cleaning part.

I’ve gotten into the habit of regularly disinfecting the high-touch surfaces in our home. But sometimes I can’t remember what I’ve already cleaned and what I might have missed. Did I wipe the doorknobs in the kitchen? How about the remotes in the living room?

Disinfecting Checklist

My solution was to make a master checklist to keep me on track. In these crazy times, this list is just a tiny bit of “peace of mind” that I’ve done something to help keep my family safe.  (there’s a clickable link below for you to print your own).

Click here for your own copy of this disinfecting list.

It’s a good idea to be in a regular habit of wiping down high-touch surfaces, anyways. So, I figure that when this current pandemic is over, I’ll still use my disinfecting list (especially during cold and flu season).

I printed the list and then stuck in inside of a plastic sheet protector.

DIY Disinfecting Wipes

I usually like to use Clorox (or store brand) disinfecting wipes for this job. But, much like the toilet paper aisle at the store, the section with disinfecting wipes is pretty bare. So I’ve been using my own DIY version. First, I made a bleach and water solution and put it in a plastic container with a handle and a lid. This one came from the dollar store, but I’m sure there’s something similar online or you likely have something around the house that you could reuse.

I pour a little of the solution in a plastic bowl, don a pair of disposable gloves, and use these paper rags in a box to clean most of our high-touch the surfaces. These paper rags (affiliate link) are much heavier duty than paper towels and work perfectly for this. They might also be called “shop towels” and (usually) can be found at the hardware store or online.

A few important notes…

*Make sure you pay attention to the kinds of surfaces you are wanting to disinfect. Bleach can be too harsh on natural stone countertops (such as marble and granite), some metal surfaces, and electronic screens. We still have a couple of containers of Clorox wipes left, so I’m mostly using those for our phone and laptop screens and my kitchen countertops.

*You can also make disinfecting solution from alcohol that is easier on certain surfaces.

*Please go to the CDC website here to find out about how to make these cleaning solutions and how to get the best outcome when cleaning and disinfecting.

For me, one of the good things that has come from staying home is that I have a little extra time to work on some of my projects and to do a little painting.

I’ve recently (about 6 months ago) signed up for some online oil painting classes and have been practicing a little bit.

Here is one of my recent still life paintings….

and one more….

Related: Index Card Painting Challenge

I hope you and your family are staying in, staying safe, and that you have enough t.p.!

I also hope that you are finding some time to do something creative. It’s good for the soul!