Cleaning wipes are all the rage, because they are so quick and convenient. Wipe up this, polish that. You no longer have to drag out cleaning products and rags; you simply whip out a wipe with the flick of your wrist, and everything is clean in no time. Genius!
There are cleaning wipes for nearly any cleaning task you can imagine, such as glass and window wipes, surface cleaning wipes, bleach wipes, and furniture polish wipes. They are handy, but they can also be rather expensive, especially when you consider the fact that many contain only a small amount of cleaning product combined with a large percentage of water. See Michele Cheplic’s article, “Guess I Should Have Read the Label First!” for more detailed information.
Even though cleaning wipes may not be quite the miracle product we hoped for, they are very handy for quick cleaning. You can add a bit more solution if you want, or substitute baby wipes, which will work just as well for many cleaning tasks. If you buy the store brand refill packs and refill the original container they cost quite a bit less than most of the specialty wipes.
Another great way to save money while still enjoying the convenience of handy, dandy wipes is to make your own. Simply tear paper towels from the roll, fold them in half, and stack them on top of each other. Place them inside a baby wipe box, Rubbermaid, or Tupperware container, and pour cleaning solution over them.
You can dilute or adjust the strength of the solution as desired. For example, a little bleach goes a long way, so mix bleach with water to make bleach wipes. Most solutions can be mixed with water, although it is unwise to mix solutions with each other, as they can create chemical reactions.