When my kids were super young, every day was made up of a million tiny tasks, none of which I could ever remember when anyone asked that simple but awful question, “What did you do today?”
“Uh, well, I kept everyone alive?” No small task, some days.
Any little scrap of a timesaver was life blood. I am convinced that whomever invented housecleaning wipes was a mother, or at least lived with one.
The likelihood that I can find both a cloth and the correct cleaner at the same moment that they’re actually needed is very, very low. And by the time I have laid my hands on both, the initial mess has probably exploded.
All that to say, having the cloth and cleaner in the same container is such a beautiful thing.
Here’s the super simple recipe:
For Reusable Wipes: An old t-shirt or two cut into wipe-sized squares
For Disposable Wipes: A paper towel roll cut in half (an electric knife works best)
A glass or plastic container
Solution:
1 1/2 c. (360 mL) filtered, distilled, or boiled then cooled water
1 Tbsp. (15 mL) Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Magic Soap or 1/2 Tbsp. (7.5 mL) Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds
1/4 tsp. (20 drops) tea tree essential oil
Put the wipes in your container. Mix up the solution ingredients and pour it over the wipes. Let them sit for 20 minutes or so to soak up all the liquid.
Now they’re good to go!
These have a shelf-life of 1 to 2 weeks, so make up as many as you’d use in the period of time.
Further reading
- Sal Suds Dilution Cheat Sheet
- Dilutions Cheat Sheet for Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap
- GIY (Green-It-Yourself) with Non-Toxic DIY Recipes for Cleaning & Body Care
Sal Suds cleaner shows >60% biodegradation after 28 days per ISO 14593.
CloudFlare is way slow. Requiring verification every time a link is clicked seems excessive, and you aren’t even selling anything. Why the verification. It takes 10 to 15 seconds for every verification. Feels like a lot of wasted time.
Great info, though. Definitely going to try your products based on the thorough research and quality of care you put into them. Thank you for all the time and effort you put in to bring us great products.
How does your soap compare to Dove Beauty Bars? They leave no residue, but do contain fragrances. Any thoughts?
Hi Lynn – Thanks for bringing that to our attention, I will reach out to our team and have them look into it.
Regarding how Dr. Bronner’s Magic Bar soap compares to Dove – there’s a variety of Dove Beauty Bars, but looking at the ingredients in their original bar, I see that it is a blend of true soap made directly from oils and detergent ingredients that require more complicated synthesis. It does contain “Fragrance,” as you cited, which could include any number of ingredients – I checked their website, and their link to the “Smart Label” which should disclose all ingredients, even in fragrance, is broken. That’s a red flag for me. I’m not so sure about the idea that it doesn’t leave a residue – with the claim that it contains 1/4 moisturizing cream and certainly leaves a scent on skin, it seems like it is leaving a residue of some sort. I looked it up on EWG’s Skin Deep site, and they give it a hazard rating of “3.” Dr. Bronner’s Magic Bar soaps are EWG Verified, which means they have the hazard rating equivalent to zero. I hope these thoughts help!
I’m curious why these only have a shelf-life of 1-2 weeks. I was hoping to keep them in a freezer bag in my car instead of packages of commercial wipes, but I won’t go through them that fast. What happens after 2 weeks? Thanks.
Hi Shauna- We don’t add any synthetic preservatives to our Castile Soap. It is their highly concentrated nature that makes them self-preserving, and so once they are diluted with water, the shelf life is reduced and they are no longer self-preserving. Once it starts to smell “off”, it’s time to dump and re-make. If you find you don’t go through it fast enough, mix-up a smaller batch.
Hi Lisa! Thanks for the great video!! I have two different questions. Do you need to rinse with water after using the G.I.Y wipes; or when using any of the Castile soap products like when washing countertops??
Also, I read in a post somewhere sometimes when using the product for laundray soap it can leave an oil residue on clothing… We just purchased the baby Castile unscented bar soap to make homemade laundry soap. Wondering if that is a good option and if there’s any problems with oil residue or using the product in an He washing machine?
These are the ingredients we plan to use in our homemade laundry soap
1. Super washing soda
2. Baking soda
3. 4 bars unscented baby Castile soap
4. 1 container baby Oxi clean
5. Optional… Epson salt ( not for sure if we’re going to add this ingredient)
Thanks so much for your help!!
Hi Holly- There’s enough water in the GIY wipes to pick up the soap that you don’t need to rinse afterwards. Do wipe with a damp cloth (I like microfiber) after using the Castile or Sal Suds spray though. The soap won’t leave an oil residue on fabrics, but if you have hard water you’ll want to add vinegar to the rinse cycle. Castile soap reacts with minerals in hard water causing fabrics to stiffen over time. Vinegar counteracts this – or using Sal Suds avoids this interaction altogether. As nice as your recipe sounds, it is going to be harsh on fabrics and shorten the life of your clothes. If I had to pick one, I’d use the baking soda and either Castile soap or Sal Suds.
[…] GIY Wipes […]
IF this was made with the Tea Tree Castile liquid soap, is the 1/4 tsp tea tree eo still required?
Hi Rachel – They’d still work well without it. It just gives a little extra anti-bad stuff boost.
Wow. These wipes sound great Lisa. I will be trying it in the morning. So glad the Sal Suds is back in circulation, I’ve been busy cleaning Mum’s today.
Maureen
I may be the biggest Dr. Bronner’s fan on the planet!
Thank you for this recipe! I have a quart spray bottle with water and 1 tablespoon of Salsuds and it is my kitchen countertop cleaner ….. it is my everything cleaner and I absolutely love it! No more spray and wash store bought product that is harmful to the environment and the people who made it. I use SalSuds in a spray bottle for everything…. toilet bowls… car wash….
EVERYTHING!
My motto is buy fair trade it is only fair 🙂 I have a box in the backseat of my car filled with spiritual gifts and Dr. Bronner’s products. As a nurse I have constant opportunity to educate patients and their families about fair trade and what they are applying dermally to their body which is one of the many ways to medicate oneself for the good or the bad.
I call myself a disciple of fair trade:)
There are other brands that are fair trade but there is no company in the cosmos that has the heart and the spirit of Dr. Bronner’s.
Shabbat shalom!
Thank you for all the kind words, Linda! It’s great to hear that you’re in sync with what is near to our heart as well.
thanks for the tip the kids are all grown but the husband is still here and some days it’s like the kids never left can’t wait to try this
This is brilliant! Hi Lisa <3