I would like to ditch my dependence on clorox wipes.  I am looking for a reusable safe alternative.  I like the ease of the wipes but have decided that I don't like the cost (monetary or ecologicaly).  Does anyone have any suggestions for a good cleaner?  Do you use bleach/water, vinigar, or amonia?  I have several of the containers left over and was thinking of cutting up some old t-shirts to use as rags and reusing the old containers to hold the rags and my homemade solution...I just don't know how to make a solution.....I have small children so I need something that kills germs.  Thanks for all your help.

I use vinegar and water for most of my hard surface cleaning - about 50/50 mix.  I put it in an old spray bottle I had left over from when I used Fantastic.

 Vinegar is a disinfectant and safe for hard surfaces. Do you use Clorox wipes for other things? I've never used them, so I don't know where they'd be handiest. 

 I love those lysol and clorox wipes too!  I went though loads last year with the kids. They are way less messy this year.  I stocked up on them on sale (bogo) and only use them a couple times a week now.

This is from thrifty fun with the person submitting the tip name.  

1/2 roll BOUNTY paper towels (the others turn to mush)
2 and 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup bleach

Cut BOUNTY in half with serrated or electric knife.Place cut side down in airtight container. Boil water, add bleach, pour over paper towels. Remove wet cardboard tube. To use, pull out wipes one at a time from center.

I use a Folger's plastic coffee can for my container. It's the PERFECT SIZE!! To use: fill with cold water and 1/4 cup white vinegar and let sit overnight, this removes the coffee smell.

Reba Gayle Shurden, Mississippi

Plus the dollar stretcher has an article with lots of wipe recipes http://www.stretcher.com/stories/00/001120a.cfm

Pat:

 Vinegar is a disinfectant and safe for hard surfaces. Do you use Clorox wipes for other things? I've never used them, so I don't know where they'd be handiest. 

I use them for everything.  I wipe down the kitchen counters/sinks/bathtubs/toilets/while I'm in the bathroom on hands and knees doing the toilets it is what I wipe the tile floors with as well.

I use them for wiping down the bathroom or going though the house cleaning doorknobs etc when a cold is going around.  That is in between reg cleanings of water/vinegar or pinesol etc.  They are good for gross messes like cat puke or kids messes.  because it cleans and disinfects at the same time. great on carpets too.  Or I wipe out the bottom of bird cages or a quick disinfect of toys.   Any place that needs a  quick clean and a disinfection at the same time.

My older cat with the jaw lump must have cut the skin on something and drooled some blood on the couch and recliner so I used the wipes to clean that up.  If I use soap and water, it doesn't seem to disinfect as well. Plus don't have to wash the cloths out too.  

mom3x:

I wipe down the kitchen counters/sinks/bathtubs/toilets/while I'm in the bathroom on hands and knees doing the toilets it is what I wipe the tile floors with as well.

I use a dishcloth to wipe kitchen counters, etc. I do dishes by hand so I use the dishwater. For sinks and bathtubs, I clean with baking soda, rinse with vinegar now and then. I clean and shine plumbing fixtures with vinegar. I use the same rag with vinegar on the floors after the fixtures are cleaned.  

Door knobs, light fixtures, etc., get a cleaning with a homemade mixture of dish detergent, ammonia and water. I use rags for everything. 

I have 2 small boys, ages 3 and 18 months. And we have germs, LOL. I did give up the use of Chlorox wipes b/c of the cost and the waste going into landfills. I now keep handy to me (but safely contained and well-marked) an old windex bottle with a bleach/water mix. I think I use a couple tablespoons bleach and then fill the bottle with water. I don't want the bleach too strong. I have 2 bottles, one in the bathroom and one in the kitchen. I keep rags under the sink in each place. As the boys take a bath, I spritz and wipe the bathroom sink, outside of toilet and floor. In the kitchen, I use on counters, stove, fridge, etc. Spritz and wipe. The rags then are washed. I dampen one with the spray mix and can wipe door handles, etc. for germs.

 DH still has some chlorox wipes at school in his classroom as he can't keep mixtures of bleach and water in his room.

I agree wipes are very, very convenient. But I had to find a cheaper solution. For me, bleach on sale is less than a dollar a gallon so this mix costs pennies and lasts forever. I also have a vinagar/water mix for my mirrors and glass-top stove. Cuts grease very well.

     Well, the original wipes can be washed and  "reloaded" and reused a couple of times.  (that does depend on what you used them for the first time ... if you're cleaning up blood or bodily fluids, I'd pass, LOL)

    I take wipes to work to clean off the computer keyboard and my desk and phone.  I cut reusuable cloths (Handi-Wipes) into sixths, toss a few in a plastic bag and douse them with rubbing alcohol. The alcohol kills the germs, and it's about $1 for a big bottle at Wally world. The cloths go into the washer with the towels, or I'll just throw a bunch in the sink with some soapy water.  You could use about any kind of cloth for this .. I was given the HandiWipes, so I use them.

    Oh, yeah, if you happen to have any unused diaper wipes that have dried out, this is a good use for them.

    At home, I keep a spray bottle of vinegar solution and another of bleach water.  I use the vinegar and a washcloth to clean off my counters.  If I'm working with raw meat or eggs, I use the bleach solution on the countertops.