Making these DIY Bleach Wipes is quick and easy. You only need a few ingredients for homemade cleaning wipes. This is a great recipe to have on hand so you have wipes for cleaning when you need it.

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It doesn’t matter if you are looking to save some money, time, or you just want an easy cleaning solution. This DIY bleach wipes tutorial is simple and quick. All you need are a few simple things to get started and for most people, these are items you likely already have in your home.
Here’s what you’ll need to make DIY bleach wipes:
- Container to hold your wipes, these work great, I’m using vintage Tupperware 😉
- 2-3 Tbsp Bleach, any brand will work. Here’s what Clorox says it can kill from your surfaces!
- Roll of Paper towels, cut in half…use the best ones you can find OR you can use reusable cloths.
- Essential Oils, optional to cut the smell
- 1-2 Cups of Water

If paper towels are in short supply you can probably find shop towels that will work just as well. Shop towels are a heavier thicker paper towel often used in garages. You can even buy reusable cloths and turn these DIY wipes that can be washed and used again.

You will want to keep a few things in mind for making the best homemade wipes. Don’t overdo it on the water. I made a batch that was too wet and they just fall apart. Start with 1 cup of water and let them sit for a while. If they really need more you can add it!
Bleach does start to lose it’s effectiveness after 24 hours when you mix with water. Refresh your wipes with a splash of bleach before use each day.
Also, if you are using super cheap paper towels they’re going to need less water before falling apart! So adjust your water to suit your paper towels.
Another thing to consider is adding essential oils. I like adding Citrus Bliss to mine, Purify would be another good option. You can add any citrus essential oils to help cut the smell of the bleach a little bit if it bothers you!

Pro Tip: If paper towels are hard to come by or the ones you have don’t seem to be holding up to a good amount of wiping and scrubbing you might be able to get shop towels that will work just as well.
Shop towels are a thicker paper towel that is often used in garages or workshops. You can even buy reusable cloths and turn these DIY disinfecting into wipes that can be washed and used again.

How to make homemade ClEANING wipes:
This is a really simple recipe. You can check out the video below for a quick tutorial to see just how simple it truly is to make these wipes for cleaning.
- Boil your water, I used an electric kettle, you can use the stove the microwave or just really hot tap water if you like and allow it to cool. (We do this because of public water. We just like to boil it first) Allow cooling to room temperature.
- Add your bleach to the glass container for mixing. I used 3 Tbsp, you can adjust that to your liking depending on if you are using ultra concentrated bleach or regular.
- Add your essential oils to the bleach. I added ten drops of Citrus Bliss from doTERRA.
- Add your hot water to the bleach and essential oils and stir a few times to combine.
- Put your half roll of paper towels into your container and pour the mixture over the top of the paper towels.
- Close the lid and let them sit for a while. Once they are fully soaked you should be able to easily remove the tube from the middle.
- Now your wipes will be ready to clean your counters, knobs, surfaces, and more!

Are these inexpensive wipes for cleaning?
I haven’t been worried too much about the cost of these DIY bleach wipes, they’re generally cheaper since you can get a gallon of bleach and a roll of paper towels for less than you’d spend on several bottles of other cleaners.
This recipe has not been lab tested for its sanitizing effectiveness. You can make your own Lysol wipes if you want another way to combat germs without bleach stains.
For me, it’s more about convenience and being able to have access to this cleaning product I can make at home.
Video of making DIY bleach wipes:
Here is an easy to follow video for making these DIY bleach wipes as well. If you are more of a visual learner this is an easy way to see how it’s done! Be sure to check out the tips above to make sure your wipes come out perfectly every time.
DIY Bleach Wipes Recipe:

DIY Bleach Wipes
Making these DIY Bleach Wipes is quick and easy. You only need a few ingredients for homemade Clorox wipes. This is a great recipe to have on hand so you have wipes for cleaning even when the stores are sold out!
Materials
- Container to hold your wipes, I'm using vintage Tupperware 😉
- 2-3 Tbsp Bleach, any brand will work. Here's what Clorox says it can kill from your surfaces!
- Roll of Paper towels, cut in half...use the best ones you can find
- Essential Oils, optional to cut the smell
- 1-2 Cups of Water
Instructions
- Boil your water, I used an electric kettle, you can use the stove the microwave or just really hot tap water if you like. We do this for public water and then allow to cool before we use it.
- Add your bleach to the glass container for mixing. I used 3 Tbsp, you can adjust that to your liking depending on if you are using ultra concentrated bleach or regular.
- Add your essential oils to the bleach. I added ten drops of Citrus Bliss from doTERRA.
- Add your hot water to the bleach and essential oils and stir a few times to combine.
- Put your half roll of paper towels into your container and pour the mixture over the top of the paper towels.
- Close the lid and let them sit for a while. Once they are fully soaked you should be able to easily remove the tube from the middle.
- Now your wipes will be ready to clean your counters, knobs, surfaces, and more!
Have you tried making DIY bleach wipes at home? Do you make them all the time or just when you can’t get them from the store?

If you need some cleaning wipes, don’t forget about our post for homemade hand sanitizer, DIY disinfecting wipes and DIY foaming hand soap, too.
Notes about these DIY Bleach Wipes
There have been LOADS of questions and comments about these wipes. We’ve noted several of these things above but I think they are worth repeating here again!
- Yes, I know the low splash bleach is not designed for sanitizing. It was the bottle we used for the photos. The notes about which kind of bleach you should use are in the post and the printable how-to post above.
- Paper towels will fall apart if you use too much water. There’s no way to know how much water your particular paper towels will tolerate so add the water slowly and wait before adding more.
- Another thing we’ve had issues with is people complaining about the effectiveness of the bleach after 24 hours. You are not forced to make this recipe in huge batches. You can make it and use them as you clean day to day, that being said, you can also add more bleach to your wipes fresh each day. For me, these have worked great for cleaning surfaces and I’ve had no fear of them not cleaning properly. If you need a professional, certified, sanitizing solution you should purchase industrial cleaners to be absolutely positive that you are getting the results you need.
Steve Jefferson
Thursday 4th of June 2020
Thank you for sharing a good idea. Wondering, where did you buy the container to hold wipes?
Lisa
Sunday 31st of May 2020
Same wet ball of paper towels others got. You warned against too much water, but i didn’t listen
Lisa Posey
Tuesday 28th of April 2020
I tried this and ended up with a ball of wet paper towels. I had bounty paper towels.
Michele Brosius
Tuesday 28th of April 2020
I'll update the instructions to say add water a little bit at a time. Sorry but I don't think they make all paper towels the same. Even the name brands are made thinner and thinner.
Kim
Sunday 19th of April 2020
Just wanted to let you know that I actually Read this! And totally got what you said about everything! 😂 Love the vintage tupperware too btw, I have 2 yellow ones like yours but no lids! Holding onto to them with hopes I will come across the lids somewhere along the way!
K Stucker
Saturday 18th of April 2020
My paper towels are super soggy and fall apart into a mushy blob! Can they be dried out and then re wettend?
Michele Brosius
Sunday 19th of April 2020
Definitely use the same towels. You can let them with the lid off and they should dry up some too. Thanks