During the COVID-19 pandemic, Clorox and Lysol wipes were in high demand. Amid the rush to maintain safety, many people did not realize that these wipes should not be used around food.
One TikToker decided to share her expertise on navigating health department regulations for over 20 years to educate her followers on food-safe cleaning products.
The scoop
TikToker Chef Ona Lee (@clarascanning) shared advice on how to make your own cleaning products that are also food safe.
"I like to keep [70% rubbing alcohol] in a spray bottle. Give things a little spritz. You can wipe it down if you like, but very shortly, it will be completely dry. [Or], hydrogen peroxide 3%. Spray it on counters and surfaces and let it sit for five minutes, or let it dry completely," she instructed.
@clarascanning This isn't just some hippy-dippy thing, either. This is coming from my nearly 22 years of working under health department regulations. These products are not safe around food, and there's no reason to use them in the kitchen when there's super cheap, super effective, and super safe alternatives. If your counters are really grubby, wipe them free of bits n crumbs, quickly scrub with hot water & dish soap, and then spray with either 70% rubbing alcohol or 3% hydrogen peroxide. Do not dilute either prior to using as a disinfectant. Bonus tip, rubbing alcohol does wonders on windows and will even remove permanent market on many surfaces. I had a 3rd, but I decided there's a lot to say about it and how to use it safely, so that is for another video. I hope these options help! Have you tried rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to sanitize counters? #clarascanningcompany #clarascanning #cleaninghack #cleaninghacks #cleaning #cleaningtok #lowtox #nontoxic #nontoxicliving #homestead #homesteading ♬ original sound - Chef Ona Lee
She also advised that the hydrogen peroxide is good to use for up to six months as long as it's kept in a dark bottle. Before using either the alcohol or the hydrogen peroxide, she encourages a spot test on your more delicate surfaces.
How it's helping
These tips are simple to use in any home, cost-effective, and help everyone reduce plastic in their household. Rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide are usually priced around a few dollars each and last longer than the containers of wipes, as the wipes often come in packs of only 35.
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Clorox and Lysol wipes were never meant to be used near food surfaces; they even warn the consumer on the bottle. But many consumers assume that it's perfectly safe and then prepare food on contaminated surfaces.
Popular commercial wipes are made with dozens of chemicals and irritants that are not only irritants for human skin, but they also contaminate our waterways. These wipes do not dissolve and end up causing major plumbing blockages, called "fatbergs," which have the potential to obstruct major sewage systems and cause spillages into homes, according to Droid Wipes.
Cleaning wipes are made from plastic, and we throw away billions of them globally every year. These end up both in our landfills and in our oceans, causing a threat to marine life and disrupting food chains.
To reinvigorate your home cleaning routine, consider building a pantry of inexpensive ingredients like castile soap, vinegar, and baking soda. Natural cleaners can also be much more effective than store-bought concoctions, as they are not watered down.
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Absolutely 💯 What everyone's saying
Her fans were grateful for the cleaning wisdom.
"Thank you for this! Will be doing this from now on," one user commented.
"Thanks for saying this. I get weird looks when I say I don't use chemicals in my kitchen," another TikToker shared.
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