10 Things You Shouldn’t Clean With Antibacterial Wipes
Updated: Nov. 29, 2023
Antibacterial wipes are a time-crunched cleaner's best friend, but here are 10 things you shouldn't use them on.
Don’t Waste Your Wipes
As people around the world become vastly more attentive to cleaning, they’re buying antibacterial wipes as fast as retailers can keep them stocked. People are using them to wipe down everything, in hopes of making their homes a little cleaner and safer. While they’re a great cleaning tool, there are lots of items that you shouldn’t use wipes to clean. Of course, we still love wipes. Here’s why Clorox wipes are so good at killing germs.
Children’s Toys
When you wipe a surface with an antibacterial wipe, you see a gratifying smudge of grime on the white rag. What you don’t see is what’s left behind—chemicals. “The major reason that I believe that people should not use antibacterial wipes as an everyday go-to wipe is that we are seeing an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria,” says John Manolas, a chemist and co-owner of Whyte Gate. “Most surfaces will probably be equally germ-free after regular cleaning with soap and water or other household cleaners.” Manolas also stresses that parents shouldn’t use the wipes on children’s toys because kids are likely to put the toys in their mouths.
What to use instead: Vinegar and water. Add half a cup of vinegar to a gallon of water and wipe down the toys with the solution. If the toy is waterproof, you should soak it in the vinegar solution for at least 15 minutes to kill any bacteria. Rinse it thoroughly and let it air-dry. It’s a great non-toxic way to clean toys. If the toys still smell like vinegar once they’re dry, be sure to rinse them out again. On the other hand, find out some things you shouldn’t clean with vinegar.
Anything That Absorbs Moisture
To kill bacteria, antibacterial solutions often need to sit for several minutes. If the surface is soft—foam or carpet, for example—it won’t stay wet long enough to be effective. Don’t try multiple wipes; the moisture could damage the surface. To learn how long a surface must be wet to be sterilized, check the bottle, says Jason Courtney, owner of Office Pride cleaning service in Pensacola, Fla. “Every kind of wipe has a ‘kill claim’ on the back, which indicates what it will kill in a certain amount of time,” he says. “In a lab, wipes are tested for everything from hepatitis B to influenza to staphylococcus. If the wipe kills the germ, it can be listed on the container. How long the surface must remain wet to kill the germ is spelled out on the container, too.”
What to use instead: Hydrogen peroxide. There are all sorts of ways to clean your carpet that won’t damage it. Of course, make sure to vacuum your carpet. But if you’re targeting specific stains, hydrogen peroxide is a good catch-all. For this solution, combine a teaspoon of three percent hydrogen peroxide (a higher concentration might bleach your carpets) with a little cream of tartar or a dab of non-gel toothpaste. (Always do a spot test first.)
Kitchen Counters
If you think a swipe of an antibacterial wipe on a kitchen counter that just had raw chicken is enough to keep your family safe, think again. “Kitchen counters are hot spots for germs and bacteria, and cleaning them using only antibacterial wipes isn’t enough,” says Lily Cameron, cleaning and organizing professional and supervisor at Fantastic Services.
What to use instead: Soapy hot water and a sponge to disinfect your counters, Cameron says. Just make sure you’re properly cleaning (or frequently replacing) your sponge, one of the germiest items in your home.
Bathroom Countertops and Fixtures
Your bathroom sees a lot of bacteria day in and day out, and a quick swipe with an antibacterial wipe isn’t doing much to keep bacteria growth at bay. “To kill bacteria effectively, a disinfectant needs to stay on the surface for about five to ten minutes,” Cameron says. “Cleaning with antibacterial wipes leaves the surface dry less than five minutes for sure. Overusing of such wipes may expose your family to harmful chemicals without the germ-destroying benefit.”
What to use instead: Comet Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner. This cleaning is some stronger stuff that’ll power through soap scum, hard water and whatever else your bathroom can throw at it. And yet it’s gentle and won’t harm your surfaces! These are the cleaning products that professionals swear by.
Hardwood Surfaces
The chemicals and other ingredients in antibacterial wipes can do damage to some of your home’s surfaces over time. This includes hardwoods, which might lose their shine after repeated scrubs. They can also be damaged by the moisture. “Wood surfaces need to dry quickly, but wipes leave the surfaces relatively wet, so that is counterproductive,” says Alberto Navarrete, general manager of Frisco Maids in Dallas.
Greg Shepard, founder of Dallas Maids home cleaning, also in Dallas, says: “With wood, less is more. Wood floors, furniture and wood trimming should not be cleaned often with products because with frequent cleanings the finish dulls over time. This goes double with bacterial wipes because they contain alcohol, which damages wood’s finish.”
What to use instead: Pine-Sol, which safely cleans wood surfaces and leaves them shining. Plus it’s got a disinfectant component that keeps things germ-free.
Wiping Down the Whole Kitchen
If you’re tempted to take a wipe from the canister and quickly move from your stove to your fridge to your microwave to your sink—stop yourself. Antibacterial wipes are not meant to clean large areas. And if you use them for multiple spaces, you may make a bacteria problem worse. “Never use one antibacterial wipe to clean more than one surface,” Cameron says. “A dirty wipe has germs remaining on it and can transport bacteria to another location.”
What to use instead: One wipe per surface, then toss it. It might seem wasteful and you’d rather conserve wipes, especially when they’re in short supply. But using the same wipe for your entire kitchen is one of the cleaning mistakes that actually make your home dirtier.
Surfaces With a Sealant
The chemicals and acids in antibacterial wipes can eat away at the polish of sealed surfaces, like marble and granite. They may make the surfaces look dull, even scratched.
What to use instead: Look for specially-designed sealers for these surfaces. Or use plain soap and water, which is highly effective as a multi-purpose cleaner. Speaking of multi-purpose cleaners, these are the 10 things you should never clean with a Magic Eraser.
Leather
Here’s that alcohol problem again: Many disinfectant or antibacterial wipes contain it, and alcohol can dehydrate supple leather. Repeated use may leave your leather goods looking dry and chalky.
What to use instead: A gentle leather cleaner, like baby soap. Put a few drops into a quart or so of water. When you’re finished cleaning, go over the leather again with a clean, damp sponge to remove any soapy residue. And if you do use disinfecting wipes on leather, read the label and make sure it doesn’t contain alcohol. Find out more chemical-free ways to clean your home.
Lacquered Furniture
You can dull the beautiful finish of lacquered chairs and desks by using these alcohol-containing wipes. The same is true for any woodwork in your home, such as staircase railings or chair molding, which may have a high-sheen lacquer finish.
What to use instead: Gentle soap and warm water; this is another one you shouldn’t overthink. Put one teaspoon of soap into a half-gallon of water and use a damp cloth.
Your Hands
If the disinfectant is good for doorknobs and kitchen surfaces, it should be good for your hands, right? Not so fast, Cameron says. “Never clean your hands with antibacterial wipes before or while eating, because the wipes leave a residue on the skin,” she says. “Plus, not all the microbes and bacteria will wipe away. The alcohol may irritate the skin, too.”
What to use instead: There’s no replacement for thoroughly washing your hands! Learn how to wash your hands the right way to keep yourself and your family safe.
