DIY Natural All-Purpose Disinfecting Spray

I love having a nice clean home but it’s been years since I gave up using conventional products because a lot of them contained questionable ingredients that I didn’t want around my children. Although I didn’t want them being exposed to things like phthalates, ammonia, chlorine, sodium hydroxide, etc.; I wanted to use products that would clean effectively.

I started experimenting with different recipes and throughout this year I’m going to share with you the ones we used the most. I have to be honest, there are times our lives are too hectic and I just buy some of these products – you can find the ones I use and trust in this section.

One of the main ingredients I use when creating natural cleaning products is vinegar.  Vinegar is a type of acetic acid that forms through the fermentation of sugars or starches. It is completely safe and edible, and it doesn’t harm humans – a big plus! There are many types of vinegar but for cleaning products you want to use plain white vinegar.

Before you make this recipe keep in mind that in my research I’ve found that straight up vinegar can scratch granite or marble countertops. Although I don’t have convincing evidence of this and have been using it on granite countertops without any issues, I wanted to warn you.

Also,  vinegar is not approved as a disinfectant by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) because there haven’t been studies done that it can get rid of harmful pathogens that lurk on surfaces, like salmonella. That being said, I wouldn’t use this for a restaurant or other commercial facilities but I’m happy with it for home use.

This recipe contains rubbing alcohol for disinfecting purposes but you can also skip the alcohol, especially if you’re cleaning things like kid toys.

I’ve used this recipe in my kitchen as well as bathroom or to spot clean food that’s stuck on the floor.

Outbreak update: This recipe has NOT been tested on the current virus and I cannot guarantee it kills it. If you’re looking for a non-toxic, safe disinfectant that you can use during this outbreak I would suggest getting Force of Nature, – which is just as effective as bleach but without the toxic chemicals. Force of Nature is EPA registered for disinfecting & sanitizing hospitals, ICUs, daycares, schools & more. Learn more about it here.

DIY Natural All-Purpose Disinfecting Spray

Ingredients:

• Large glass spray bottle (the essential oils can break plastic over time so it’s best to stick to glass)
• Small glass bowl or jar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 2 tbsp. rubbing alcohol
• 20 drops Lemon essential oil
• 20 drops tea tree essential oil
• Alternative: if someone is sick in my home I use Germ Destroyer instead of lemon and tea tree oils to help combat those sick germs.

Directions:

Pour water (if I need to do some heavy duty cleaning I use warm water) and vinegar in your glass spray bottle and give it a swirl to mix. The vinegar has antifungal and antimicrobial properties.

Next, in a small glass bowl or jar, combine rubbing alcohol and essential oil. The rubbing alcohol will help dissolve the oils enough so that that it mixes better with the water and vinegar.

Pour the alcohol and the essential oil you’re using in your spray bottle – either the Lemon essential oil and Tea Tree essential oil combination or the Germ Destroyer.

Screw on the lid and give it a good shake. The lemon and tea tree oil will help cover the smell of vinegar while also disinfecting the surface.

Use it as an all-purpose cleaner by spraying on your counters or bathroom. It works best if you let it sit a minute and then wipe it off.

If you use this recipe, I’d love to know if you like it. Leave a comment down below.

Like this post? Pin it for later: