Powerful DIY Disinfectant Spray | 3 Ingredients

We all know how important it is to keep our hands washed with soap and water during this Covid-19 time. It’s just as important to keep the surfaces in our homes disinfected. However, we can’t take our cell phones, fridge handles and steering wheels under the faucet and wash with soap and water. Therefore, we need something to clean these surfaces with. This simple and POWERFUL DIY disinfectant spray recipe is the one to get the job done and only takes 3 simple ingredients.

This disinfectant spray is quick and inexpensive to make up and calls for supplies and ingredients you are most likely to have right in your home.

How effective is this diy disinfectant spray?

The CDC gives several recommendations and solutions for disinfecting. I love that isopropyl alcohol is on the list for effectiveness. Some of the other choices, like bleach, I don’t feel so great about and want to avoid as much as possible. Household bleach comes with all kinds of toxic red flags.

If you want to read about the toxic concerns regarding bleach and other chemical cleaners, this site is a good reference and one I go to frequently when considering products. I even have their app on my phone that scans products to see the rating of toxicity right when I’m at the store. I love it.

As most of you know, I have been making my own non-toxic cleaners for many years and swear by their effectiveness. I felt I needed to amp up my all purpose cleaner recipe with a few stronger ingredients because of the pandemic. Some of you may already have my list of cleaning recipes, but if you don’t, you can find the updated version HERE. It’s a free download and I would love for you to have a copy. This recipe has been added to the list.

What are the ingredients and why are they so effective?

When I make up a DIY recipe, I am all about knowing the WHY about the ingredients that goes in it. So, here is a little information about the 3 items that go into this spray.

1-Isopropyl Alcohol

Isopropyl Alcohol is a natural antibacterial and antiviral. Alcohol damages the cell walls of organisms, therefore allowing the alcohol to enter the organism and destroy it.

According to the CDC, you want to use an alcohol that is at least 70% alcohol to disinfect surfaces. Some say you can use either ethanol (that’s what is in the alcohol that you drink), but I have read a lot of controversial information about that.

Now I know isopropyl alcohol may be like liquid gold to some of you and is hard to, or even impossible to find in the stores right now. Luckily I had stockpiled several bottles years ago, so I was able to make up several batches of this stuff.

If you can’t find rubbing alcohol, my All Non-Toxic All Purpose Cleaner will be better than nothing, and you can find the post and recipe HERE.

2-Hydrogen Peroxide

According to an article from the CDC, hydrogen peroxide is active against a wide range of microorganisms, including bacteria, yeasts, fungi, viruses, and spores

3-Essential Oils

I am a big fan of using essential oils. Although they are not a one all, cure all substance, they do have amazing properties and I take advantage and use them all the time.

Some oils that I recommend and have antibacterial, antiviral, antimicrobial, anti fungal, antiseptic, and deodorizing properties are:

Diy disinfectant spray Ingredients

  • 16 oz. isopropyl alcohol (70%) also called rubbing alcohol.
  • 1/2 tsp. hydrogen peroxide
  • Essentials oils

I recommend:

Use what oils that you have available

Instructions

1. Using a narrow tip funnel, fill a 16 oz. glass spray bottle most of the way full with alcohol.

2. Add 1/2 teaspoon hydrogen peroxide

3. Remove the funnel and add the following essential oils

  • tea tree essential oil, 30 drops 
  • lemon essential oil, 15 drops 
  • lavender essential oil, 15 drops 
  • eucalyptus essential oil, 15 drops 

4. Apply the spray nozzle and shake well.

5. I highly recommend adding some kind of label.

If you’re like me, if you don’t label the jar, you will forget what the heck was in the jar and then you won’t be able to use it effectively.

I’m a painters tape kind of gal and use it all the time to label things. So it can be as simple as writing on a piece of painters tape with a sharpie. But label your jars!

You can download the FREE printable label and recipe HERE.

There are 3 of each style of label. They measure 4 x 2.25 inches.

If you want the labels printed on weatherproof polyester paper, you can purchase the labels in my ETSY shop.

I love these jars with spray nozzles

How to use the disinfectant spray

Shake bottle well before each use! Spray and leave on for up to 30 seconds and wipe. It will evaporate quickly.

Spray on:

  • counter tops
  • handles 
  • door knobs
  • computer keyboards
  • toilet seats/handle
  • faucets
  • cell phones
  • steering wheels

I clean our phones every morning and go through the house spraying on common surfaces regularly. 

You can make the spray up in smaller batches to put in smaller bottles. I keep 8 oz. bottles full of disinfecting spray in my car, by my computer, and in the kitchen. My favorite is to have the mini bottles in my purse and whenever I travel. 

Make your own MINI travel disinfectant spray using an empty 15 ml essential oil bottle.

Get the spray attachments here

Here is the video tutorial.

Play Video

You got this!

Stay well my friends!

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Jan Howell

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

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Tile & Grout – How to keep it clean the easy way

Cleaning tile and grout can be a nasty job, but it doesn’t have to be! I am going to share with you a simple secret on how to clean tile and to keep it that way.

I’m all about using non-toxic and natural cleaners in my home and have done so for many years. You don’t have to use powerful chemicals to get things clean and sanitized. The KEY is…PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE!

Here’s the deal, when it comes to shower tile & grout; you can’t wait for weeks between cleaning it. If you do, hard water deposits, soap scum, and even mold will start to accumulate. Now you have a nasty job ahead of you, and one that most likely you’ll procrastinate until it gets REALLY bad. I don’t think anyone likes scrubbing their guts out on tile, I know I don’t. It’s exhausting!

This is how you keep your tile and grout clean

Play Video

So what is the big secret? I got this cool SQUEEGEE and I use it every day! Doing this one simple thing has made my life so much easier! When we added the new master bath onto our house, I swore that I would keep the tile clean from the get-go. I haven’t had to do a major scrub job yet and we have had the new shower for almost four years now.

This squeegee is the bomb! Most shower squeegees are not very wide and are made of plastic that really just smears the water around. This bad boy is wide (makes the process much quicker) and really grabs the water. LOVE IT!

It doesn’t come with a handle, but you can use any handle. You can cut a piece of 3/4 inch dowel 6 inches and you are good to go. I haven’t seen anything like it anywhere but on Amazon. I have one in each bathroom. Get a suction holder to hang it on.

What do I use to clean my tile and grout?

I make my own cleaner. I have tried several types of store-bought “natural” cleaners over the years only to be very disappointed. They just didn’t do the job. So I started tweaking recipes I found online until I found something that really works.

I have a few cleaner recipes that I like. The first one is a basic tub & tile cleaner that is good for the tub, tile, toilet, and sink.

The other one works really well if you have a lot of built-up water deposit residue, and mold going on. It’s not a totally green recipe, but so much better than using serious chemical cleaners like Lysol or Clorox.

Blue Magic Dawn Cleaner

This recipe is pretty common in the Pinterest world. It uses only two ingredients; Dawn dish cleaner and vinegar.  Many of the recipes on Pinterest call for much more soap, but I find them WAY too sudsy. You spend too much time getting rid of the soap slime.

  • 1/4 cup Dawn Dish Detergent
  • 2 cups hot vinegar

I like to recycle my Mrs. Meyers dish soap bottles for my cleaning products. The label works great for a measuring guide. (the bottom edge of the label is 1/4 cup).

Fill the rest of the bottle with hot (microwaved) vinegar.

Shake well and squirt on shower tile, toilets, and sinks.

Turn on the fan, because it does smell quite strong!

Let it sit for about 5 minutes. It really works like magic.

I looked up the rating for Dawn on EWG’s website and it scores a D for being toxic to the environment.

If you wanting to know what cleaners to avoid and what ones are safe, EWG has a great article. It gives you a list of 10 cleaners to avoid and 10 of the best ones to use. You can find it here.

My recommendation

  • Get your tub, tile, and toilet clean with the Dawn recipe (if they are bad).
  • Maintain the tile by squeegeeing after each use.
  • Clean the toilet and sinks weekly using the tub scrub.
  • Monthly clean the tile with the tub scrub. (It is a snap if you’ve been squeegeeing)!

If you are getting overwhelmed with all that it takes to keep your house clean, you may find this cleaning system helpful.  This is a fun way to spread out all the tasks so they are doable.

If you enjoy my tutorial videos, please be sure to “LIKE” my Youtube videos and “FOLLOW” me, so you don’t miss out any new upcoming tutorials.

Remember, cleaning does not have to be a pain. Unfortunately, it IS something that inevitably needs to be done, one way or the other, but we can “choose” to make the process a joy!

Happy cleaning!

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I like to recycle my Mrs. Meyers dish soap bottles for my cleaning products. The label works great for a measuring guide. (the bottom edge of the label is 1/4 cup).

Jan Howell

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

Read More

Non Toxic All-Purpose Cleaner- How to Easily Make Your Own

non toxic all-purpose cleaner

If you are interested in cleaning your house without toxic chemicals, this is an awesome recipe for a non toxic all-purpose cleaner that really works.  I have been making and using this cleaner for years, with great results.  The essential oils used in this blend are great germ and bacteria busters!

This cleaner is very quick to make up and cost effective!

all-purpose cleaner uses:

  • Toilet seat, bowl and handle
  • microwave, fridge and cabinet handles
  • faucets
  • counter tops and sinks
  • lights witches
  • and for any general cleaning purposes

What you will need:

  • 16 oz. Spray Bottle
  • 2 teaspoons concentrated dish soap or 1 TB regular dish soap (use half that if you have soft water)
  • 30-40 drops Tea Tree, (Melaleuca) essential oil
  • Distilled or filtered water

Other essential oils that work great are: Clove, Lemon, Geranium, Rosemary and Wild Orange. (I like to add 30 drops of Melaleuca and 10 drops of another oil).

Mrs. Myers dish soaps are really nice to use in this cleaner because they smell so yummy! Experiment and find what smells you like. Definitely makes cleaning the bathroom a lot more enjoyable!!!

How to make the non toxic all-purpose cleaner

  • Fill the bottle 3/4 full of water
  • Add the soap and essential oils. (Adding the soap last will keep it from foaming up and spilling all the precious essential oils out of the bottle).
  • Carefully fill the rest of the bottle up with water and shake well.
  • Shake before use.
non toxic all-purpose cleaner

I love these labeled bottles. The recipes for the cleaners is printed on the label that goes on the back side of the bottle. No more searching for the recipe when it comes time to make up another batch.

non toxic all-purpose cleaner

You can get the downloadable, printable PDF file and make your own labels.  We keep a set upstairs and one downstairs. These make great wedding shower gifts too!

I use this waterproof sticker paper that works like a charm.

non toxic all-purpose cleaner

I recommend getting some cheap cotton washcloths all the same color and use them only for cleaning. That way you will know what are cleaning cloths and what are washcloths. 

Walmart sells a set of wash cloths called Mainstays and they are only like $4.00 for 18.

Whenever I am somewhere else cleaning, and I am using chemical cleaners, I can sure tell the difference. I get a headache and feel so yucky afterwards. You may want to think about what you are using to clean with and if you want those chemicals in your home. I have found that there ARE great alternatives out there without giving up any cleaning power.

The best thing is, that you can make them yourselves and save a lot of money!

Why don’t you give it a whirl!

You may also be interested in these posts

How to clean your grout & tile

DIY Bathroom Cleaner 

Non Toxic All-Purpose Cleaner- How to Easily Make Your Own

non toxic all-purpose cleaner

Very effective all purpose cleaner without all the chemicals. 

  • Prep Time10 min
  • Total Time10 min
  • Yield16 oz

    Ingredients

      • 16 oz. Spray Bottle
      • 2 teaspoons concentrated dish soap or 1 TB regular dish soap (use half that if you have soft water)
      • 30-40 drops Tea Tree, (Melaleuca) essential oil
      • Distilled or filtered water

    INSTUCTIONS

    1

    Fill the bottle 3/4 full of water

    2

    Add the soap and essential oils. (Adding the soap last will keep it from foaming up and spilling all the precious essential oils out of the bottle).

    3

    Carefully fill the rest of the bottle up with water and shake well.

    4

    Shake before use.

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    Jan Howell

    Jan Howell

    Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

    Read More

    DIY Closet Organizer Tags

    organizer tags

    These closet organizer tags are easy to make and a quick project.

    I am trying to create more space and organization for my small, compact closet. 

    I started the process by sorting through and donating those items I very seldom wear or haven’t worn in a very long time. 

    It’s incredible the things we hold onto thinking SOMEDAY we might wear it.

    It’s so refreshing to let things go!

    So now that I have created a little more space, I wanted to do something to keep things more organized. 

    I put the clothes in categories so I can find items more accessible. 

    I came across this idea on Pinterest and thought I would give it a whirl.

    organizer tags

    Closet Organizer Tags Instructions

    Using craft foam sheets (thick card stock or scrapbook paper would also work great), trace around a small bowl measuring around 4 inches or so.

    organizer tags tracing lid

    Find a small lid that measures around 2 inches just eyeball it to the center point, and trace around it.

    organizer tags cutting out

    Cut out the outer circle.

    organizer tags

    Cut a slit into the center and cut around the inner circle.

    sweaters organizer tags

    Label the closet organizer tags using a marker. 

    You could get a lot more fancy than this, perhaps using cute printed card stock or even typing it up on a computer. 

    I just wanted something quick and easy.

    Cut out and label as many as you need. These tags would be great in the kids closets too.

    organizer tags variety
    There you have it.  EASY PEASY!
    Could you stand to do a little closet makeover?
    Have fun and remember…LESS IS MORE!
    Jan Howell

    Jan Howell

    Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

    Read More