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.

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.

    Share:

    Facebook
    Twitter
    Pinterest

    Connect:

    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