So you have some sh*t to clean, eh? If you’re looking at this DIY Natural Disinfectant then I can only imagine it is a serious cleaning job because this cleaner is no wimp. Jam-packed full of natural cleaning powerhouses it is my go-to if we are sick. It’s not my day-to-day cleaner, for normal cleaning tasks I use my DIY All-purpose cleaner or if the task needs a bit more firepower then I use my Natural Orange Cleaner. However, if sickness rears its ugly head then I bust out the big guns, aka this DIY Natural disinfectant.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
So let’s take a look at what this bad boy contains. The list of ingredients isn’t long (3 to be exact) but they are damn powerful alone but even more so when combined. It’s like the perfect cleaning trifecta, all you need are…
- Vinegar
- Alcohol
- Essential Oils
1. Vinegar
Let’s look at the first ingredient, vinegar, which is a respectable cleaner in its own rite. It is one of those old-time cleaning products, your grandma probably swore by the stuff. Acetic acid (vinegar) is a great disinfectant but had the added benefit of also being able to cut grease and deodorize. Plus it can help to kill mold.
Vinegar works well against ‘gram-negative’ bacteria, including such nasties as salmonella and E. coli. How does it do this? Well, the acetic acid kills the cells by causing a release of protons when it crosses the cells membrane. Which is why I include it in this DIY natural disinfectant. I would suggest you hunt down some cleaning vinegar as it has a higher acetic acid content, 10% vs the usual 5%. But in a pinch regular vinegar will work just fine.
2. Alcohol
So as far as the second ingredient, alcohol, you have three choices and either will work as well as the other. You can use either isopropyl alcohol, rubbing alcohol or Vodka, Everclear 190 to be exact. While regular vodka has an alcohol content of about 40%, Everclear 190 contains 95%. According to the CDC, you need to have an alcohol concentration between 60-90% to be effective against viruses and bacteria.
Using alcohol in this DIY natural disinfectant also helps it to dry quickly after it is applied as the alcohol evaporates. It also helps to increase the disinfecting power of this cleaner.
3. Oils
To complete the cleaning trifecta we are going to need some oils. You may be thinking olive or vegetable, but that’s not what I mean. For cleaning power, we are going to need some essential oils.
The nice thing about using essential oils is that you can customize the scent to one that is perfect for you! There are quite a few to choose from and I have listed some oils that are reputed to have antiviral and/or antifungal properties. Plus they smell awesome.
- Bergamot
- Peppermint
- Thyme
- Clove
- Oregano
- Cinnamon
- Tea tree
- Thieves
- Lavender
- Lemon
- Orange
- Rosemary
The Necessities
The great this about this DIY Natural Disinfectant is that it only has 3 ingredients and you only need 3 things to make it, lastly, it’s super quick! So here is the very short list of things you are going to need to get started.
- Amber glass bottle with nozzle (amber glass protects the essential oils)
- Measuring cups
- Funnel
DIY Natural Disinfectant
Equipment
- Amber glass bottle with a nozzle
- Measuring cups
- Funnel
Materials
- 1 Β½ Cups Isopropyl alcohol or Vodka (If you use vodka it is best to get Everclear 190 due to its high alcohol content)
- β Cup Cleaning vinegar (This is double the strength of regular vinegar)
- 20-30 Drops Essential oils (pick your favourite or make your own blend)
Instructions
- Put the funnel in the amber glass bottle.
- Pour in all the ingredients.
- Put the nozzle on the bottle and swirl it all around.
- Go clean stuff…naturally.
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