DIY Natural Disinfectant Spray – Easy Recipes

DIY natural disinfectant sprays are not only at least as effective as chemically infused store bought sprays, they are simple and cheap to make. Once you start mixing together homemade household cleaners, you soon realize the multiple purpose nature many common ingredients possess.

These natural disinfectant recipes were designed for use in the kitchen, but really there is no reason not to use it everywhere in your home. I regularly use the recipes in my bathroom, as well.

Because of the disinfecting power of the distilled white vinegar and vodka or rubbing alcohol in each recipe, you can rest assured that your bathroom sink, faucet, shower, bathtub, commode, and even vinyl flooring have been thoroughly cleaned.

At any given time we have at least 12 one gallon jugs of distilled white vinegar in our pantry. That stinky smelling liquid can be used in not only as a DIY natural disinfectant but in a copious amount other cleaning and pest repellent homemade concoctions.

If you hand me a bottle of distilled white vinegar, rubbing alcohol, olive oil, water, and some essential oils I can clean or polish just about anything.

The three DIY natural disinfectant spray recipes below are quite similar, but offer enough variation that they each deserved to be included. The type of grime and germs you are disinfecting or treating to prevent mildew will dictate which one of the powerful natural disinfectant recipes should best suit your task.

All of the DIY natural disinfectant sprays use only natural and non-toxic ingredients that eliminate nasty odors, fight mold and mildew, shine faucets, doorknobs, and countertops.

It takes only a couple of minutes to whip up each recipe, and they will leave your home smelling fresh and clean quickly. Eliminating germs inside the home is perhaps the best way to ward or prevent the spread of illness.

Don’t worry about the stinky odor coming from freshly applied distilled white vinegar. You house will only smell like you are canning or dying Easter eggs until it dries – I promise.

You can even spray the following DIY natural disinfectant sprays onto upholstered furniture, mattresses, and carpets like you would Febreeze to eliminate odors.

Best Essential Oils to Use in Natural Disinfectant Recipes

In the recipes that call for essential oils, I recommend the following due to their natural antibacterial, antibiotic, and antimicrobial properties. Some smell deliciously fragrant, but others, like tea tree oil, do not.

Don’t worry, like the vinegar stink, the tea tree oil smell elevates in mere minutes after it dries and due to its incredible natural antibiotic properties, it is the best essential oil to use when combating a house filled with runny noses.

• Tea Tree Oil
• Cinnamon
• Lemon
• Orange
• Lavender
• Eucalyptus
• Clove
• Oregano
• Rosemary
• Peppermint
• Thyme

If you do not typically keep a bottle of Vodka in your liquor cabinet, or do not stockpile liquor on your homestead, simply substitute rubbing alcohol in recipes that call for it. Vodka is a better disinfectant than rubbing alcohol, so you might consider buying a bottle just for cleaning purposes.

How To Use the Natural Disinfectant #1

• Spray the DIY disinfectant directly onto solid surfaces, and allow to air dry.
• Spray the homemade disinfectant onto a cloth and rub down remote controls, electronic touch pads and keyboards, and other sensitive items, and allow to air dry.
• To use this natural disinfectant spray to prevent or control the spread of mold and mildew, spray the surface, scrub and allow to air dry. Next, spray the surface again with enough of the solution that the area being treated remains wet for about five minutes. Then, allow to air dry, dabbing away only any dripping liquid. Re-treat the area once a week to prevent new mold growth.
• Always shake the bottle vigorously before each use.
• This natural disinfectant spray recipe is also great to use when cleaning trash cans and diaper pails.
• If you use rubbing alcohol instead of vodka, this same recipe can be used to clean livestock waterers, feeders, and cages. Use caution when adding tea tree oil if the spray is going to be used in areas where small animals or young children could touch before it dries. Exposure to too much tea tree oil could cause nausea, diarrhea, or nervous system issues – although I have never had any problems using this essential oil in nearly every cleaner, bug repellant, or natural remedy.
• When using this natural disinfecting spray to sanitize and deodorize fabric material, squirt the mixture until the treatment area is slightly damp and will remain so for around 30 seconds – allow to air dry.
• Distilled white vinegar should not be used on either marble or granite surfaces because its acidic content can etch onto the finish.

The portion of the control panel screen left was not cleaned with the DIY natural disinfectant. The portion on the right now only looks, but feels incredibly clean. The solution dries rapidly, and does not leave any residue. The vinegar smell dissipated in about 45 seconds after applying.

The top of the stove hood was disinfected with the natural cleaner I made and the bottom lip portion was not. Thanks to the vinegar and the vodka, it was fairly easy to cut through the build up grease. Next time though, I will use a scrubby sponge to make the process even quicker.

How To Use the Natural Disinfectant #2

You can use this natural disinfectant spray just as you would a Lysol-type product. It also works great to scour toilet bowls, sinks, and for scrubbing down walls.

The cost of making DIY natural disinfectants sprays is just pennies on the dollar compared to either mass manufactured chemical based sprays or store bought organic non-toxic sprays.

Once you get into the habit of saving money and creating a low-tox household using natural cleaners, I doubt you will ever go back to store brands again.