DIY Disinfectant Spray – Natural Homemade Disinfecting Spray

This easy-to-make DIY disinfectant spray offers convenience and sanitising power – without the harsh chemicals and synthetic scents of store-bought products. Made with alcohol and essential oils, this homemade disinfectant spray recipe will keep your home free of harmful germs. Plus, the natural disinfecting spray is ready in 2 minutes.

DIY Disinfectant Spray – Natural Homemade Disinfectant Spray Recipe

How can I disinfect my house naturally? Are you looking for a homemade “Lysol” disinfecting spray? You’re in the right place because I’m going to show you how to make DIY disinfectant spray with natural ingredients and essential oils.

Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces in your home can help to fight the spread of germs and bacteria. With coronavirus on the rises, using a sanitizer spray is a must! Researches found that the virus can live on surfaces for up to 9 days (source)! Say whaaaat?! Let’s get started on this natural disinfectant spray NOW!

Cleaning vs disinfecting

We all want to live in a clean and healthy home. But before we tackle the homemade disinfectant spray recipe, we need to understand the difference between cleaning and disinfecting. Cleaning and disinfecting shouldn’t be confused – they are not interchangeable.

Cleaning with water and a detergent refers to the physical removal of grime and dirt. In the process, some germs are removed, but some cleaning tools, like sponges or brushes, merely move germs from one surface to another. Furthermore, a surface can look clean but still harbour germs. Yikes!

“Disinfecting, on the other hand, refers to killing a high percentage of the germs on a surface or rendering them incapable of reproducing.” (source) The goal is to reduce the number of germs to a safe level and lower the risk of spreading infection.

When should I use a DIY disinfectant spray?

Here are few situations where cleaning isn’t enough and using a DIY disinfecting spray is warranted:

• kitchen disinfection (surfaces, cabinets, sink, appliances, fridge, garbage disposable)
• disinfecting food preparation areas and kitchen utensils (e.g. cutting board after cutting raw meat or fish)
• bathroom disinfection (sink, toilet, tiles and other surfaces)
• disinfecting surfaces and door handles against flu or other viruses
• when your toddler or pet has a mishap
• someone in your household suffers from an infectious disease

Now, how do you make disinfectant spray with essential oils? Read on and find out!

DIY disinfectant spray ingredients

What can I use as a natural disinfectant? You only need 3 ingredients to make your own DIY “Lysol” disinfecting spray. Here’s a quick overview of what goes into the recipe and why!

• high-proof alcohol – High-proof alcohol (140 proof/70% alcohol and higher) kills germs. Read on to learn my tips for choosing alcohol.
• hydrogen peroxide – Hydrogen peroxide makes the disinfectant even more effective because it fights alcohol-resistant bacteria and viruses.
• essential oils – Essential oils are naturally disinfecting and antimicrobial. They also eliminate bad odours and fight mould and mildew. You can learn more disinfecting essential oils below.
• spray bottle – I love these 16-oz spray bottles for mixing, storing and using my homemade disinfectant spray.

How to make a strong DIY disinfectant spray

What is the best homemade disinfectant? Please don’t fall for DIY disinfectant sprays without alcohol, they are not safe. According to the CDC, a surface disinfectant spray must contain at least 60% alcohol to be effective against microorganisms.

Your best bet is to use high-proof alcohol to make the best disinfectant spray for home. For the best natural disinfectant, prepare the recipe with 140-proof alcohol (70% alcohol) or higher.

Here are a few ideas:

• Spirytus vodka (192 proof, 96% alcohol)
• 190 proof Everclear (95% alcohol)
• Golden Grain (190 proof / 95% alcohol)
• Gem Clear 190 Proof (95% alcohol)
• Alcohol-95 (95% alcohol content)
• 151 proof Everclear (75.5% alcohol content)
• 150 proof vodka (75% alcohol content)

You can also mix the DIY disinfectant spray with rubbing/isopropyl alcohol. However, rubbing/isopropyl alcohol is a synthetic product and has a harsh smell. It can cause headaches and is poisonous if consumed. But if rubbing alcohol is your only option, use it!

Mild homemade disinfectant spray

There are some cautions when making DIY disinfectant spray with lower proof alcohol. However, if you can’t find 140-proof alcohol, utilise other high-proof alcohols to make your sanitizer spray, for example, 100-proof vodka. The homemade disinfectant spray will be less effective but still better than nothing.

Homemade disinfectant spray essential oils

Which essential oil is best for disinfecting? I’m a trained aromatherapist. One questions I hear a lot is “Do essential oils disinfect?” Studies have shown that essential oils have antimicrobial properties and may be used as natural alternatives to synthetic materials (source).

While alcohol provides most of the sanitizing power in this DIY disinfectant spray, essentials oils can strengthen the DIY disinfectant spray.

Here’s a list of natural disinfectant essential oils:

• cinnamon essential oil
• clove bud essential oil
• eucalyptus essential oil
• lavender essential oil
• lemon essential oil
• oregano essential oil
• peppermint essential oil
• rosemary essential oil
• tea tree essential oil
• thyme essential oil

Now we know the best DIY cleaning spray essential oils. From this list, you can choose any combination of oils or just use a single EO. I used a refreshing blend of lemon, rosemary and tea tree.

Pet safety

Most of the essential oils on this list can be harmful to pets. To protect your cats and dogs, I recommend making the DIY disinfectant spray without essential oils.

How do you make natural disinfectant spray? – Natural DIY disinfectant spray with alcohol

How do you make natural antibacterial spray? It’s time to get to the important stuff – how to make an antibacterial spray for home! Just 3 easy steps:

1. Pour the alcohol into a 16-oz spray bottle until almost full.
2. Add the hydrogen peroxide and essential oils.
3. Shake the bottle until the ingredients are well combined.

How to use the natural disinfectant spray

Let me walk you through the step-by-step process of using the DIY disinfectant spray to sanitizes hard surfaces in your home:

1. Before using the DIY disinfectant spray, clean surfaces with water and soap or detergent. It’s important to remove physical dirt before sanitizing the are with a natural disinfectant spray. The homemade disinfectant spray doesn’t remove dirt, so clean first!
2. After cleaning, spray the surface with DIY disinfectant spray. Use enough product to leave the surface wet. Let sit for 5 minutes and let the homemade disinfectant spray air-dry.
3. When disinfecting against viruses, leave disinfectant on the surface for 10 minutes. Then rinse with water and let air-dry.

You can also use the homemade disinfectant spray for fabric and toys.

Safety tips

To protect your hands, consider wearing gloves and wash your hands with soap after cleaning and disinfecting.

Always keep the homemade disinfectant spray out of reach of kids and pets.

Shelf life and storage of the DIY disinfecting spray

The high alcohol content gives the homemade disinfectant spray a long shelf life of several months.

Store the homemade disinfecting spray in a dry, dark place, away from direct sunlight and heat sources. I keep my DIY surface disinfectant in a cupboard in my kitchen.

Stay healthy with these DIYs

In case you need a homemade antibacterial spray for skin, try my homemade hand sanitizer gel, this DIY disinfectant hand spray or my antibacterial hand soap!

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