I’m not a germophobic but I am quite diligent when it comes to disinfecting our home in order to kill germs. Before I learned how to make my own antibacterial spray, I was a big fan of Lysol because the product suggests that it can kill 99.9% of bacteria. I love to spray it on areas that normally stink and can become a good breeding ground for bacteria like the trash bin and laundry basket. However, Lysol is expensive and I find its scent too strong that if I have a visitor whose migraine is triggered by a strong scent, then he will probably have an attack after inhaling Lysol from our home.
When it comes to bathroom cleaning, I normally use bleach (e.g. Zonrox) diluted in water to disinfect the tiles, sink and toilet bowl. Sadly, I have a love-hate relationship with bleach even though it’s really effective in killing bacteria and viruses. First, I hate the strong odor of bleach and it reminds me of the scent of a hospital. Second, since I don’t wear gloves when cleaning, my hands always get red and itchy after using bleach.
Due to those reasons, I decided to look for a natural disinfectant spray recipe on the Internet and I can’t believe how easy it is to make it! Basically, it’s just a combination of water, rubbing alcohol and two essential oils that are known for their antibacterial and antiviral properties (yes, I’m talking about lavender and tea tree essential oils).
Ingredients
(Makes one 200ml spray bottle)
Rubbing alcohol (at least 70%)
Distilled water
10 drops Lavender essential oil
10 drops Tea Tree essential oil
Instructions
- Fill half of the bottle with rubbing alcohol and add the essential oils. Shake well.
- Fill the rest of the spray bottle with distilled water until it almost reaches the rim (leave a little space so we can still shake the mixture).
- Close the bottle and shake well to mix everything together.
How to use
- Shake well before use (this is an important step since the essential oils sometimes separate from the liquid).
- Spray on surfaces that you want to disinfect (e.g. kitchen countertop, door knob, toilet bowl, kid’s toys, etc.).
- Leave the solution for a few seconds then wipe it dry with a cloth.
I
have been using this disinfectant spray for a month. I love how it leaves a
subtle scent of lavender on my kitchen countertop whenever I use it. No more
overpowering smell of Lysol or bleach. If you want to increase the potency of
this disinfectant spray, then you can just increase the ratio of rubbing alcohol
in the solution.
Disclosure: This
post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the
product links and purchase the products, I’ll receive some commission.
