DIY Disinfectant Sprays With Essential Oils + Recipes

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You know that using a disinfectant spray is the best way to keep the surfaces in your home germ-free. But not surprisingly, you do not want to use any type of cleaning product that contains toxic chemicals that are harmful for you and your family and also harmful for the environment.

If you’re looking for green cleaning alternatives to commercial cleaning products, check out these DIY disinfectant sprays using essential oils. These recipes call for all-natural, non-toxic products. Adding a drop or two of certain essential oils helps to kills germs and also fills your home with the aroma of the oil used.

Scroll below to discover an excellent premade solution if you don’t like making your own.

Germ-Destroyer DIY Disinfectant Spray Essential Oil Recipe #1

What you’ll need:

1 cup White Vinegar
7 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
7 drops Lavender Essential Oil (see below for lavender substitutes)
1 cup Distilled Water
¼ cup Vodka (optional)
Dark Colored Glass Spray Bottles

Add all the ingredients to the glass bottle. Screw the cover on tightly. Swirl the bottle around to mix the ingredients.

Spritz over surfaces thoroughly. Let the disinfectant sit on the surface for about 8 – 10 minutes so it can destroy the germs.

Wipe with a clean, dry, soft cloth. Microfiber cleaning cloths are great for this purpose.

Wipe off the dust from the surface before spraying.

This DIY disinfecting spray will leave all surfaces germ-free and smelling great!

Shake well before each use.

This DIY disinfectant spray can be used on all household surfaces except granite and marble. The vinegar in the spray may react with these stones and mar their smooth surface.

NOTE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS USED

Tea tree essential oil has powerful germ-killing properties and is one of the best essential oils to use when making your own disinfecting sprays. This particular Plant Therapy Tea Tree Oil is my No.1 choice for this recipe because it is from their KidSafe line, so it’s safe to use around kids.

The addition of lavender essential oil serves two purposes. One is because of its proven germ-fighting properties. The second is because of its pleasant floral smell, which helps to mask the stronger aroma of tea tree oil. The lavender oil in the recipe is also from Plant Therapy’s KidSafe line of essential oils.

Don’t care too much for floral aromas? You can substitute lavender for another essential oil with germ-killing properties. Choose any one of the essential oils listed below depending on which scent you prefer:

Lemon
Thyme
Lemongrass
Cinnamon
Eucalyptus

Yes, you can use plain water instead of distilled water but there’s a reason I recommend using the latter. Distilled water does not contain any natural minerals or other contaminants so the disinfectant won’t leave any streaks of mineral residue over your surfaces when wiped off. You can buy distilled water at any grocery store for less than a dollar.

Vodka also has excellent germ-killing properties and will increase the effectiveness of your homemade disinfectant spray. Don’t use your good vodka on this though. A cheap bottle will work just as well. You can use rubbing alcohol instead but it will give the spray a slightly medicinal smell, which is not really desirable.

The reason I strongly recommend using ‘dark-colored glass spray bottles’ is because the recipe contains essential oils. Exposure to light for extended periods of time can destroy the properties of essential oils, which is why any product made using essential oils must always be stored in dark-colored bottles. These oils also interact with plastic, which damages their properties. Dark-colored glass bottles help to keep their properties intact.

Germ-Destroyer DIY Disinfectant Spray Essential Oil Recipe #2

½ cup White Vinegar
½ cup Distilled Water
¼ cup Vodka (optional)
Dark Colored Glass Spray Bottles
15 drops of any one of the Synergy Blends mentioned below

Instead of using a combination of essential oils, this disinfectant spray recipe uses 15 drops of a pre-mixed synergy blend.

‘Synergy’ means working together. A synergy blend is a pre-made blend of complementary essential oils that are carefully chosen to optimize the synergistic properties of each oil.

Best Synergy Blends For Disinfectant Sprays with Essential Oils

These synergy blends are designed for fighting germs and are a popular addition to homemade disinfectant sprays.

Plant Therapy Citrus Burst Synergy Essential Oil Blend 30 ml (1 oz) 100% Pure, Undiluted, Therapeutic Grade

Formulated by Plant Therapy’s expert in-house Aromatherapists, this Citrus Burst Synergy Essential Oil Blend combines pink grapefruit, lemon essential oil, lime, may chang, mandarin, and sweet orange.

It has a fresh, bright, citrusy aroma that is uplifting and cheerful. The strong citrus aromas will get rid of musty odors and infuse your home with a fresh aroma.

Citrus oils also have strong germ-fighting properties that make the Citrus Burst Synergy Blend a great addition to your homemade disinfecting spray.

Thieves Essential Oil Blend by Young Living

This well-known blend by Young Living contains a quintet of powerful essential oils – Lemon, Clove, Eucalyptus, Rosemary, and Cinnamon Bark. It has a spicy, invigorating aroma that purifies the air and freshens the atmosphere.

Adding a few drops of Young Living Thieves Essential Oil Blend to your homemade disinfectant spray will boost its cleaning and odor-eliminating power.

If you have all of these oils, you can even make your own Thieves Blend.

doTERRA On Guard Protective Blend

doTerra’s On Guard Protective Blend is a powerful blend of select essential oils that contain potent cleaning and germ-fighting properties. It contains clove bud, wild orange peel, cinnamon bark, cinnamon leaf, rosemary, and eucalyptus oils.

It has an energizing and uplifting aroma that will keep your rooms smelling fresh and clean.

On Guard Protective Blend is formulated to support the body’s natural antioxidant defenses and protect against environmental threats. It also supports healthy respiratory and immune function.

Add 15 drops of this doTerra Blend to your DIY disinfectant spray to get your surfaces germ-free.

Natural Riches Five Guards Essential Oil Blend

This Five Guards Essential Oil Blend by Natural Riches is made up of the same 5 powerful essential oils as the thieves blend – Clove. Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Cinnamon, and Lemon.

It is excellent for adding to any DIY cleaner to disinfect surfaces and replace foul odors in the atmosphere with a fresh, clean aroma.

Best Premade Non-Toxic Household Cleaners

Not everybody has the time or the inclination for DIY. These are some great options if you’re looking for premade household cleaners that are nontoxic and not hugely expensive:

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Multi-Surface Cleaner Sprays

I absolutely love this brand’s range of non-toxic products for all your needs, from dishwasher pods, liquid laundry detergents, and dryer sheets to liquid hand soaps, moisturizing body lotions, and room sprays. Their multi-surface disinfectant cleaners are the best! And for the price, they offer the best value for money.

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Multi-Surface Cleaner Sprays are available in Lavender, Basil, Lemon Verbana, Peony, and Honeysuckle scents. I love the Basil and Lemon Verbana scents for the kitchen and the Lavender scent for the bathrooms.