Home isn’t only where the heart is, it has now become where your whole world is. Due to the continuation of the spread of COVID-19 , more and more people are finding themselves still working, schooling and dining at home. That being the case, it has become even more important that we continually clean and disinfect our surroundings to ward off viruses and the spreading of illnesses.
The DIY craze has been reinvigorated with our long stints at home. One of the easiest and most popular is making homemade household cleaning and disinfectant solutions using safe, natural ingredients. Time to ditch the chemical laden bottle of disinfectant that you picked up at your local supermarket…you know the one that makes your eyes burn and irritates your skin…..and make one using natural ingredients.
One of the things people love most is being able to personalize the scent your creation has and the added benefits certain oils bring along to your cleaning game. For example, use lemon essential oils for their antibacterial properties, peppermint for it’s disinfecting abilities or maybe some lavender for it’s renowned calming effects. Here are 2 recipes to get you on your safe, natural cleaning adventure.
Homemade Disinfectant Spray
What you’ll need:
- 1 medium sized spray bottle
- 3 oz distilled or purified water
- 1.5 cups of 99% ethyl alcohol
- 1 tsp hydrogen peroxide
- 15-20 drops of preferred essential oil
How to make:
- Add your choice of water to the spray bottle
- Pour the hydrogen peroxide into the bottle first, then the ethyl alcohol
- Time to add your choice of essential oils
- Close the bottle and shake it up
- Time to disinfect
Homemade Disinfectant Wipes
What you’ll need:
- 1 cup purified or distilled water
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- 7-10 drops of tea tree oil
- 7-10 drops of eucalyptus essential oil
- 7-10 drops of lemon essential oil
- 1 medium airtight container (empty baby wipe or tupperware container)
- 20 squares of cloth (cut up old t-shirts, dish towels or burp clothes work well)
How to make:
- Place your cloths of choice into the container and set aside
- In a large bowl combine water, vinegar and essential oils. Stir until well mixed
- Pour the mixture over the clothes in the container. Once the liquid has been absorbed, you’re good to go
- Launder and repeat as often as the cloths hold up
Remember, always test on a small area of the surface you intend to use it on. Alcohol may affect certain plastics, metals, and unfinished woods and hydrogen peroxide has the ability to discolor fabrics.
