Natural Disinfectant Spray & Odor Remover

What smell reminds you of clean? For me it is the smell of a hospital. The hospital’s secret to clean? Alcohol. This is because alcohol attacks the cell wall of bacteria to dehydrate and damage the cell until it is destroyed. Alcohol isopropanol also serves as a good odor remover because it kills the odor causing bacteria cell.  

If it is good enough for hospital standards, it is good enough to disinfect my home.

Alcohol isopropanol comes in different percentages. The higher the percentage the less the mixture is diluted with water.  Starting at 65% and above alcohol isopropanol disinfects, but the magic number we need for basic cleaning is 70%.  Higher concentrations contain little to no water, however to effectively kill bacteria water is needed. 70% is the right combination of alcohol and water to kill most bacteria.

To learn about alcohol isopropanol as a disinfectant and what bacteria it kills read this CDC article.

Store bought disinfectants are loaded with animal tested harmful toxins. To demonstrate the simple alcohol isopropanol ingredients compared to a toxin-filled store bought disinfectant spray, I wanted a side-by-side picture comparison of each. At the store I noticed none of the cleaning bottles list their ingredients. Most only explained how to use their product and many came with this warning:

"Hazards to humans and domestic animals"

No wonder the ingredients are not listed on the bottle, they are hazardous to my health! 

This product and those like it, are not welcome in my home.

To avoid these harmful chemicals you can make your own natural animal test free disinfectant with one simple ingredient:

Alcohol isopropanol 70% or higher (rubbing alcohol) and a spray bottle

To make:

The disinfecting ratio is 50/50:  50% water and 50% alcohol isopropanol

1. Fill the spray bottle half way with alcohol isopropanol 

2. Fill the other half with water and shake.

How to use:

1. Wipe away any visible dirt or mess

2. Clean area with an all-purpose cleaner (coming soon!)

3. Spray disinfectant on surface

4. Let sit for 5-10 minutes then wipe dry with a clean reusable rag or towel

This step-by-step process may seem like a hassle, but the instructions are same as any store bought disinfectant. TV commercials portray a spray and immediate wipe method, so most people assume that is how they should clean too, however this is not correct. Alcohol needs to be left wet on the surface for several minutes to break down the bacteria cells. Even the disinfectant wipes are not 1-2-3 as portrayed on TV.

Clean first, disinfect, and then wipe dry. 

It is a good idea to write the recipe and name onthe spray bottle. This way you will grab the right bottle when reaching under the sink and the recipe is easily accessible when you need to refill.

Common uses:

Fabrics* such as a dog bed, mattress, sofa, pillow:

Spray directly on fabric and let air dry

Hot Spots (door handles, light switches, stair railing, faucets):

Clean area, spray disinfectant directly on the hot spot (or on a clean reusable rag then wipe area), let sit for 5-10 minutes, and then wipe surface dry

Kitchen & Bathroom:
Follow disinfecting directions

Odor remover (works great on all pet odors):

Spray area, fabric, or soiled area

If you are looking to save money, this recipe is for you as well. Compare the price of disinfectant spray to a bottle of alcohol isopropanol that will last several refills. Alcohol isopropanol can be found at the dollar store and even cheaper when on sale. You can buy the spray bottle at the dollar store or reuse an old one after washing and disinfecting it (with alcohol isopropanol of course!).

Happy disinfecting!

Check back to learn how to make a natural homemade all purpose cleaner!

*Alcohol may discolor fabrics so test on a small-unseen area before spraying whole area.