Making your own cleaners can be fun and economical. This series is all about must-have ingredients, recipes {free printable},  labels {free printable}, and how to make homemade cleaners. I hope it’s giving you some ideas for how you can simply make your own cleaners at home! Moving down the list, today I’m sharing how to make a disinfecting cleaner. I don’t use a disinfectant on all surfaces, but I like to have an effective (and natural) recipe for one when I need it.

Disinfectant Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup of white vinegar (vinegar alone has natural germ-killing properties)
  • 2 cups of hot water (hot water to dissolve the ingredients properly)
  • 1 teaspoon Arm + Hammer Washing soda (not necessary, but I like the extra cleaning kick that it provides to the solution)
  • 10 drops Melaleuca essential oil (also known as tea tree oil) – this is a natural oil that is notorious for killing germs. Yes, the tea tree oil has a strong scent, but it also has strong cleaning power.

Mix all ingredients in a spray bottle, spray surfaces, let sit for 10 minutes and wipe clean with a cleaning cloth or paper towel.

A couple notes on homemade cleaners:  Generally vinegar and castile soap are not a great combination, but this ratio and with this amount of water, I have found that it is a great combination and adds a nice punch to a regular floor cleaner. It’s a good idea to test any homemade cleaners in an inconspicuous spot to make sure that it’s safe on the surface you are intending to use it on. Vinegar and granite and/or marble don’t mix – the acid in the vinegar will eat away at your granite and marble.

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Click here to see all the posts in this series.