Many commercially-made cleaning products are created with hazardous chemicals that can cause respiratory problems, skin irritations and can even pollute the air in your home. Instead of using these products, you can easily make a natural disinfectant at home using ingredients like vinegar, rubbing alcohol and essential oils, which help to reduce your exposure to chemicals while keeping your house as clean as store-bought disinfectants.

1. Making Vinegar-Based Disinfectants

a. Make a basic vinegar-based spray.

In a standard-sized glass spray bottle, add 1 part water, 1 part vinegar and 5-15 drops of 100% essential oil. You can use whichever essential oil whose scent you prefer, or customize the scent according to what room in your home you are cleaning.

• Lemon essential oil is traditionally used to clean the kitchen, as the lemon scent can neutralize strong kitchen smells.
• Tea tree and eucalyptus oil are great for neutralizing bathroom odors.
• You may prefer to use milder smelling essential oils such as chamomile or vanilla in the parts of your houses where you are not worried about eliminating odors.
• Essential oils can sometimes react with plastic, which is why you should use a glass spray bottle.

b. Make disinfectant wipes.

If you want to make disinfectant wipes rather than a spray, follow the same recipe as if making a basic vinegar spray, but instead of putting the ingredients in a spray bottle, put them instead in a large glass jar and swirl them to combine. Cut 15-20 pieces of cloth in 10 inches (25.4 cm) squares and place them inside the jar of cleaner.^[1]

• Press down the cloths inside the glass jar so that they are submerged and can soak up the cleaner. Then place the lid on the top of the jar and store the wipes in a cupboard or pantry.
• To use the wipes, take out a wipe and wring it out to remove the excess cleaner, then use it wipe surfaces clean.

c. Make a vinegar and baking soda spray.

In a clean bowl or bucket, add 4 cups (946.35 ml) hot water, ¼ cup (59.14 ml) white vinegar, and 2 tablespoons (29.57 ml) baking soda. Mix until the baking soda dissolves, then cut a lemon in half and squeeze both halves into the solution. Drop both rinds of the lemon into the mixture and wait for it to cool.^[2]

• Once cooled, add 4 drops of lemon essential oil or the essential oil of your choice. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve to remove any lemon pulp, seeds or rind, then transfer the mixture into a spray bottle.

(Source: Wikihow)