Natural Ways to Disinfect Your Home

Room Spray

• Create a natural disinfect room spray using essential oil and distilled water. Add 8 drops of lavender essential oil to every cup of distilled water. Shake the mixture and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray a light mist around your home and in all bedrooms to disinfect any germs in the air. Other essential oils to use include patchouli, tea tree oil, cedar wood, lemon, orange and eucalyptus.

Laundry

• Disinfect your laundry by adding 1 cup of white vinegar to each large load. When washing all white laundry, add 1/2 cup of borax, instead of bleach, to each load. Borax creates less damage to clothing and towels than bleach. Always keep borax away from pets and children, as it is poisonous if swallowed. Another idea is to add 1/2 cup of borax, 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of white vinegar to each load for disinfecting laundry. Add 10 drops of tea tree essential oil to a load of heavily soiled laundry to disinfect it. Tea tree oil is an anti-fungal oil, which is effective for treating mold and mildew.

Bathroom

• Create a soft scrub for the bathroom using 1 cup of baking soda and 1/4 cup of vinegar. Create a paste to use on the bathroom counters, shower and tub. Clean toilets by pouring 1 cup of white vinegar into the toilet bowl, and add a handful of baking soda. Let the mixture sit in the toilet for about 15 minutes then scrub clean. Clean mirrors and glass with 3 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 cup of warm water. Another recipe for windows, especially dirty windows, is 3 tablespoons of vinegar, 2 cups of warm water and 1/2 teaspoon of liquid detergent.

All-Purpose

• For a basic all-purpose cleaner, mix 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1/4 cup of baking soda and 1 gallon of hot water in a bucket. Use this mixture for light jobs like kitchen counters and tables. Try a stronger solution by mixing 2 tablespoons of borax, 1/4 cup of vinegar and 2 cups of hot water in a spray bottle. Use immediately for best results. For a stronger solution, try 3 tablespoons of white vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of castile soap and 2 cups of hot water. Use this solution on ovens or heavily soiled areas.