This is Day 300 of the Green in 365 series!
By Sara from Your Thriving Family, Contributing Writer
The seasons and weather are changing again and with that comes coughs, sneezes and germs! We all need a kid safe way to keep our homes clean and family healthy. What better way to KNOW your products are safe than to make them yourself?!
Making a homemade disinfecting spray is as easy as mixing some essential oils with a carrier liquid in a spray bottle.
When using essential oils I like to include some vodka. Yes, it sounds a bit odd, but the chemical composition of alcohol attracts and attaches to the oils much better than distilled water or witchhazel. Of course you could use whatever carrier liquid you would like to. A good rule of thumb is 3-5 drops of oil for each ounce of liquid.
Thieves Disinfectant:
A super quick all around disinfectant is simply adding a Thieves oil blend to 1 part vodka 3 parts water. Allow vodka and oil to meld for about an hour before you add the water.
- 20 drops Thieves oil blend
- 1 oz vodka
- 3 oz distilled water
Lemon Thyme Disinfectant
Another (less expensive) quick spray is simply using lemon and thyme. These two are great for killing germs. Again, allow vodka and oil to meld for about an hour before you add the water.
- 10 drops lemon essential oil
- 10 drops thyme essential oil
- 1 oz vodka
- 3 oz distilled water
For anything going on or in our bodies I only use high quality essential oils. But, for everything else you can skimp a little, if you need to, and not harm your skin. So in this case you can use the essential oils found in the store for this recipe.
Spray as needed, allow to dry. On hard surfaces I will go back and wipe down with a wet cloth, otherwise air drying it fine. Great for the kitchen, bathroom and all those toys kids like to suck on!
What kid-safe disinfectants do you use to keep your family healthy?
Sara is a full-time mama to three beautiful, sweet & mischievous blessings. Wife of 8 years to a man who has an amazing heart for working with youth. She is a homemaker, gardener, chicken-raiser, doula, and an adjunct & Theatre Tech at a Christian University. At Your Thriving Family you will find her writing about family, food, marriage,children, miscarriage, pregnancy and God – trying to find some balance it all. As a family they are trying to figure out how to THRIVE, not merely survive this life.
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I use hydrogen peroxide, drugstore strength, straight from the bottle, as my main disinfectant. It is important not to put it in a transparent bottle because it degrades when exposed to light. Peroxide also is great for removing grime from surfaces or hard-to-scrub areas like around the base of a faucet. Just pour it on, let it bubble for about 10 minutes, and wipe/rinse it off. It is not safe to swallow but is safe to use as mouthwash (instructions on the label) so it’s safe for disinfecting your toothbrush after you’ve been sick or if the brush is yucky with old toothpaste–but you do want to rinse thoroughly to remove the other stuff the peroxide has loosened.
Is this like a one time use or can you leave it in the spray bottle and use it multiple times before making a new batch?