This simple DIY cleaning spray that will make your home smell amazing and clean of bacteria and harmful germs.

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Well, here we are at six weeks and day who knows of this coronavirus quarantine. Much like most of us, I have been spending my time doing all the things, including bingeing some shows. The other day I was watching The Twilight Zone and I thought to myself…

Am I in the Twilight Zone? Maybe, but I am confident we will find our way out.

Another thing I have been spending my time doing is, of course, cleaning. Tyler, my husband works at a grocery store, luckily his job – a bread baker a.k.a bakes delicious bread all day – and I am only slightly jealous about it, doesn’t put him in direct contact with many customers but the exposure still sits on my mind.

After I don’t know how many bottles of store-bought cleaner and Clorox wipes I started thinking about homemade cleaning products. It is one more step I want to take to a greener lifestyle. Homemade cleaner cuts down on plastics and reduces the worry of toxic chemicals. Yes, please!

There are some great natural cleaners out there, but during this time, we are all, of course, concerned about killing the coronavirus germs that may or may not be on our countertops. So, I researched what I could use to create a greener cleaning spray that could kill virus germs.

Through my research, I found some classic natural disinfectants like alcohol and hydrogen peroxide which are both strong and can kill virus germs. Vinegar, a biodegradable germ-killer is effective towards about 80% of germs and is great against grease and hard water deposits. And finally, essential oils the ultimate natural option that have antibacterial properties but are not technically a disinfectant, but smell oh so good! Essential oils can be used in so many different things, like DIY sugar scrubs, anti-aging night cream, and homemade candles.

Just as I was trying to decide between alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, I came across an article about the best natural cleaning products that are effective against coronavirus. I was hanging on every word of this article to see what natural products could do the job.

That’s when it mentioned Mrs. Meyer’s surface cleaner and concentrate. It was exactly what I wanted and I didn’t even know it. Using concentrates is such a good idea! Concentrates can cut down on so much plastic and a little goes a long way, and you can use more for extra strength.

This product also apparently has an ingredient called Sodium methyl 2-sulfolaurate (try saying that three times fast) which is according to this article an “iconic soap” that “blows up cells and will do the same to viruses”. Bingo!

Mrs. Meyers has a variety of cleaning products that are made with plant-derived ingredients and essential oils. The packaging is recyclable and formulas are always cruelty-free. Loving Mrs. Meyer’s right now!

I wanted to make sure this cleaning spray could also remove the gunk and residue, I’ve got hard water so this was important, so I added vinegar to the concentrate along with an equal part of water. To up the lavender scent and because it is naturally anti-bacterial, I added a few drops of lavender essential oil.

Making this spray is super easy, make a big batch in a gallon mason jar and refill as needed. Use glass spray bottles to cut down on plastic, plus they make cleaning so much prettier. I first found these glass bottles on a Boxwood Ave blog post about her homemade vinegar cleaning spray. If you haven’t checked her blog out yet, do it now! It’s amazing!

I use this spray as a multi-surface cleaner for my whole house. It suds up a bit when you spray it – that’s the iconic soap mentioned above doing its magic and because of the extra lavender oil, you can barely smell the vinegar. What cleaning solutions have you started practicing in your home?

Quick Tips

• Do not use vinegar-based cleaning sprays on marble, granite, or stone tiles. The acidity of the vinegar will damage these materials.
• Mrs. Meyers has other scents like basil and lemongrass. Get creative with your scents by adding herbs, citrus peels, or other essential oils.
• When cleaning with any spray, allow the spray to sit on the surface for a couple of minutes, enough time to kill the germs.
• For really tough stains and grease, allow the spray to sit for 5-10 minutes and scrub with a rough sponge.
• If you are more concerned with kicking some coronavirus germ ass more than using a green cleaner, stick with bleach and dilute 1/4 cup in 1 gallon of water.
• Isopropyl Alcohol is a great disinfectant but, make sure it is at least 70% alcohol.
• If you choose to use hydrogen peroxide for your cleaner, do not mix it with vinegar. They basically cancel each other out when mixed.

Sources: WebMD, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Aspen Clean