How to Naturally Disinfect Your Home

For many of us, harsh chemicals or aerosol-based disinfectants are not an option. However, many essential oils have anti-bacterial and/or anti-fungal properties which make them an easy and effective way to naturally disinfect your home. Here are just a few of the disinfecting techniques you may want to use in your own home:

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Essential oils (Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Lemon,Clove, Rosemary, Lavender and Pine are a few to try)
• Dropper
• Spray bottle
• Borax
• Distilled water
• Vinegar

1. Add 5-10 drops of Tea tree essential oil to your next load of laundry. It's a great disinfectant for cloth diapers, and kitchen or bath towels. Tea tree essential oil is an anti-fungal and can be effective at treating mold and mildew.

2. Create a natural disinfectant spray by adding 4-8 drops of essential oil to 1 cup of distilled water in a spray bottle. Use a fine mist setting, and spray throughout the rooms in your home. Tea tree, eucalyptus, lavender and pine can also be an effective treatment for congestion, both sinus and upper respiratory.

3. Add 1 cup of white vinegar and 5-10 drops of essential oils to a bucket of water. This is great for cleaning and disinfecting door knobs, stair rails, tile counter tops and flooring.

4. Add 5-10 drops of Eucalyptus essential oil with distilled water to a spray bottle, and liberally spray the tops of your mattress and pillows. Let dry before adding clean sheets and pillow cases. Eucalyptus has been proven effective in killing the tiny mites that live and breed in common bedding.

Tips & Warnings

• Experiment with different essential oils to find an aromatherapy blend that suits you best.
• Therapeutic quality essential oils should only be used. Do not purchase fragrance oils - they do not have the disinfectant properties that true essential oils do.

Resources

• Non-toxic cleaning articles at Gaiam.com

[josh4q]

on 11/10/2009 These are great tips! 5*

[Upon-Request]

on 11/8/2009 I hear ya AskAPeach - I am very sensitive to chemicals too which is exactly why I use essential oils instead. All listed in the article worked great for me, with no problems for allergies or breathing. You may want to consult with a Certified Aromatherapist or Herbalist in your area though.

[askapeach]

on 11/8/2009 I am sensitive to chemicals and use vinegar but am interested in essential oils. Are there any without odor? Thanks

[e-Rambler]

on 11/1/2009 I need to cut down on harsh chemicals usage. Thanks for the homemade cleaning product "recipes".

[Rockney]

on 11/1/2009 Great article! 5*!