30dropsessential oils10 drops each of lavender, tea tree and lemon, for example.
Instructions
Mix together the alcohol and essential oils, shaking or stirring until the oils have dissolved into the alcohol.
Add water to bring the percentage of alcohol down to around 70%. Mix again to fully combine all of the ingredients.
Use this natural homemade disinfectant on hard surfaces around the home. Once you spray, wipe down the surface with a cloth and allow it to dry.
Video
Notes
An alcohol percentage above 60% is needed in order to make an effective disinfectant spray. Using a higher percentage of alcohol allows us to solubilize the oils into the spray so that they don't separate and float on top. You can choose to use one oil or a combination of several oils, depending on what you have on hand. I recommend using less expensive oils like tea tree and lemon for cleaning and saving expensive oils like neroli for skincare or haircare products.Some metals, like aluminum, can react with certain essential oils (especially strong oils like cinnamon). When it comes to blending or storing essential oils, it's best to use glass.Because alcohol is flammable, use this spray in well-ventilated spaces and work on smaller areas at a time. Prolonged and repeated use may cause certain rubbers or plastics to discolor, swell, harden or crack.
Warning for pet owners:
Certain essential oils, such as wintergreen, oil of sweet birch, citrus oil (d-limonene), pine oils, Ylang Ylang oil, peppermint oil, cinnamon oil, pennyroyal oil, clove oil, eucalyptus oil, and tea tree oil are said to be toxic to cats. Some oils are also poisonous for dogs. These include cinnamon, citrus, pennyroyal, peppermint, pine, sweet birch, tea tree (melaleuca), wintergreen, and ylang ylang. Use extreme caution when using those oils around your pets so that they don't ingest them.