It never fails. With three boys in the house, there’s a constant influx of germs in the house from my kids playing outside and in a creek near our house. They’re always coming home with critters too like geckos, turtles (seriously), crawfish and even birds. I usually shoo them back outside with said critters but not before they get their hands on doorknobs, walls, tables, and other surfaces in my home.

And no matter how many times I tell them to wash their hands… well, sometimes germs just happen. That’s why I’m so happy to have a natural alternative to Lysol and other antibacterial sprays for my home.

The funny thing is that I was THAT mom who had the bleach wipes and cleaned every surface of the house with them. I remember one time I was on my hands and knees cleaning the floor to keep them “clean” for my son (who was a crawling baby back then). I just cringe thinking about it now. I probably exposed him to chemical toxins that were far more harmful to his health than if I just used soap and water to clean the floors.

My kids have definitely been the turning point for me in transitioning to a chemical-free lifestyle. We’ve already gotten rid of all of our household cleaners and now basically use this one for everything.

But here’s the thing… germs still happen and sometimes you just want to disinfect. So what can you use if it’s not Lysol or bleach?

It’s actually pretty easy – it’s just all those TV commercials have us all thinking we need bleach wipes or some toxic spray can to disinfect and get rid of germs when really we CAN use natural alternatives.

Natural Disinfectants

There are a handful of products you can use to naturally disinfect and sanitize your home. You probably already have them in your home: vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide. They are all pretty effective in killing germs and sanitizing surfaces and toys. In fact, I typically like to fill a tub full of water and add about 1-2 cups of hydrogen peroxide to easily disinfect toys. I then drain and voila! Clean toys.

But here’s the thing… vinegar and rubbing alcohol have such a strong scent. I don’t clean often with them because of that. Usually the smell dissipates after a while, but they’re not always the best choice when you want to sanitize AND have the house smell good too.

I’d say of the three, hydrogen peroxide has the most mellow scent but it can’t always be used if you’re spraying fabrics (as it is a natural bleach).

So what’s the other alternative? Vodka. Oh yeah…

About the Ingredients

Lemon peels have antibacterial properties. Yep, all the good stuff is in the peels so don’t throw them out. Save the lemon juice to make my Homemade Natural Bleach.

Vodka is a fantastic natural disinfectant and sanitizer. While it can have a strong scent straight out of the bottle, with this DIY Disinfectant Spray recipe it will smell amazing. Plus, vodka is a natural deodorizer so you can spray fabrics and carpets too. You don’t need expensive vodka (save that for the cocktails). Get the cheap vodka and use to make this simple DIY disinfectant spray.

DIY Disinfectant Spray (Homemade Lysol)

Ingredients

• Lemon peels from 2-3 lemons
• Vodka
• Water

Directions

1. Fill a Mason jar with lemon peels and then fill to the top with vodka. Put on the lid and screw tightly shut. Let sit for 1-2 weeks.
2. Drain lemon peels and put it down the sink. Turn on the garbage disposal – it will help to naturally sanitize it. Keep the leftover vodka.
3. In a glass spray bottle, fill 1/2 with the lemon-infused vodka and 1/2 with water. Put the nozzle on the bottle and screw it on tightly.

NOTE: You can reduce the amount of water and use more vodka as needed. I often do this if I spray the air – like an air freshener. Vodka dissipates faster than water so this is ideal when spray walls or other surfaces you don’t want to get too wet.

How to Use

You can use this DIY Disinfectant Spray as you would Lysol. Just spray down doorknobs, countertops, toilets, etc. The mixture of both the lemon peels and vodka help to naturally sanitize and disinfect surfaces.

More DIY Cleaning Recipes

Homemade Toilet Bomb Fizzies

DIY Natural Household Cleaner

20 Ways to Clean Your Home with Thieves Household Cleaner

DIY Natural Pine Cleaner (Homemade Pine-Sol)

Photo credit: Bigstockphoto.com / el lobo