How To Make Your Own Disinfectant To Kill Coronavirus

Casey Bond
·7 min read

These days, even clean freaks are getting a run for their money. In order to keep the coronavirus at bay, it’s important to disinfect your kitchen, bathrooms ― even the air ― sometimes multiple times per day. But with the recent panic-buying that’s wiped store shelves clean of commercial disinfectants, you might not have the usual products on hand.

Fortunately, you can make DIY hand sanitizer, disinfecting spray and wipes. Here’s what you need to know about making your own cleaning products that kill the coronavirus.

Items You’ll Need

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published recommendations for cleaning and disinfecting your home that are crucial to follow when making your own disinfectants. For example, the CDC says that it’s important to use EPA-registered disinfectants that have been vetted for their effectiveness against COVID-19 and allow enough contact time on the surface for the disinfectant to work.

There are just a handful of solutions you need for DIY cleaning products, according to Dean Davies, cleaning supervisor for Fantastic Services, which specializes in antiviral sanitization. You may already have them in your medicine cabinet or pantry. If not, you may be able to find them in stores, though inventory may be limited right now.

Hydrogen peroxide: According to the CDC, hydrogen peroxide is effective against a whole army of microorganisms, such as bacteria, yeasts, fungi, viruses and spores. A solution of at least 3% will kill germs ― including the cold virus ― after six to eight minutes of exposure.

Isopropyl alcohol: Also known as rubbing alcohol, this chemical compound has proven disinfecting qualities when left on surfaces for at least 30 seconds. Since rubbing alcohol is water-soluble, it can be diluted, but the concentration needs to be at least 70% to kill coronaviruses. Also keep in mind that while alcohol is considered safe for all surfaces, it could discolor some plastics, so be sure to perform a spot test first.

Household bleach: Bleach is strong and effective at killing bacteria and viruses when diluted properly. According to the CDC, that’s 4 teaspoons of bleach per 1 quart of water. Just be sure to let your bleach solution sit for at least 10 minutes before wiping it off, and be sure it isn’t expired. A word of caution: Mixing bleach with certain other chemicals can create dangerous compounds; never combine bleach with ammonia, rubbing alcohol or acidic compounds, such as vinegar. Your safest bet is to use bleach with water only.

In addition to these chemicals, you will need a squeeze or spray bottle, paper towels and/or cotton fabric. Again, some of these items might be hard to find, so try to work with what you have.

How To Make Your Own DIY Disinfecting Products

Hand Sanitizer

Though washing your hands with plain old soap and water is the best way to keep them clean and prevent the spread of coronavirus, you don’t always have access to a sink. The next best thing is using hand sanitizer, but you need to be sure your ratios are correct when making it yourself, otherwise it isn’t effective.

Ajith Karunarathne, a cellular chemist and assistant professor in the University of Toledo’s department of chemistry and biochemistry, shared his recipe for hand sanitizer.

Start with isopropyl alcohol, which you may be able to find online at Walmart or Amazon if you don’t have it at home. Usually, isopropyl alcohol comes in either 90% or 95% concentration, according to Karunarathne, but anything 90% and above will work.

Mix three parts alcohol with one part aloe vera gel, which prevents your skin from drying out. (If you can’t find pre-made aloe gel, you can also scrape some out of the leaves of an aloe plant. Cut the sides of a leaf and remove the top skin. Using a spoon, scrape the gel out. In a high-speed blender, blend the collected gel for two to three minutes, then use a strainer to filter the gel and remove leaf debris.)

If you want, add a few drops of essential oil to the mix for a nice scent.

Transfer your sanitizer to a clean, empty container. You can refill empty hand sanitizer bottles, or use any small container that’s easy to carry with you. Karunarathne said that if you see cloudy sedimentation, shake the container before use.

Disposable Disinfecting Wipes

If your store is sold out of Clorox wipes, you can easily make your own, according to Davies.

Start with a roll of paper towels and cut it in half horizontally so that you’re left with two toilet paper-like rolls.

Mix 2 cups of water with 2 tablespoons of bleach.

Place one paper towel roll flat into an airtight container and pour the solution over the top. The container should be large enough to hold all the liquid while ensuring the paper towels are fully saturated.

Take out the cardboard center roll and pull out fresh paper towels from the middle.

Reusable Disinfecting Wipes

Instead of relying on single-use (and hard to find) disinfectant wipes, Kris Bordessa, a sustainability expert and author of “Attainable Sustainable: The Lost Art of Self-Reliant Living,” says you can make reusable ones instead.

Start with an old T-shirt or other cotton fabric. Cut it into squares, about the same size as a commercial wipe.

Soak these cloths with your bleach solution or a mixture of 2/3 cup 99% isopropyl alcohol and 1/3 cup water.

Store your used wipes in a sealed container until laundry day, then wash them using the hot water setting before resoaking them in your solution and reusing.

Don’t Rely On “Natural” Cleaners For Coronavirus

Though you might want to minimize the use of harsh chemicals in your home, especially in your kitchen where food is prepared, the truth is that you need to rely on the tough stuff to kill the coronavirus and other harmful germs. Some “natural” household items may have helpful cleaning properties but will not disinfect:

  • Vinegar: Effective on mildew, dirt and bacteria, vinegar has long been a go-to for cleaning surfaces around the home. Though vinegar is a safe and natural way to get rid of some types of germs, it isn’t an EPA-registered household disinfectant and isn’t recommended in place of alcohol or bleach.

  • Tea tree and other essential oils: Though tea tree oil and other essential oils have been touted for a wide range of questionable benefits, including antiviral properties, there’s no scientific proof that they prevent people from contracting viruses. Essential oils can make your cleaning products smell nice and might even eliminate some types of bacteria, but you shouldn’t rely on them to kill the coronavirus.

  • Vodka and other spirits: There are many DIY hand sanitizer recipes on the web that suggest using vodka in a pinch. However, the CDC says that hand sanitizer must have an ethyl alcohol concentration of at least 60% to be effective, and most vodkas fall well below that threshold. When mixed with aloe or other substances, the concentration is diluted further. Even Tito’s Vodka tweeted a warning that their vodka is only 40% alcohol and does not meet the CDC’s standards for an effective sanitizer.

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Food Processors

Cleaning a food processor can be a fiddly business. Once the joy of your sweet smoothie is gone, you’re left with the sticky remnants of dried fruit splattered in and around the blades. Luckily, they're easy to clean: • Making it sure it is unplugged, separating the food processor will make it easier for you to clean those hard-to-reach places. • Gently wipe the base of the food processor with a damp cloth. Do not submerge this in water - you don’t want to cause water damage to any electrical parts of the blender. • Place the remaining components of the food blender into hot soapy water and leave to soak for 10 minutes. • Taking care to watch for sharp edges, use a toothbrush to scrub inside the blade. • Rinse with clean cool water and dry all components thoroughly before putting your food processor back together.

Kitchen Sink

We clean the dishes on a daily basis but what about the kitchen sink? In order to keep your bowls bacteria-free, the kitchen sink needs to be washed regularly. Here’s how: • Make sure your sink is empty and pour a cup of boiling water down the drain to prevent any smells from leftover food. • Now, spray kitchen sink cleaner into the sink and leave for five minutes to work the stains. • When you have waited five minutes, rinse the entire sink with warm water to leave a clean basin. • To get rid of limescale, cut a grapefruit in half and sprinkle one half with salt. Scrub the area that is grimy and rinse with water. The salt will remove the limescale while the grapefruit leaves a clean, citrusy smell.

Skirting Boards

Skirting boards often go unnoticed because they are not at eye level but that doesn’t mean they don’t need to be cleaned. The truth is skirting boards are dust magnets and usually have scuff-marks all over them. • If you don’t fancy getting down on all fours, plug in your vacuum cleaner and attach the small brush to your hoover's hose. • Switch on the vacuum cleaner and run the hose along the skirting boards to get rid of the dust. • Use a damp cloth to remove scuffmarks. • Mayonnaise is also ideal for removing marks on wood. Simply put a small amount of mayonnaise on a cloth and wipe the mark you want to remove. • Leave the oils to work and wipe away any residue with a fresh, clean cloth.

TV Remote Control

Remote controls are touched by lots of people throughout the day, leaving behind skin, oils and germs. To prevent bacteria from spreading and a build-up of dirt in your buttons, it’s important to regularly clean your remote control. • Use a disinfectant wipe every few days to get rid of any bacteria. • To make sure the buttons are clean, use a cotton bud dipped in rubbing alcohol. • Dry the remote control thoroughly before using.

Bathmat

The floor is one of the most germ-ridden places in the bathroom so a dirty bathmat is inevitable. To banish bacteria and stop your damp mats from going mouldy, it’s important to regularly wash them. • Put the bath mat into a washing machine and wash on a high heat to get rid of as many germs as possible. • Now the washing machine is on, it’s time to tackle that bathroom floor. Pour hot water into your mop bucket and add a cup of floor cleaner. • Mop the floor, making sure to wipe the skirting boards as you go and leave the floor to dry. • When the floor and bathmat are dry, place the mat back in its original place.

Chopping Boards

Research suggests there are roughly 200 times more faecal bacteria on the average cutting board than on a toilet seat – eww! Giving your chopping board a thorough clean after use is a necessity to get rid of nasty germs. • Place the chopping board into a washing-up bowl full of hot water and scrub with washing-up liquid. • Rinse clean with warm water and dry the chopping board with kitchen paper. It’s important not to use the dishcloth as often these have germs on and will contaminate the clean chopping board. • If you would like to use eco-friendly products to clean your chopping board, white vinegar is also effective. To do this, pour a few droplets of white vinegar onto your cutting surface and leave to disinfect for a few minutes, then rinse and leave to dry.

House Plants

People are often surprised to learn that household plants need to be cleaned. We buy them to make our house look and smell fresh but it’s not long before dust piles up and bugs begin to breed on the leaves. Fortunately, keeping your greens clean is easy. • Place small plants into your sink and large plants into your shower and rinse with warm water to get rid of dust and insects. • Let the water soak in before putting back into direct sunlight. • Wipe individual leaves with a damp cloth. Use water and not polish or oil as this can damage the plant. • You can further tidy your plant by getting rid of dead, brown or yellowing leaves.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.