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Time Tested Disinfectant Essential Oil Blends for Cleaning

Posted by Kelly Essential Oils, Natural Cleaning, Natural Health 46 comments
Please Share

Our skin is the largest organ in our bodies and can easily absorb harmful molecules sprayed into the air as well as the chemicals that we touch, so knowing what’s in the chemicals we have around the home is important. I started making my own homemade cleaning products with disinfectant essential oil blends in order to eliminate the number of toxic chemicals that I and my family were coming in contact with.

I was just at a popular chain store the other day looking at what they offered in their cleaning products section.  It bothered me that a number of products labeled as “Green”, “Natural”, or “Healthy” were not green, natural, or healthy at all!

A quick look at the label showed that there were a number of chemicals that I would never use in my house! They can get away with a lot on labels these days.  You really have to educate yourself to long elaborate or Latin names in order to even know what you are putting in or around your body.

You can also completely move away from trying to decipher those ingredients or even buying those products, and instead, make your own using disinfectant essential oil blends.

 The Best Disinfectant Essential Oils

***Note, if you are looking for cold and flu blends and herbal remedies CLICK HERE.

Boost Immune System Now from Simple Life Mom - disinfectant essential oil blends for healthy cleaning products from Simple Life Mom

**If you’d like to purchase a blend from my shop click here.

A study by BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine studied 21 essential oils, of which 19 oils showed antibacterial properties.(1)

The best of these 19 oils were:

  • cinnamon
  • clove
  • geranium
  • lemon
  • lime
  • orange
  • rosemary

While all of these seem are great at killing germs, some of the above oils needed higher concentrations, or only killed certain strains of bacteria.

Cinnamon, clove, and lime were the best against multiple strains and just highly effective overall. (1) 

disinfectant essential oil blends for healthy cleaning products from Simple Life Mom

Oils they said did not perform well: aniseed, eucalyptus, and camphor.  You still shouldn’t discount these oils, because even if they aren’t great germ killers, they do other amazing things.  Camphor, for example, is a great anti-inflammatory.

Another study found in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy examined 14 essential oils and their use against major illnesses like the Flu and E. coli.  They found that the following were most effective: (2)

  • cinnamon bark
  • lemongrass
  • thyme (red, wild, and geraniol)
  • peppermint
  • tea tree
  • coriander
  • lavender

Once again, eucalyptus (one of my favorite smelling oils) was least effective, along with citron.  Those of the above especially effective on E. coli were tea tree and coriander.

 The Best Disinfectant Essential Oil Blends

Overall this is a great list!  Peppermint and Tea Tree I’ve found to be rather inexpensive, so they make a great combination.  Lemongrass and Lavender also make an amazing combination.  Here are some more combinations to try:

  • peppermint and tea tree
  • lemongrass and lavender
  • lavender and rosemary
  • geranium and lime
  • grapefruit, lemon, and lavender
  • tea tree and orange

What’s your favorite combo?Save


Please Share
46 comments

About Kelly

Kelly is the author of number one best seller The Natural Soap Making Book for Beginners and Easy Soap Making. She's also written multiple ebooks on herbal remedies and natural bath and body DIYs. Her journey toward better health has inspired her to make things in and around the home from scratch, start a homestead, and become more resourceful when it comes to health and home. She shares her recipes and DIYs here on Simple Life Mom and has a shop where she sells products for those who would rather buy than make (SimpleLifeMom.com/shop).

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46 comments

Leave your reply.
  • Karen
    · Reply

    June 12, 2014 at 7:53 AM

    This is an excellent list! I use essential oils for cleaning up around our house, and I’m always eager to learn more about the best ones to use for each cleaning job. Thanks for sharing.

  • Kelsey Hertel
    · Reply

    June 12, 2014 at 11:03 AM

    Love using essential oils for cleaning. Great list and will definitely come in handy!

  • Miki English
    · Reply

    June 13, 2014 at 8:21 AM

    Great reference! I’m slowly learning about essential oils. I still get confused, though, over which ones are anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and/or anti-viral. Thanks for sharing!

  • Tonya
    · Reply

    April 7, 2015 at 7:57 AM

    I used homemade orange vinegar to clean up a nasty mess today – then followed it up with the peppermint/tea tree combo just to be safe! What a yummy smell! I also enjoy finding new combinations for home and health! This is an excellent resource as I’m still figuring out which oils are best for what purposes as well.

  • Mary
    · Reply

    July 6, 2015 at 10:06 AM

    I have read that eucalyptus is great at keeping insects away and that it kills dust mites and is accepted as a addition in laundry regimen for allergy sufferers ( hence the dust mites ). So Eucalyptus has cleaning purposes that were not mentioned here hope this helps.

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      July 6, 2015 at 10:17 AM

      Definitely! Thanks for the addition.

  • Angela Jackson
    · Reply

    November 10, 2015 at 8:32 AM

    Great tips and nice suggestions! I often use rosemary essential oil when I’m cleaning at home. I love it scent. It’s a great to clean with home mixed cleaning solutions, most of the solutions I use work like charms 🙂 Greets!

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      November 10, 2015 at 9:25 AM

      Rosemary is wonderful. I love that I can be versatile with the scents while still disinfecting. No strong chemical smells giving me headaches!!

  • Katey
    · Reply

    December 8, 2015 at 9:12 PM

    Thanks for stopping by the Homestead Hop….Love my oils as well!

  • julie
    · Reply

    April 9, 2017 at 12:14 PM

    how do i make vinegar thicker so it takes longer to run into the water when i use it to clean the toilet bowl? i have 12% organic spirit vinegar and want to use it to make a toilet disinfectant.

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      April 9, 2017 at 7:37 PM

      You could use a spray for entire coverage. Even if you don’t see it “stick” it will cover the area. You could also try to make some type of gelatin. I guess you could use my hair gel recipe and add disinfectant essential oils: https://simplelifemom.com/2015/08/10/homemade-natural-hair-gel-recipe/

      • Kira
        · Reply

        March 6, 2020 at 3:47 PM

        I mix Dawn dish detergent with cleaners to make them thicker.

  • Nan
    · Reply

    August 26, 2017 at 8:54 AM

    Would I be able to use several or all of these listed in your blends in one spray bottle? I have a compromised immune system and I’m flying in a few days and would love to be able to disinfect the surfaces around my seat. I’m concerned though of it bothering other passengers near me but so afraid of getting sick too. Which ones would you recommend for that purpose ?

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      August 26, 2017 at 9:56 AM

      Yes, you can use a number of them in one spray. You will be really effective with only adding 3-5 drops each of 3 or 4 oils to a 2 oz spay bottle of water. That way it won’t be too strong for others. You can also spray into a cloth and wipe arm rests down so you are not spraying into the air. I have allergy problems and I can’t stand when people spray things around me because I don’t know if I’ll have a reaction, so it’s nice of you to think of others.

      • nat
        · Reply

        April 15, 2018 at 10:29 PM

        how do you mix them to water when oil and water doesnt mix?

        • Kelly
          · Reply

          Author
          April 16, 2018 at 8:05 AM

          You can add a few drips of alcohol, but I just shake the spray bottle really well before and then occassionally during use. It’s enough to disperse the oil throughout while using.

  • Nan
    · Reply

    August 26, 2017 at 5:10 PM

    Thank you, Kelly, for not only your informative answer but getting back to me so soon. I love the idea of making wipes with it. That’s exactly what I’ll do! Thank you so much. Nan

  • Anne
    · Reply

    October 23, 2017 at 8:26 AM

    If I am using like a “lysol” spray how much should I use for it to be effective? (mix with water or alcohol)???

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      October 23, 2017 at 8:30 AM

      You can mix it with water. Just shake well before use. Try up to 20 drops in a 2oz bottle.

  • Sharaf
    · Reply

    November 4, 2017 at 3:19 AM

    I m pranic healer. I need a oil to mix in water spraying or cleaning hand palms, cn any one suggest which oil is good in fregnance.

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      November 5, 2017 at 5:49 PM

      If you want a good hand sanitizer using essential oils I have a few recipes here: https://simplelifemom.com/2015/09/06/3-homemade-hand-sanitizer-recipes/

  • Jacque
    · Reply

    June 20, 2018 at 2:34 PM

    How do you disinfect an old indoor outdoor carpet which we cant remove and their were mice running and peeing pooping all over when we were not here for a year which mixture would work thx jacque elder

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      June 22, 2018 at 2:25 PM

      Wow. I would start be vacuuming, vacuuming after sprinkling baking soda on the carpet, shampooing, and THEN spraying. Try my article on cleaning carpets: https://simplelifemom.com/2012/10/01/4-great-window-washing-recipes/

  • Premashakti
    · Reply

    August 3, 2018 at 4:24 PM

    I can’t seem to sign up for the newsletter only make a comment. thank you.

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      August 7, 2018 at 4:12 PM

      Hi, You can sign up for my newsletter using the signup in the left column toward the top.

  • Irene Turner
    · Reply

    September 27, 2018 at 7:26 PM

    Hi, can I add the oils to a white vinegar and eco-friendly dish-washing liquid mix to improve the cleaning effect? Thanks x

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      October 1, 2018 at 9:49 AM

      I don’t like to combine soap with essential oils often because of the possible breakdown of the oils. And oils are not cheap 🙂 The vinegar is a good choice though.

  • ALTA JEAN MESSBARGER
    · Reply

    November 7, 2018 at 4:50 PM

    Great info. I’m trying to mix a disinfectant spray I can use in my house and car to kill germs on doorknobs, kitchen counter, etc and I find several oils in your list I want to try. However, what percentage of oil to water do you use? Also, do you use any vinegar or alcohol in your mixtures? Any advice you can give me is greatly appreciated because I want my spray to be effective at protecting my family. Thanks.

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      November 9, 2018 at 10:46 AM

      You can add about a tablespoon of alcohol to help the oils disperse in the water, otherwise you will just need to shake it up before each use. Only use a few drops of essential oil. If you have a 16 ounce sprayer bottle, you may want to use 5 drops of each essential oil you are wanting to use (depending on how many you use and what kind).

  • mia link
    · Reply

    December 8, 2018 at 11:17 PM

    Do you ad water or anything to the oils?

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      December 9, 2018 at 6:08 PM

      If you’re going to put them in a spray bottle for cleaning, then use a few drops to a 16oz spray bottle and shake before use.

  • Alicia
    · Reply

    January 4, 2019 at 3:51 PM

    What do you mix these combinations with when using them

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      January 5, 2019 at 9:09 PM

      It depends on what you’re cleaning. For example, I may include vinegar in water when making a window spray, but may just add them to water if I don’t want to use vinegar on certain surfaces for an all purpose cleaner.

  • Tasha Nelson
    · Reply

    February 12, 2020 at 2:12 PM

    I’ve heard that Thieves oil works well….. is there any study you’ve came across that has information on this?

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      February 17, 2020 at 7:43 PM

      You can search and find studies on essential oil use. Naha.org has some great information as well.

  • Don
    · Reply

    March 5, 2020 at 11:41 AM

    Hello,
    I wanted to know what do you recommend to use in the replace of rubbing alcohol on the skin?

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      March 5, 2020 at 6:55 PM

      It depends what you are using the alcohol for? I would never put alcohol on the skin. If you want to make a hand sanitizer, here are some recipes: https://simplelifemom.com/2015/09/06/3-homemade-hand-sanitizer-recipes/

  • Cherelle | The Inspired Prairie
    · Reply

    March 17, 2020 at 4:10 PM

    Hey Kelly,

    Thank you for sharing this great list of essential oils that can be used for disinfecting! As springtime approaches, it’s time for a little spring cleaning around here!

    -Cherelle

  • Patricia Dessoye
    · Reply

    March 22, 2020 at 3:04 PM

    Looking for a minute to put into diffuser to disinfect air in house. Any suggestions?

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      March 22, 2020 at 3:10 PM

      I would use a drop each of clove, oregano, eucalyptus, bergamot, Rosemary, and carrot. There are others you can use of course, and you can also just use the ones you have out of that list. Those are just the ones with the most recent and more extensive research specifically against viral activity.

  • Gina Gutierrez
    · Reply

    March 28, 2020 at 10:03 AM

    Can I mix Lemongrass & Lavender or Tea Tree & Peppermint Oul with Diluted Lysol & Water? Thanks!

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      March 29, 2020 at 6:47 PM

      I do not use lysol. I wouldn’t add anything to it.

  • MICHELLE DI LIBERTO
    · Reply

    May 4, 2020 at 9:02 PM

    Thank you for this article and for mentioning the combinations of essential oils that work well together. I also am just getting into using Castile soap. I still haven’t found which one I like best, but I am experimenting. I was surprised to learn that eucalyptus is not a disinfectant. I know that tea tree is, and I have been using tea tree for a long time. The first time I used it was for acne but I’m finding that there are many other uses for it. I like using lavender and peppermint and I’m hopeful that these will work for me.

  • Ping Ong Coates
    · Reply

    May 16, 2020 at 9:52 PM

    What do you suspend the oils in?
    I’m using mine in a witch hazel for a yoga mat spray…but wondering if there are others?
    doyou just use water?
    and if you are making a counter top spray..do you have a recipe?

    Thank you!

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      May 17, 2020 at 6:58 PM

      Water will work if you shake really well before using. Witch hazel does do very well, so does liquid aloe.

  • Philea
    · Reply

    September 10, 2020 at 11:41 PM

    My favorite combo is spearmint and any citrus oil!

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