Homemade disinfectant spray recipes

Recipes 1-3: Dilute Bleach Solution

Ingredients:

• Bleach
• Water
• Spray bottle/funnel

*Each recipe listed below has a different ratio
*Each recipe has been reproduced by vetted sources

Recipe #1: 1:10 ratio (strong - Mark Warner formula) [5]
Combine ~1 ½ cups bleach per gallon of water or ~⅓ cup bleach per quart of water.

Recipe #2: 1:32 ratio (medium - Clorox Formula) [3][5]
Combine ½ cup of bleach per gallon of water or 2 tablespoons of bleach per quart of water.

Recipe #3: 1:48 ratio (dilute - CDC Formula) [2][5]
Combine ⅓ cup of bleach per gallon of water or 4 teaspoons of bleach per quart of water.

Notes about using bleach:

• Solutions at stronger concentration are more effective at killing pathogens and require less contact time. However, weaker concentrations (1:48, per CDC guidelines) are still effective with adequate contact time, and have lower risks of skin irritation, damage to surfaces, etc.
• Aim for dwell time (contact time) up to 10 minutes to ensure effective disinfection.[6] Dwell time also depends on different bleach brands. To find out your bleach product’s dwell time, please look to https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2. [5]
• Bleach solutions degrade rapidly after they are mixed. It is recommended that you make a fresh batch every day. More dilute solutions will degrade faster, so for solutions that need to last longer (up to about a week), mix no more than a 1:4 ratio.[1]
• Expired bleach may not be as effective. If bleach is expired, add more than the listed amount. [5]

Recipe 4: Alcohol Disinfectant spray (non-vetted source)

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces alcohol (95%) (preferably ethanol but can use other alcohol)
• 3 ½ ounces distilled water
• ½ teaspoon hydrogen peroxide
• 30-45 drops essential oil as desired (optional. For scent and antiviral and cleaning properties)

Instructions:
Combine water and hydrogen peroxide in a 16-ounce spray bottle. Add in the desired essential oil (can use more than one oil). Add in alcohol. Shake well to combine the mixture.

Notes about using alcohol:

• Alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol are effective against viruses[2]

Recipe 5: Vinegar Disinfectant Spray

Disclaimer: Vinegar solution is not as effective as bleach solution, but can be considered as an option when running out of bleach. Vinegar solution might not be effective for using on surfaces with high risk of contamination. It is recommended to use bleach solution or commercial cleaners.[4]

Ingredients:

• Vinegar (5%+)
• Distilled water

Instructions:

• Combine vinegar with water in a 1:1 ratio.
• Dwell time for vinegar solution is up to 30 minutes.
• This vinegar solution can be used on “glass, windows, walls, cupboards, floors, sinks, stovetops and coffee makers”.[4]

Notes about using vinegar:

• Vinegar is effective at disinfecting some bacteria and viruses, but it is not as effective as bleach and commercial cleaners.6 5% vinegar can eliminate S. choleraesuis and P. aeruginosa (>5.8-6.0 log₁₀ reduction at both exposure times of 30 seconds and 5 minutes) but has low antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and E. coli (< 3 log₁₀ reduction at both exposure times of 30 seconds and 5 minutes).[7]
• Bleach solution and commercial cleaners has excellent antimicrobial activity (>5.6-8.2 log₁₀ reduction) against all the listed pathogens.[7]
• Another study found that 10% malt vinegar could inactivate influenza virus.[8]