Most hydrogen peroxide blends sold at drugstores are 3% concentrations, but check the label just in case. It’s important to use an opaque spray bottle because light can cause the hydrogen peroxide to decompose into water over time.
Use warm or hot water if you plan to use all or most of the cleaning solution right away on floors or other large areas. Hot or warm water will slightly increase the solutions bacteria-killing power.
Lemon juice can kill bacteria like salmonella and E. coli. You can also squeeze 2 or 3 medium lemons to extract 1⁄4 cup (59 mL) of juice.
Let the solution sit on the surface for 2 or 3 minutes before you wipe it away for extra sanitization. A hydrogen peroxide solution will help remove any stains and odors from pet urine, vomit, and feces. This solution will remove hard surface stains from coffee, tea, or food. You can use a hydrogen-peroxide based cleaner on marble, limestone, onyx, or travertine, but make sure to wipe these types of surfaces with a damp cloth afterward.
Mixing hydrogen peroxide and vinegar together form corrosive acid, which can irritation your lungs, skin, eyes, nose, and throat. Hydrogen peroxide is most effective up to 45 days after exposing it to air, but it will still maintain cleaning power for up to 6 months.
Use water that’s hot but not boiling. Boiling water could partially melt the inner lining of the plastic bottle.
Avoid using a powdered laundry detergent that contains bleach because it will damage porous surfaces like wood, drywall, and natural stone.
Borax is a brand name sodium borate product that you can find in the laundry aisle at most grocery or big-box stores.
Some pine oil cleaners are merely pine-scented don’t contain pine oil. Check the label to ensure it’s made up of 8% to 12% pine oil. This solution can be used on any surface unless you’ve used detergent containing bleach. If you’ve used bleach, don’t use this formula on porous surfaces like wood, natural stone, and drywall. Note that pine cleaning oil is not the same as pine essential oil.
The solution will continue to work for 1 year, but it’s most effective if you use it within 6 to 8 months. Note that the hot water will turn cold as you store it. The solution will still disinfect, but it won’t be as powerful.
Note that vinegar isn’t a disinfectant so it won’t kill bacteria like staphylococcus. As an alternative, use distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
For instance, you can use undiluted vinegar to clean heavy grime or soap scum off of porcelain, but it will leave a cloudy residue if you use it on windows or mirrors.
Sweet orange, eucalyptus, ylang-ylang, and lavender are all great choices if you dislike the smell of vinegar because they’re strong, distinctive scents. Essential oils won’t entirely mask the smell of vinegar, but they can dampen it. Tea tree oil has antimicrobial properties, so it’s the perfect way to increase the cleaning power of your homemade cleaner. Adding scent won’t entirely mask the smell of vinegar, but it will help! Note that if you use fresh citrus peels, you’ll need to remove them 24 hours after mixing the solution to prevent them from rotting. To remove them, pour the mixture through a sieve into another container then pour it back into the original spray bottle.
If you didn’t use added scents, you don’t need to shake the bottle. Avoid using a vinegar solution on hardwood floors, granite, marble, natural stone, and aluminum surfaces because it can cause discoloration and etching.
If the vinegar solution accidentally gets in your eyes, flush them with water for 2 minutes. If you, your child, or your pet has swallowed the solution and is experiencing severe pain, call poison control right away. If you used fresh citrus peels, remove them from the cleaner 24 hours after mixing the solution to prevent them from rotting.
Note that an ammonia-based cleaner will not kill staphylococcus bacteria.
If you wear contact lenses, take them out before working with the ammonia because they can trap gas and trap the ammonia vapors in your eyes.
Leaning over the bottle will give the fumes direct access to your face, so keep both bottles as far away from your face as possible. If you can’t find sudsy ammonia in stores, you can make your own by adding a dime-sized amount of bleach-free liquid dish soap to regular ammonia. It’s important to use bleach-free dish soap because ammonia and bleach create toxic vapors.
To deep clean your oven racks, make a large batch of ammonia cleaning solution and place it in a large plastic tub. Place the oven racks in the tub and let them soak for 15 to 20 minutes before taking them out and wiping them clean. To clean concrete stains in your driveway or garage, spray it on the surface and let it sit for 20 minutes. Then scrub the stain with a bristle brush or old toothbrush. This solution can also be used on porcelain bathroom tiles or kitchen backsplashes. If you have breathing problems or lung-health issues, avoid using this solution because it may irritate your lungs.
If you accidentally inhale a lot of ammonia vapors and experience trouble breathing or a burning sensation in your throat, call an ambulance right away. If you accidentally get the ammonia-based solution in your eyes, flush them with water and call for emergency medical care as soon as possible. If you spill the solution on your skin or clothing, thoroughly wash your skin with water. If it gets on your clothing, remove your clothes and wash your skin underneath the area where it spilled.
