Flu season is right around the corner, so stocking your house up with the proper cleaning products is essential in ensuring every surface is disinfected to prevent further germs from spreading. Though some germs are actually good for our bodies, germs that cause illnesses can be quite harmful, especially to younger children or seniors.
But which cleaning products will kill the most bacteria?
Stocking up on these cleaning products will do the trick, and you may already have them sitting in your cupboards without realizing it!
1. Baking Soda
You often hear about baking soda being a great cleaning ingredient for any surface in your house, particularly the kitchen and bathroom, but did you know it’s also a great disinfectant? The multiple uses for baking soda are endless – it can clean, polish surfaces, and even help cure skin conditions and fungal infections.
2. Essential Oils
Not only do essential smell great and have amazing healing properties, but they can also kill harmful bacteria and fungus lurking in our homes. The best essential oils for this are:
- Tea tree oil – Studies have actually shown tea tree oil kills common viruses that cause E. coli, influenza, and pneumonia. It also makes for a great hand sanitizer.
- Citronella – This essential oil can prevent bacteria from spreading to other parts of your body all while moisturizing your skin too.
- Lemongrass – Studies have also shown the effectiveness that lemongrass has with killing harmful bacteria in our bodies like pneumonia, gum disease, and even reducing inflammation associated with arthritis and diabetes.
- Patchouli – This is another essential oil that can reduce inflammation, decrease anxiety, and effectively eliminate fungus infections.
3. Hydrogen Peroxide
If hydrogen peroxide can be used to disinfect cuts, it can be used to disinfect your home! For the best results, it’s best to use a solution between 3-6%. It can kill bacteria, fungus, mold, and mildew and be used on any virtually any surface like:
- Bathtubs
- Mirrors
- Appliances
- Sinks
- Countertops (including marble and granite, but not repeatedly as the acidity can eventually dull the sealer)
- And even walls and floors
4. Lemon
Though lemon may not clean surfaces as efficiently as vinegar or hydrogen peroxide, it’s still a natural, cost-effective disinfectant (and smells good too!). If you or someone in your household has a cold, you can use about ten drops of lemon essential oil mixed in two cups of water in a spray bottle to spray in each room. It can help fight diseases and kill mold.
5. Vodka
Vodka can be a better cleaning alternative than vinegar because it doesn’t leave a sour smell afterwards and it has a more powerful antibacterial property. It’s best to buy a bottle of 100% vodka rather than sanitizers that only contain 40-60%. It can also remove stains and make your surfaces so shiny you’ll be able to see your reflection in them!
Products
If you’re looking for actual products to purchase at your local grocery or drug store, there are definitely certain brand names that are better than others. Key ingredients to look for in store-bought cleaners are pine oil, alcohol, ethanol, and sodium hypochlorite. These brands will not only help kill harmful bacteria and prevent further spreading of viruses, but they’re also perfectly safe around babies and children:
- Greenworks: Greenworks have many cleaning products, but their multi-purpose cleaner can be used on any surface in the kitchen or bathroom like stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and toilets and sinks. It’s an affordable mineral and plant-based cleaning product and not tested on animals.
- Method: Method’s antibacterial all-purpose cleaner kills 99.9% of germs lurking around your home. Their products range from natural hand soap to natural laundry detergent and even works great for people with sensitive skin too. It can also be used for any surface in your kitchen, bathroom, dining room, etc.
- The Honest Company: This company is particularly known for its baby-safe and hypoallergenic cleaning products. They also carry a multi-purpose cleaner made from plant-based ingredients, as well as a hand-sanitizer that’s 99.9% effective.
- Lysol: Lysol wipes not only remove tough stains, but they also kill bacteria and viruses that could be lurking on your countertops, sinks, tables, and any other surfaces you’re worried about. Studies have even shown they’ve killed bacteria associated with salmonella and E. coli.
If you or someone in your household is sick, there are lots of helpful ingredients or cleaning products you can stock up on to battle the germs and bacteria naturally and effectively. There have been studies done to specifically prove that most of these ingredients can prevent further bacteria from spreading, especially associated with well-known viruses like E. coli, salmonella, pneumonia, and other infections.
