Your Answer: Disinfect Properly, Without a DIY Mix

Your Answer: Disinfect Properly, Without a DIY Mix

Cleaning and disinfecting are different jobs. Cleaning removes dirt and some germs. Disinfecting uses a chemical that is registered with the EPA to kill germs on a surface, and it only works when the surface stays visibly wet for the full contact time on the label. Homemade vinegar sprays, essential-oil mixes and soap-and-water are not EPA-registered disinfectants, and EPA says it does not review the effectiveness of common household ingredients like vinegar or rubbing alcohol, so this result steers you away from a DIY recipe. Clean the surface first, then disinfect it, since dirt uses up the disinfectant.

You have three sound options. First, an EPA-registered product such as a disinfecting spray or wipe, used exactly as its label says. Second, household bleach: the CDC's guidance is 5 tablespoons (1/3 cup) of 5%-9% bleach per gallon of room-temperature water, or 4 teaspoons per quart, left wet for at least 1 minute, with a fresh batch each day (a bleach solution is less effective after 24 hours). The CDC says not to use bleach outside the 5%-9% range, so confirm the percentage on your bottle. Third, alcohol on small hard, non-porous surfaces: the CDC's healthcare guidance lists 60%-90% alcohol in water as rapidly bactericidal but notes alcohol is flammable and evaporates rapidly, which makes it hard to keep a surface wet. EPA does not verify household rubbing alcohol, so follow a product label where one exists.

Never-mix rules decide everything here. Never mix bleach with vinegar or any acid, ammonia, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or toilet and drain cleaners. The CDC says never to mix household bleach with any other cleaners or disinfectants. Bleach with ammonia forms chloramine gas, bleach with acids releases chlorine gas, alcohol-based cleaners with bleach can create chloroform, and bleach reacts with hydrogen peroxide. Never put vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in one bottle. Never mix castile soap with vinegar. Use one product at a time, rinse the surface with water between products, and open a window. Label any diluted bottle with the product, ratio and date, and store it away from kids, pets and other cleaners.

Check the maker's care guide before using bleach on natural stone, unsealed wood or metals like aluminum, and do not use alcohol on finishes it can damage. Wear gloves, keep the area ventilated (the CDC advises opening windows and doors), and use bleach solutions the same day. If a mix goes wrong, leave the room and get fresh air right away, open windows, keep kids and pets out, and call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US, America's Poison Centers). Call 911 for trouble breathing, chest pain, or if someone collapses. Calculate the exact bleach amount for your bottle strength using the calculators below, and always read the product label because the label always wins.

Source: CDC, Cleaning and Disinfecting with Bleach (5 tablespoons per gallon of room-temperature water, 5%-9% bleach, at least 1 minute); CDC, Chemical Disinfectants (Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities); EPA, Can I use common household substances to kill the novel coronavirus?; Washington State Department of Health, Dangers of Mixing Bleach with Cleaners; Transport Canada CANUTEC, Improper mixing of common household cleaning products; Missouri Poison Center, Some Things Just Don't Mix. Note: bleach strength varies by product, confirm on your bottle; alcohol contact time varies by product label.

General household-cleaning guidance, not medical or professional advice. The label on your product always wins; never mix cleaning products. For a poisoning emergency call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US), or 911 if someone has trouble breathing.

How Disinfect properly: label product, bleach or alcohol compares

* Illustrative starting amounts and notes, rounded -- use the calculators below for your exact numbers, and always check your product label.