How to Make Homemade Disinfecting Cleaner (Homemade Pine Sol)

With a few common household products and a little piece of nature, you can create a pine needle infused homemade disinfecting cleaner that not only sanitizes surfaces, but also cuts through grease and grime.

If you’re looking for ways to remove toxins from your home, one of the first places to start is your cleaning supplies. As I’m sure you know, most conventional cleaners are full of chemicals that can be irritating to the skin and lungs and are typically not something you want your children to get into or use. Making your own homemade cleaners is a great way to combat those issues.

Now while you still don’t want your children ingesting your homemade cleaners, they are much less harsh. They are much more gentle on your skin and can be less irritating to your lungs, which is something that is super important to me. Additionally, making your own homemade cleaners is extremely cost effective since they’re typically made with inexpensive ingredients, most of which you probably already have on hand. This homemade disinfecting cleaner is no exception! It disinfects surfaces and works really well on grease and grime, especially in the kitchen. Let me show you how to make it.

PIN FOR LATER!

VIDEO

HOMEMADE DISINFECTING CLEANER INGREDIENTS

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TOOLS YOU MAY NEED

• Quart mason jar with a lid
• Measuring cups
• Scissors
• Flannel or cotton fabric (optional)
• Amber spray bottle (optional)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
• 1 1/4 cups water
• Pine needles
• 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
• 30 drops lemon essential oil (optional)

DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE DISINFECTING CLEANER

Collect pine needles of your choosing, then cut them down to a size that will fit in a quart sized mason jar.

In a quart sized mason jar, combine distilled white vinegar, water and as many pine needles as you can fit in the jar. Be sure that all the pine needles are fully submerged to prevent mold from occurring.

Allow the pine needles to soak in the vinegar solution for one week in a cool, dark place.

After one week, remove the pine needles from the vinegar solution.

Then add the rubbing alcohol and essential oils (optional).

Add the homemade disinfecting cleaner to a spray bottle or cut squares of fabric scraps to make homemade disinfecting wipes.

Use the disinfecting cleaner to clean countertops, bathrooms and more!

NOTES

• Store your homemade cleaner in a cool dark place.
• You can use any pine needles you’d like in this recipe. Some are more fragrant than others, but you can use whatever you have available.
• You could use citrus peels as well like lemon or orange to get the same cleaning effect.
• This disinfecting cleaner may cause the rings of your mason jar to rust, so I like using these plastic lids instead.

FAQ

Do I have to use pine needles in this homemade disinfecting cleaner?

No, if you don’t have pine needles readily available to you for this cleaner, you can use a variety of different items to infuse the cleaner. Things like lemon peels, orange peels, whole herbs like rosemary, mint and more can make this cleaner smell great and add to the cleaning benefits. You can also just use essential oils and skip the wait time.

Do pine needles have cleaning benefits?

Pine needles have microbial and antibacterial properties. They also provide this cleaner with a nice subtle scent. Combined with lemon, it’s a wonderful smelling and powerful cleaner.

How do I use this disinfecting cleaner?

You can add this cleaner to an amber spray bottle or you can cut up scrap cotton or flannel and submerge them in this cleaner to make disinfecting wipes. I like to use this on my countertops, stove, microwave and in the bathroom. If you’re using the wipes, simply wash them after use and add them back into the cleaner when they’re clean!

What surfaces can I use this cleaner on?

This disinfecting cleaner is great for wood, laminate, stainless steel and more! I would not use this cleaner on marble countertops since the acidity of the vinegar can blemish marble. You may also want to be cautious with granite countertops as well.

Continue to Content

Homemade Disinfecting Cleaner with Pine Needles

Active Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 7 days

Total Time: 7 days 10 minutes

With a few common household products and a little piece of nature, you can create a pine needle infused homemade disinfecting cleaner that not only sanitizes surfaces, but also cuts through grease and grime.

Print

Materials

• 1 1/2 cups vinegar
• 1 1/4 cups water
• Pine needles
• 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
• 30 drops lemon essential oil (optional)

Tools

• Quart mason jar with a lid
• Measuring cups
• Scissors
• Flannel or cotton fabric (optional)
• Amber spray bottle (optional)

Instructions

1. Collect pine needles of your choosing, then cut them down to a size that will fit in a quart sized mason jar.
2. In a quart sized mason jar, combine distilled white vinegar, water and as many pine needles as you can fit in the jar. Be sure that all the pine needles are fully submerged to prevent mold from occurring.
3. Allow the pine needles to soak in the vinegar solution for one week in a cool, dark place.
4. After one week, remove the pine needles from the vinegar solution.
5. Then add the rubbing alcohol and essential oils.
6. Add the homemade disinfecting cleaner to a spray bottle or cut squares of fabric scraps to make homemade disinfecting wipes.
7. Use the disinfecting cleaner to clean countertops, bathrooms and more!

Notes

• Store your homemade cleaner in a cool dark place.
• You can use any pine needles you'd like in this recipe. Some are more fragrant than others, but you can use whatever you have available.
• You could use citrus peels as well like lemon or orange to get the same cleaning effect.
• This disinfecting cleaner may cause the rings of your mason jar to rust, so I like using these plastic lids instead.

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

LOOKING FOR MORE NATURAL CLEANING RECIPES?

Looking for more natural cleaning recipes like this? Check these out:

• Natural All-Purpose Cleaning Spray
• Homemade Air Freshener
• DIY Dishwasher Detergent
• Homemade Laundry Scent Booster

Did you try this homemade disinfecting spray? If you did, I’d really appreciate if you came back and gave the recipe a five star rating! Tag me on Instagram (@thesimplehomeplace) to show me your own recreation of this recipe!