8 Things That Kill Coronavirus

Written by:

Maia James

04/06/2020

Updated: 09/29/2023

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What kills coronavirus? I’ve done some digging on what chemical compounds will kill the virus that causes COVID-19, and I wanted to share my findings with you guys. A complete list from the EPA can be found here.

Do I need to remind you that I’m not a doctor or any kind of medical professional? What follows is just my interpretation of what I’ve read about how to kill this terrifying virus. Definitely check with someone with some kind of real qualifications before following any of my tips;).

Please note that this list is for killing the virus on hard surfaces (for my use that means doorknobs, plastic packaging that food comes in, railings in the common areas of our building, etc.).

Also important: all of these take ten minutes on surfaces to work; the exception is ethanol (alcohol), which kills the virus in 5 minutes.

I’ll also label each as Good Stuff or Best Stuff based on potential toxicity of each ingredient.

Good Stuff

All Good Hand Sanitizer Spray

Ethanol, otherwise known as alcohol, is what’s in Purell (which is Bad Stuff because of other gross ingredients, like fragrance) but these two are Good Stuff: All Good Organic Peppermint Hand Sanitizer Spray and Aura Cacia Natural Hand Sanitizer.

CleanWell Botanical Disinfectant Wipes 35 Count

Thymol (thyme oil) is found in Cleanwell and Seventh Generation antibacterial products, both of which seem to be sold out absolutely everywhere.

Lumion Hand Sanitizer

Hypochlorous acid is the main ingredient in Lumion skincare (which I’m also using to clean my hands). Code GIMMETHEGOODSTUFF will give you 15% off on their site.

Method All Purpose Antibacterial Cleaner

Citric acid is found in Comet (Bad Stuff because of other ingredients) and Method Antibacterial Cleaner (not quite Good Stuff, but Okay Stuff).

Force of Nature

Sodium chloride is the active ingredient in Force of Nature. ( 40% off bundles + free shipping with code: GIMMETHEGOODSTUFF40)

Essential Oxygen Organic Mouthwash/Brushing Rinse

Hydrogen peroxide is also hard to get right now. You want a 3% concentration. (This might be a stretch, but we aren’t sold out of this mouthwash, which contains 1.5% hydrogen peroxide, which is more than these healthcare wipes. So, don’t judge me when you find me wiping down my doorknob with mouthwash.)

Bad Stuff

Sodium hypochlorite is more commonly known as bleach, and you’ll find it in most (toxic!) Clorox products.

Quaternary ammonium is the active ingredient in Lysol products.

Can Essential Oils Kill Coronavirus?

I can’t find any studies showing that essential oils definitely kill coronaviruses, but this study shows that certain oils are effective in killing H1N1 flu viruses as well as the herpes simplex virus (plus a variety of bacteria and fungi).

The blend tested contained cinnamon, wild carrot, eucalyptus, and rosemary oils (worth noting: this blend also was effective against antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria).

MamaSuds All-Purpose Cleaner

Other studies have confirmed the antibacterial properties of eucalyptus oil as well as of cinnamon oil, and this all-purpose cleaner contains both . This sanitizing spray contains rosemary and eucalyptus.

Stay sane and healthy,

Maia, Founder & CEO

Note: This article contains affiliate links or sponsored content, which means that if you make a purchase, we may earn a commission. We only recommend products that meet our strict standards for non-toxicity and that we use (or want to use!) ourselves. Thank you so much for supporting the brands that make Good Stuff! 

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Leave a Reply

  1. deb Avatar
    deb

    Force of Nature code expired unfortunately.

  2. Carol Roberts Avatar
    Carol Roberts

    Hi Maia,

    In looking at Lumion, you may not want to use it on your hands. Here is an article to review: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11327319

    Thank you,
    Carol