I Tried That Instagram-Famous Spray Sanitizer and It’s Already Saving Me So Much Money

Like a lot of folks, over the last year, I’ve become super vigilant about keeping my home clean and disinfected. I tried everything I could get my hands on, including any multi-purpose cleaner in stock and admittedly a lot of bleach. But after nearly singeing off my nose hair during a deep clean, I started to realize that too many chemicals might be just as dangerous as the germs they were killing. And then I was introduced to Force of Nature, an appliance that turns ordinary tap water into a multi-purpose cleaner and deodorizer through the power of salt and vinegar. Could these simple ingredients really match the chemically powered force of bleach to kill germs and clean my whole home? Naturally, I had to try it to find out.

After receiving my starter kit, it was evident that this is no ordinary cleaning product. It is indeed an appliance, or rather an electrolyzer to be precise, and comes along with five solution capsules and a reusable spray bottle. The process is pretty simple. You fill the electrolyzer bottle with tap water, plug it in, add the solution capsule, and press start. It takes about nine minutes of bubbling to convert to electrolyzed water with the right amount of pH balanced hypochlorous acid to kill 99.9 percent of bacteria and viruses. The green indicator light lets you know it’s ready, and you’ve got two weeks worth of a chemical-free, EPA registered disinfectant and sanitizer. 

Okay, so the science stuff is neat, but does a salt and vinegar solution actually work? In a nutshell, yes! I tried it on everything in my kitchen, from the persistent blue ring of dish soap on the counter to the dirty fingerprints on my stainless steel refrigerator. I soaked some grease stains on my stove and mopped my hardwood floor. It tackled everything pretty easily, not a ton of elbow grease required. I admittedly didn’t try any serious stains like red wine, but it certainly took care of a coffee spill with no issues. Best of all, it leaves the faintest of scents reminding you that you deodorized, but nothing more. There’s no harsh chemical burn or overly powerful scent. It’s just clean.

Because the spray is natural, it is safer for kids and animals. So you can spray down lunch boxes and litter boxes with the same solution that just deodorized your yoga mat. It’s tough enough to tackle mold, but gentle enough to clean makeup brushes. Multi-purpose indeed! And once your two weeks are up (the electrolyzer has a handy indicator light that tells you when it’s time to make a fresh batch), you simply need to add a new capsule and you’re good to go. The starter pack comes with five capsules, and once you run out, Force of Nature sells a pack of 25 capsules for just $19.99.

While this product does require some thought and effort upfront, it works well for someone like me who likes to designate a chunk of time to cleaning. I can tackle an entire room top to bottom with one cleaner, which saves time and money (we’re ultimately talking seven cents an ounce!) And of course, my poor nostrils are saved as well thanks to the all-natural ingredients.