Abstract: Antimicrobial mixtures containing specific antimicrobial diols, e.g. 1,2-dodecanediol, and specific aromatic alcohols, e.g. phenylethyl alcohol or hydrocinnamic alcohol, are provided. Such mixtures with a weight ratio of diol to aromatic alcohol of 9:1 to 1:9 have been found to exhibit a synergistic effect, i.e. a high antimicrobial activity which cannot be explained by an additive effect of the very low-activity components. Such mixtures are useful in the disinfection of hard surfaces, in the production of disinfectant cleaning preparations and in the preservation of water-based preparations of microbially degradable substances.