This study investigates the antimicrobial efficacy of three monoterpenes—linalyl acetate, (+)-menthol, and thymol—against *Staphylococcus aureus* and *Escherichia coli*. The mechanisms of their action are explored by evaluating their ability to damage biomembranes through the release of carboxyfluorescein (CF) from unilamellar vesicles with different lipid compositions. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is used to monitor the interaction of these terpenes with model membranes. The results suggest that the antimicrobial effects of (+)-menthol, thymol, and linalyl acetate may be primarily due to perturbing the lipid fraction of the bacterial plasma membrane, altering membrane permeability, and causing intracellular material leakage. The effectiveness of these terpenes is influenced by their physicochemical properties, such as lipophilicity and water solubility, as well as the lipid composition and net surface charge of the bacterial membranes. The drugs may also penetrate cell membranes and interact with intracellular sites critical for antibacterial activity.This study investigates the antimicrobial efficacy of three monoterpenes—linalyl acetate, (+)-menthol, and thymol—against *Staphylococcus aureus* and *Escherichia coli*. The mechanisms of their action are explored by evaluating their ability to damage biomembranes through the release of carboxyfluorescein (CF) from unilamellar vesicles with different lipid compositions. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is used to monitor the interaction of these terpenes with model membranes. The results suggest that the antimicrobial effects of (+)-menthol, thymol, and linalyl acetate may be primarily due to perturbing the lipid fraction of the bacterial plasma membrane, altering membrane permeability, and causing intracellular material leakage. The effectiveness of these terpenes is influenced by their physicochemical properties, such as lipophilicity and water solubility, as well as the lipid composition and net surface charge of the bacterial membranes. The drugs may also penetrate cell membranes and interact with intracellular sites critical for antibacterial activity.