The best essential oils are touted for their versatility and can positively transform many aspects of life. You’ve probably heard of essential oils used as aromatherapy and supplements and perhaps have experimented with them yourself. They can provide a wide array of medicinal uses: From migraine to stress-relief and anxiety reduction to mood enhancement, essential oils have become an essential health staple for many people.
But did you know essential oils can be turned into amazing housecleaning products?
You can transform essential oils into natural cleaning agents. They kill the same bacteria as standard cleaning products, but they don’t contain the same harmful chemicals and toxins. Besides, they’re extremely affordable, and they smell amazing.
You don’t have to rely any longer on bleach and the overpowering smell of prepackaged kitchen and soap scum cleaners to enjoy a thorough clean.
But how do you make a household cleaner out of essential oils? Which oils pack the right combination of heavenly scent and bacteria eradication?
Let’s take a look at five of the best essential oils to use to transform your home into a spotless paradise.
Choosing the right essential oils
In order to choose the right essential oils, It’s important to understand the properties of each individual oil. Essential oils are made from the concentrated essence of their respective plants. For cleaning, you want oils that possess natural antimicrobial agents.
When you shop for essential oils, look for pure oils without added products. As the oils have grown in popularity, you can find them in a variety of stores. For an array of reasons, many brands mix the pure oil with other products. This reduces the potency, which makes these products less than ideal cleaning solutions.
Even if essential oils didn’t contain these natural cleansers, the wonderful aromas that will waft through your house when you clean make them worth the purchase.
Your local health and wellness stores or holistic vendors should carry the pure oils. The employees of these businesses are often extremely knowledgeable about their products; don’t hesitate to ask questions if you’re unsure of what essential oils to buy.
How to properly dilute essential oils for cleaning
Now that you’ve chosen your essential oils, you need to know how to create your DIY cleaner.
It’s vital to ensure your product is safe for you and your whole family (including your four-legged loved ones). Closely follow any directions listed on the label, and dilute your essential oil with water. If you don’t dilute your cleaner enough, you may find the oil irritates your skin or causes a headache.
A good rule of thumb for essential oil cleaners is to add one cup of water for every 10 drops of oil. You don’t want to dilute your cleaner too much, or it will lose its potency. Pour your mixture into a 16 oz. / 237 mL spray bottle (found at most local grocery or drug stores). You may want to spray a bit in an out of the way area before using liberally to ensure it doesn’t cause any adverse reactions.
You can also play with combining more than one essential oil in your homemade, non-toxic cleaning product. Create your own unique scents and use one cleaner for multiple uses. Depending on the properties of each oil, you could create a cleaner that doubles as a stress reducer!
For example, you can mix peppermint and eucalyptus to create an excellent mood enhancer. You may just find yourself smiling and dancing as you clean.
5 best essential oils to detox your household cleaners
Each essential oil you choose to clean with serves a specific purpose. One may get rid of grease while another might make your marble countertops shine with brilliance. So, what are the best essential oils to use for household cleaners?
Check out the following five best essential oils to make your house sparkle.
Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Eucalyptus essential oil is one of the most powerful antibacterial disinfectants available. That mold you just can’t seem to erase in the crack behind your kitchen cabinets? Gone with eucalyptus. Mold, grime, and dirt you feared you needed to don a Hazmat suit to go near? A diffused spray bottle of eucalyptus oil should do the trick.
Make your house smell like a beautiful, thriving forest without having to wonder what chemicals you’ve just sprayed all over your kitchen. Eucalyptus essential oil leaves a fresh scent wherever it is used and can also help with mental clarity and stress relief.
Some of the greatest uses for eucalyptus essential oil cleaners include:
- Floors: Mix hot, rather than cold water with your eucalyptus oil to mop. Marvel at the shiny, spotless floors you leave behind.
- Beds: Lightly spray your eucalyptus cleaner on mattresses or directly on pillows to leave bedrooms smelling clean and comforting.
- Laundry: A few drops of eucalyptus oil mixed in the washer with your detergent will keep your laundry feeling clean and smelling fresh for days.
Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender essential oil is often used to help with relaxation and stress relief, but it also makes for an excellent dishwashing product. Lavender is also a natural antibacterial agent and won’t irritate your skin like many other dishwashing liquids can.
Add 5 to 10 drops of lavender essential oil to a cup of white vinegar and watch the grease and leftover food wash away. White vinegar is infamous for its pungent smell, so at least 5 drops of lavender are required to leave your dishes with a delightful scent.
Lemon Essential Oil
Many marketed cleaning products use the scent of lemon to cover the overwhelming smell of chemicals — why not skip these cleaners and use the real thing instead? Lemon essential oil contains powerful antiviral and antibacterial agents. Lemon oil can awaken your senses and, more importantly, will easily cut through grease.
Diffuse your lemon essential oil and spray it on furniture (like couches and tables) to energize your home. This natural cleaner also works great on cutting through stovetop and kitchen counter grease.
Pine Essential Oil
There are many similarities between pine and eucalyptus oils. However, where eucalyptus oil is the most powerful disinfectant, pine essential oil is possibly the best natural floor cleaner.
If you love the smell of pine-scented floor cleaner, pine essential oil provides an amazing non-toxic alternative to Pine-Sol and other chemically-enhanced cleaners.
You can diffuse pine essential oil with hot water and begin mopping away. Pine oil kills yeast spores, E. coli, and many household germs and leaves your floors sparkling with a clean shine.
Pine essential oil also proves effective on bathroom mold and mildew: Spray your diffused cleaner on the cracks and moldy corners in your tub and watch it work its magic.
Peppermint Essential Oil
Not only does peppermint essential oil smell delightful, but pesky bugs and bacteria hate it. Peppermint oil is super effective for quick cleans after meal preparation or eating. It’s a great quick remedy for spills as well.
Spiders, moths, and even mice will avoid peppermint essential oil at all costs. However, the oil won’t kill them — rather it directs them away from your home. Thus, during the warmer months, spraying window sills and other crevices that act as entry ways may keep the pests at bay.
Peppermint essential oil can also be used in natural deodorants.
Essential oils create a natural, relaxing cleaning process
Over a lifetime of use, chemical-heavy cleaning products can have adverse effects on your health, the health of your children, and the health of your pets. These cleaners can irritate your skin, cause migraines, and may even erode certain surfaces after heavy use. Purchasing these products can also prove a costly endeavor.
However, the five best essential oils are affordable, smell amazing, and are chemical and toxin-free. These essential oils can enhance your mood and re-energize you, too.
You may find that cleaning your house with these natural products makes cleaning an enjoyable and relaxing experience.
What essential oil is your new favorite?
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XO – Serena
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