A clean home can feel like a calm sanctuary, away from the hectic pace of modern life. But if the cleaning solutions you use contain chemicals, you could be harming your health and your family and pets' health. Similar to the foods you can use to clean your home naturally, essential oils could be a great cleaning alternative.
We asked two essential oil experts to share their tips on how to use oil around the home, from cleaning to laundry and more. Read on to learn the top ways to use essential oils around your house.
1. Cleaning your home
There’s nothing quite like a clean house, but store-bought chemical cleaners can impact your health—not to mention the environment.
Essential oils offer a natural alternative that can clean your home while making it smell amazing. “Essential oils aren't just trendy—they're powerful little titans,” says Trish Duarte, founder of MaidPro in Murrieta and Temecula. “These bottles are brimming with antibacterial, antiviral, and deodorizing properties.”
Experts recommend several oils for cleaning your home. “For cleaning, my go-to oils include lemon, lime, orange, and tea tree,” says Laura Ascher, founder of the essential oil website Our Oily House. “These are powerful cleansing oils that are great for nearly all surfaces.” Duarte’s recommendations are similar and include lemon, tea tree, lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus essential oils.
To make an all-purpose cleaning solution, simply mix one cup distilled waters, one cup of witch hazel with drops of tea tree and lemon essential oils in a spray bottle. “With its zesty aroma and natural solvent properties, [lemon essential oil is] perfect for dissolving dirt and grime,” Duarte says. “Plus, it’s antibacterial and antiviral, making it ideal for disinfecting surfaces.”
You can also use vinegar in place of witch hazel. However, vinegar isn’t recommended for use on all surfaces. “It can damage natural stone, electronics, wood, and certain fabrics,” Duarte explains. “Due to its acidity, it can also break down rubber and dull shiny finishes over time.”
2. Freshen your clothes
Traditional laundry detergent contains chemicals that can be harmful, especially if you have sensitive skin. Instead, use essential oils to clean and freshen your clothes without harming your skin or leaving detergent residue in the washing machine.
“When it comes to laundry, tea tree is an excellent option, especially when it comes to getting rid of any mildew-type smells from clothing,” Ascher explains. “Personally, I love anything floral to scent my laundry detergent recipes. Lavender, chamomile, and jasmine are all excellent options. Eucalyptus, lemongrass, and cedarwood make great alternatives.”
Duarte likes using lavender, tea tree, or rosemary oil in the laundry. She mixes two or three drops of essential oil into unscented detergent to give her clothes a fresh, clean scent. She also uses essential oils in place of dryer sheets. “Add a drop to each dryer ball,” she recommends. Alternatively, she suggests “[mixing] 1/2 cup witch hazel with 20 to 30 drops of oil in a spray bottle [and spraying] on dryer balls before use.”
3. Remove odors from your carpet
Carpeted floors feel plush and warm on your feet, but they can get dirty and stinky quickly—especially if you have pets. Duarte recommends mixing 10 drops each of lavender and lemon essential oils with 1 cup of baking soda to freshen your carpet naturally.
“Mix in a jar [and] sprinkle on carpets,” she says. “Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes, [then] vacuum thoroughly.” If you have pets, she recommends using lavender and rosemary oils, which, along with chamomile, frankincense, and bergamot oils, are considered safe for use around resident animals. “Lavender oil is a cleaning powerhouse,” she explains. “It fights bacteria and fungi while leaving a lovely floral scent.”
4. Get rid of pests
Got bugs in your home? Skip the harmful pesticides and banish them by using essential oils. “While most essential oil fragrances are pleasant to humans, most pests will avoid the potent scent of several essential oils,” explains Ascher. This method is also humane for the pests. “While we refer to them as pests, many of these insects and bugs do play an important role in our ecosystem, so we don't want to kill them but encourage them to stay where they belong, which is outside,” Ascher says.
To deter spiders from your home, Ascher recommends spraying a mixture of lemon and tea tree oils diluted in water around the room where the arachnids are likely to enter. She recommends deterring ants with peppermint, clove, and lemon essential oils diluted in water and sprayed along door frames, baseboards, and window sills.
Duarte’s go-to oil for pest control is peppermint. “Peppermint oil is a natural deodorizer and insect repellent,” she says. “Its high menthol content makes it perfect for cleaning and freshening up your spaces.”
5. Make your home smell great
Store-bought air fresheners often contain chemicals that can cause respiratory problems—especially for those with allergies, asthma, or other health concerns.
Essential oils can make your house smell great without causing issues for your home’s residents. Duarte recommends the mixture of one cup distilled water, 1/2 cup witch hazel, 10 drops lavender, 10 drops eucalyptus, and five drops peppermint essential oils to freshen the air.
“Mix in a spray bottle [and] shake well,” she advises. “Spray around the house for a refreshingly uplifting scent that also repels spiders and ants.”
6. Eliminate trash smells
Trash cans can become stinky quickly, no matter how much you try to keep them clean. Essential oils can help neutralize trash odors so your home stays smelling fresh. Simply add a few drops of your favorite oil to a cotton ball and drop it into the trash can before adding a bag.
“Put five drops of essential oil onto a cotton ball or paper towel and place it underneath the trash liner to help with odor,” advises Duarte. “The bonus is that both lavender and peppermint repel roaches and flies, which are often found in smelly trash areas.”
7. Put in smelly shoes
The same method for de-stinking trash cans can be applied to your shoes. Rather than holding your nose every time you walk through the mudroom where your stinkiest sneakers are hiding, drop a cotton ball soaked with a few stops of your favorite essential oil into your shoes and enjoy a fresher-smelling entryway or closet.
How to use essential oils safely in the home
It’s critical to understand how to use essential oils safely. “While essential oils are generally safe when used properly, it's important to take certain precautions,” warns Ascher. “First, they are highly concentrated and should always be diluted before use. To avoid staining surfaces, it's a good idea to perform a patch test on a small area.”
It’s also essential to understand which oils to use for which purposes. “Lemon oil is OK in the wash, but avoid it in the dryer as it is phototoxic and can cause skin irritation when you and your clothes are exposed to the sun or UV light,” says Duarte.
Proper ventilation is key to using essential oils in any way. “This is especially true when using essential oils in diffusers as an air freshener or for cleaning,” says Ascher. It’s also important to store essential oils correctly. “Keep oils in a cool, dark place away from heat and direct sunlight,” advises Duarte. “Use dark glass bottles to protect your cleaning solutions from degrading too quickly.”
Finally, Ascher recommends consulting a medical professional before using essential oils. “If you have any concerns or underlying health conditions, you should always consult with your healthcare provider before using essential oils around your home,” she says.
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