Essential Oils: For Aromatherapy and Cleaning. Yes, I said cleaning.
At one point, essential oils only made an appearance in my bathtub when I was feeling stressed. Lavender has always been my go-to because of it’s relaxation properties, but I’ve recently found that it can be used for a variety of ailments or even just to clean your kitchen! Here are my favorite ways to use essential oils in the home while benefiting from their aromatherapy and being eco-friendly all at the same time — talk about a win!
How to use essential oils for….
…your carpet:
– 2-3 teaspoons of either lavender or lemon (because of their antibacterial properties) per tank of hot water will both clean your carpet, and leave your home smelling heavenly. Shampoo your carpet as normal, or use this same method for your auto upholstery!
…the kitchen:
– To kill germs on dish towels, soak them in a bowl of boiling water with 2 drops of either lavender or eucalyptus essential oils before putting them into the washing machine.
– The best oils to use as air freshener in your kitchen are rosemary mint, lemon, eucalyptus and lavender.
– To wash your kitchen surfaces, I’d use lavender and lemon for their cleaning properties. Or, if you’re liking the cleaning properties but want to mix up the scent, essential oils can come in a variety of blends. For example, a lavender sweet orange would smell divine in a kitchen — so keep an eye out for your favorite concoction and don’t be afraid to mix it up!
– A few drops of lemon essential oils to the rinse water used when washing out your refrigerator will clean and offer a long lasting freshness!
…the laundry room:
– To help with winter colds and flus, put 3-5 drops of eucalyptus into the fabric softener department of your washer.
– Or, if you’re just looking for an oil with it’s own cleaning properties and an awesome smell, my favorite oil, lavender, works wonderfully.
– To use essential oils in the dryer, add 2 drops of your choice of oil onto a 4X4 inch cloth and toss it into the dryer with your clothes or linens.
– You can also use your oils while ironing; put 1 drop of your essential oil of choice into a spray bottle with water, and spray your clothes before ironing as usual.
…to add fragrance to your living room:
– Put 6-8 drops of your favorite essential oil or blend onto a cotton ball and toss it into the vacuum bag.
– This trick is my favorite; put a few drops of your essential oil of choice onto a cool light bulb. The heat from the light bulb will release the essential oil into the atmosphere…who knew!?
– Or, do you have an air humidifier? Adding 8 drops of your favorite oil to the water of your humidifiers works amazingly and also changes the quality of the air (in my opinion)!
…the bedroom:
– Place a few drops of lavender into a diffuser and spray your bed linens with your own lavender mist before going to bed; lavender is impeccable for relaxation and relieving stress.
– To freshen your clothes, place cotton balls with your favorite essential oil in the corners of your clothing drawers and enjoy the aromatherapy off your clothes for the entire day.
…the bathroom:
– Put a few drops of either eucalyptus, lemon or lavender on the cardboard ring inside the toilet paper roll. The cardboard soaks up the oils and releases the scent when the roll is turned.
– Keep a bottle of Eucalyptus Oil in each bathroom and add 5 drops or so directly into the commode water to instantly freshen the area. The oil remains until someone comes along and flushes it away.
…as instant air freshener:
8-10 drops of your favorite essential oil into a bowl of boiling water will leave your room filled with the scent of your choice in a matter of seconds.
Enjoy!
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