Pure Essential Oils for Cleaning

If you use traditional chemical house cleaners, you are inadvertently filling your home with known toxins, such as endocrine-disrupting phthalates, asthma-inducing ammonia, and thyroid-impairing chlorine. Fortunately, you can make healthier choices by cleaning with essential oils.

Spring Cleaning Essential Oils

The newness and freshness of spring makes you want to clean your house! However, every season can feel like spring when you use fresh, aromatic, and non-toxic ingredients like essential oils for your housecleaning. There are so many oils that work great for cleaning, deodorizing, degreasing, and attacking mildew, it would be hard to list them all. Here are just a few:

Tea Tree Oil 

Tea tree oil can be used to make a highly affective shower cleaner. Reduce the amount of soap scum and mildew by filling a spray bottle with two cups of white vinegar and adding two teaspoons plant-based dish soap and 20 drops of tea tree essential oil. You don’t even have to scrub. Simply spray your shower down with this refreshing solution and leave it on to dry.

Lavender

Lavender seems to have a million and one uses! This is because it is calming, beautifully aromatic, and helps to improve the appearance of skin. Use it in your cleansers to leave your home smelling like a flower garden. Simply fill a spray bottle with distilled water and add 15 drops of lavender oil. 

Lemon

Lemon oil is a strong, natural degreasing agent. The greasy film on your stovetop has finally met its match! Add equal parts distilled water and white vinegar to a spray bottle and add 15 drops of lemon oil. 

Lemon oil also makes a fantastic leather and wood polish. Just dilute 10 drops of lemon essential oil in ½ cup olive oil.

Another use for lemon is as a refreshing, natural air freshener. Simply diffuse lemon oil throughout the house for that zingy, fresh scent. 

Eucalyptus Oil

Eucalyptus essential oil is perfect for all-purpose cleaners. Eucalyptus is another perfect smell for cleaning. 

Peppermint Oil

When peppermint oil is combined with white vinegar and distilled water, it creates a minty-smelling, streak-free glass cleaner.

Getting that Deep Clean

Sometimes, you want to go beyond simple surface cleaning. When it is time for a thorough deep clean, essential oils can still be a valuable part of your arsenal. Here are some tips for deep cleaning with essential oils.

Polishing Stainless Steel

A few drops of lemon essential oil on a microfiber cloth will both clean and shine your stainless steel fixtures and appliances.

Deodorizing Trash Cans and Refrigerators

When it comes to refreshing, lemon essential oil is once again your best friend. Simply douse a cotton ball with lemon oil and place it between your trash can and the liner, or inside of your refrigerator. 

Scrubbing Sinks, Showers, and Tubs

You can remove dirt and grime by making an all-natural, scrub. Combine distilled water, baking soda, and lemon, eucalyptus, or lavender oil until it resembles a wet scrub. Using a little bit of elbow grease and a non-scratch scour pad or sponge, apply the scrub all over the sink, shower, or bathtub, allow it to sit for a few minutes, and rinse. 

Carpet Smell Goods

To freshen up your carpets and chase away stubborn smells, create a carpet powder by mixing 15 drops of lavender essential oil for every one cup of baking soda. Sprinkle the mixture over your carpets and leave it overnight or at least a couple of hours. Finally, vacuum the carpet until there is no remaining mixture. 

Carpet Cleaner

To give your regular natural carpet cleaner a boost, add 15 drops of lemon essential oil per 1 gallon of cleaner.

Removing Residue with Essential Oils

Sticky, greasy, caked on gunk requires the big guns. Once again, essential oils are here for you. For your worst messes, try these tried-and-true concoctions. 

Gum Removal

To remove gum from fabric, use orange essential oil. Just wet a cotton ball with orange oil and use it to loosen up the gum, then throw it into the wash like normal. 

Label and Sticker Removal

Drop lemon or orange essential oil directly onto any kind of sticky residue and agitate with a damp cloth until clean. Make sure to rinse off with water after!

Oven Cleaning

For baked-in grease and grime in your ovens, make a thick paste by combining 2 cups baking soda, 15 drops lemon essential oil, 8 drops pine essential oil, and hot water. Spread the paste over the entire inner surface of the oven and leave it to sit. After an hour or more, use a sponge soaked in hot water to scrub and then rinse the surface clean. 

Next time you clean your house, avoid filling your home with toxic chemicals. With essential oils and other natural ingredients, your house can be sparkling clean, fresh-smelling, and best of all—safe!