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Finding good essential oils for cleaning to replace a not so clean product can be really difficult nowadays. Especially for an affordable price. When I first started my journey to finding better options for a safer and cleaner home environment, I remember stumbling upon essential oils. So many people are talking about these amazingly natural home essentials and how they are a much better choice when it comes to cleaning and fragrance your home.
In this article, we are going to talk about what essential oils are, why to consider investing in a few oils, and how you can utilize your essential oils for cleaning and improve the fragrance your home.
What are Essential Oils?
Johns Hopkins Medicine defines essential oils as,
“…basically plant extracts. They’re made by steaming or pressing various parts of a plant (flowers, bark, leaves or fruit) to capture the compounds that produce fragrance. It can take several pounds of a plant to produce a single bottle of essential oil. In addition to creating scent, essential oils perform other functions in plants, too”
So, we learn that essential oils are basically the bi product of squeezing and/or steaming different natural elements, such as flowers or leaves, to produce an oil that not only smells good … .but can have other great benefits as well. Essential oils are often known for carrying a powerful scent, so you don’t usually need a lot of essential oil to get the job done when it comes to supplementing a cleaner or using it as a home fragrance. Knowing I don’t have to use a lot of a product in order to get a desired result is a nice thought, because it means you need to buy less and ultimately store less.
Why Essential Oils for Cleaning?
Essential oils can have a lot of benefits. For me, one of the greatest benefits is that it is probably the cleanest form of fragrance out there. They are often derived from one plant source. For example, peppermint oil is derived simply from the peppermint plant. Eucalyptus oil is made simply from the eucalyptus plant. It’s as simple as that when it comes to ingredients.
Depending on what you are using the product for, you may want to look at the different grades of essential oils…. And just like anything else, even if it is advertised as an essential oil, always check the ingredient list to ensure you are getting the product you really are looking for.
Knowing that essential oils are such a clean product is nice, because it gives us a great base to find a really great, clean product…..or….make a really great clean product. Don’t get me wrong, I think there is a time and place to use the more aggressive cleaners when the job calls for it. But a good mix of vinegar, soap, and essential oil can go a long way when keeping up with our homes. It makes my conscience feel a little more at peace knowing I’m not constantly using products that aren’t going to negatively impact my family’s health.
Favorite Essential Oils for Cleaning
When getting started, I would suggest just getting a few basic essential oils. My favorites are peppermint, tea tree, eucalyptus, orange, lemongrass, and lavender. You could always look for a set like this or find some on DoTerra. I prefer these oils because they are easy to work with and they leave my house smelling really great when I’m finished using them. If you don’t like these specific smells, you can always find other essential oils you enjoy to smell after a good hard cleaning. I’m going to list a few combinations I like to use my essential for oils below. Let me know what you think. (A little note: Essential oils can have a pretty pricey upfront cost, but a little goes a long way with many oils out there. I have had a little collection of these oils listed above for nearly two years now and I still have more to use. So just know that the investment is worth it).
Peppermint Oil:
Peppermint oil has a lot of benefits outside of cleaning, For example, they can aid in relieving muscle tension, and it can help clear out nasal passages during a cold when inhaled (Similar to vicks vapor rub). But, it has some great cleaning benefits too! Peppermint oil is known to be naturally antifungal and antibacterial keeping those pesky germs at bay. So it’s definitely a friend of the everyday cleaner. Added bonus: Peppermint oil is said to be a great insect and pest repellent, so make sure to add some to your sprays during peak bug season to help keep those pests away.
Tea Tree Oil:
Tea tree oil is often thought of as having antibacterial purposes. When added to a cleaning solution, it can aid in disinfecting. I almost always add a good 10 drops of this oil to my all purpose cleaners and floor cleaner. Plus, an added bonus is that it smells fresh and makes your home smell really good. Some people don’t really like the smell of tea tree oil, or think it is a really strong smell. So, I would start our small with only a few drops before adding more, just to make sure you don’t overwhelm your olfactory senses.
Eucalyptus Oil:
Eucalyptus Oil is also another disinfecting agent. This oil is also a great agent for breaking up those tough soap scum spots. So it’s great for adding into a bathroom cleaning routine. I love the smell of eucalyptus in my bathroom cleaners. It has such a fresh scent, and I feel like it just belongs in the essential oil cleaning family.
Orange Oil:
This citrus derived oil has so many wonderful benefits from antiseptic to polishing wood, orange oil is your friend. I love to mix orange oil with tea tree oil for a good smelling combo. I also love adding some orange oil to a bath every now and then for an uplifting and mood boosting reset.
Lemongrass Oil:
This bright and fragrant oil is best known for its antibacterial and antifungal properties, so it is a great germ fighting agent.
(Are you seeing a trend yet with all these oils I choose to use in my cleaning? They smell great and they have a purpose of aiding in antifungal and antibacterial processes. I love using things that have a purpose. The more places I can utilize something, the less things I need to have. This is especially true when it comes to my little essential oil collection)
As another side note, if you are just getting into a clean product journey and you are overwhelmed or think you need to buy all the things. I’m serious, just get a basic set…. Just a few scents you know you are going to like. Then work from there when you feel confident. I love these go to oils so much…I haven’t felt the need to explore more oils to add to the rotation. Finding your favorite few essential oils for cleaning your home can be such a game changer.
Bonus Oil!!!
Lavender Oil: I really like the smell of lavender. Especially when I’m wanting to bring a sense of calmness to my home. Lavender smells great when sprayed in bedrooms or in places you want to be a little more relaxing. My favorite way to utilize lavender oil is in an oil diffuser. This is also another oil I love to add to my bath if I just need a few minutes to unwind and regroup.
Other Ways to Utilize Essential Oils:
Oil Diffuser:
A lot of wall plug-ins and home fragrances have chemicals from the dirty dozen toxin list. When I learned just how much plug in fragrances had in them, I decided to switch to a simple essential oil diffuser. I have two like this in my home (Insert link to wood diffuser). I simply add a distilled water and a few drops of the essential oil I want to use and BAM! We are in business. I love being able to have my home smell its best while still promoting a healthy and clean alternative to traditional home scents.
In the bath:
When I was pregnant with my first child, I found that I pretty much lived in the bath. From morning sickness to growing pains, I found that taking an appropriately warm soak in the bath really relieved a lot of my symptoms. I found myself adding in some epsom salt and some combinations of essential oils to either give me a boost of energy or calm my ache and pains. I know there is a lot of conflicting evidence on essential oil use in pregnancy, so I always advise talking to your health care provider about any concerns you have about use during pregnancy.
In the Laundry:
I also really like adding a little bit of essential oils to my laundry. Some clean laundry detergents will also have essential oils in them rather than all the fragrance. I really like this detergent. It uses essential oils rather than fragrances in their products which is nice. You just never know what is fully in “fragrance” labels as they are not required to disclose this information. This is obviously a little bit more on the pricier side of laundry detergent, but there are other options for having a clean detergent while using essential oils. This is an option for dye free and scent free detergent and then you could add the essential oil scent you want to the mix.
Switching to a cleaner way of cleaning doesn’t have to break the bank. If you have the fund to splurge on a few of those big ticket items. GO FOR IT! But…..if you don’t….don’t beat yourself up about it too much. Life can be expensive. What you can focus on is adjusting one thing at a time. Maybe, for a few months it is learning how to make your own every day cleaners (which is surprisingly inexpensive). Then, you buy one oil diffuser to place in the most important room for fragrance. Next, you go on to maybe focusing on the laundry for 6 months or maybe even a year or two later when you can mentally and monetarily afford the change. Any step toward a cleaner and simpler lifestyle is worth more than no step at all.
Keep going, you’ve got this!
