What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are concentrated compounds taken from various herbs and plants to create oils that can be used for topical, oral, and aromatherapeutic health. Each has its own unique smell, benefits, and possible side effects.
Although we've been using the wonderful plants God has given us to better our health for a very long time in history, it wasn't until the 1800s that essential oils became widespread in Western culture. The Egyptians and Indians were among the first to use them, and still do today. Here in the West, we file them under "alternative" medicine. I personally think we could refer to essential oils as "essential" medicine instead.
What can they be used for?
Depending on the type of oil, there are many uses for essential oils, which include but aren't limited to:
immune support (oregano, tea tree, lemon)
congestion curing (peppermint, eucalyptus)
anxiety calming and muscle relaxing (lavender, frankincense)
digestive support (peppermint, DigestZen but NOW version)
hair care (peppermint, tea tree, lavender)
cleaning and disinfecting (a bunch!)
In this article, we'll be focusing on some quick and simple cleaning recipes you can whip up with a few minutes of your time, and some essential oils that might already be in your cabinet!
Why Use Essential Oils?
Without any fluff, I'll give you four good reasons:
They smell good. This one speaks for itself, really!
They are nontoxic. Unlike harsh chemicals that can come with unhealthy side effects, essential oils actually benefit your health when used correctly. Remember to always read the labels and use caution around pets!
They are cheaper than cleaning products in the long run. Even though you may pay $10-$20 for a few ounces of an oil, that same bottle can last you months, allowing you to keep making cleaners for cents on the dollar!
They are versatile! See the previous section for common uses. This also is where you will get your money's worth! Notice how a lot of the same essential oils can be used for all kinds of things.
NOW Foods is a trusted brand in our household because of their quality and affordability. Sometimes, it can be hard to find both in an essential oil. Head over to Amazon when you're done reading to see their wide selection of essential oils for every need!
Cleaning Recipes Using Essential Oils
All-Purpose Spray
This one's very simple, and you can wipe most surfaces with it. As a general note, be careful not to use essential oils on certain materials like wood, granite, plastic, rubber, and leather, as they can cause damage. With that in mind, here's the recipe!
1- 16oz spray bottle (glass is highly preferred over plastic to prevent damage to the bottle)
15oz water
40 drops of tea tree or lemon essential oil
Just mix these together in the spray bottle, leaving a little room to shake it up each time before use. Both of these oils can be combined, and serve as natural anti-microbials that will leave your bathroom, living room, and kitchen surfaces well-disinfected.
Smellgood
Ditch that super toxic bathroom spray, and make one of your own! In our house, we call it Smellgood. It's just:
1- 8oz spray bottle
7oz water
20 drops of orange or lemon essential oil
10-20 drops of eucalyptus essential oil
This one may not fall strictly under cleaning, but it's an important spray to keep in your arsenal! Pro tip: Before flushing, spritz the inside of the toilet a few times. When you flush, the fresh scent will fill the bathroom and you may not have to spray the air (unless it's one of THOSE bathroom trips).
Air Purifier
Keeping the air clean is just as important as keeping your surfaces clean. If you have an essential oil diffuser, drop in tea tree oil or lemon oil to help! About 20-40 drops will do, depending on the size of your diffuser and how strong you want it to be.
Floor Cleaner
Upgrade your mop sesh with lemon oil to add a natural degreaser and disinfectant that will tackle even the most stubborn dirt! Mix together:
2 gallons of hot water
1 TBSP liquid castile soap (it's okay if you have a scented soap. Peppermint also cleans and disinfects!)
20 drops of lemon essential oil
Again, be wary of using this on certain types of wood. In some cases, the sealant on sealed hardwood floors may not hold up to the oil, so use caution and do some research to see if using essential oils is okay on your specific type of flooring.
Laundry Detergent
I love to use Centennial Roots' liquid laundry detergent recipe because it's cheap, easily scalable, and will last us almost a whole year before I need to make more! You can definitely add your favorite essential oil to this detergent, or you can buy a liquid castile soap that is already infused with your favorite scent. If you're adding essential oils in, make sure to do that part last so that the drops don't quickly evaporate in the hot water. Check out the recipe here!