“Think of cleaning as an expression of gratitude for your home,” writes the living management guru Marie Kondo. “And a way to bring peace and calm into your space.”
Many of us have been spending more time at home over the last few months, and have become more in-tune with the spaces we inhabit. Perhaps we’ve had a feverish, Kondo-triggered tidy-up, finally thrown out that hideous, toe-stubbing side table, or rolled up our sleeves to give the kitchen the grime-busting, eye-watering deep clean it’s needed since we first moved in.
But in our eagerness to declutter and refresh our homes, have we paid enough attention to the hows of cleaning, as well as to the whys? The global household cleaning product market is worth around $30 billion, and that’s a lot of chemicals to be introducing into our living spaces. And many of those chemicals can have adverse, sometimes catastrophic, effects on our well-being.
Chemicals known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are present in many widely used household cleaning products, as are powerful inorganic compounds like ammonia. These ingredients are known to cause irritation to the airways, dizziness, migraines, and contact dermatitis. Hormone disruptors, such as the glycol ethers found in cleaning solutions for glass, carpets, floors and ovens, can even result in reduced male fertility and birth defects in newborn babies. And these same chemicals cause havoc in the wider environment, including our precious water supplies and food chains.
Not exactly the “way to bring peace and calm into your space” that Marie Kondo had in mind. But did you know that natural essential oils can be used instead in your household cleaning routines? Many essential oils have anti-microbial and anti-odor properties, and can also stimulate mood improvement, bringing that coveted “peace and calm” to your home. Remember to begin with weak solutions and add more drops of oil as necessary, add only environmentally friendly pure liquid soaps, and be sure to treat these solutions as you would any other household cleaning product, keeping them safely out of reach of curious children or pets.
Ready to express gratitude to your long-suffering living space, and say goodbye to harmful chemicals for good? Then try our 10 essential oils cleaning recipes listed below!
A fragrant, citrusy combination of Lavender, Grapefruit and Lime essential oils for a quick, refreshing wipe-down of home surfaces.
· 5 drops Lavender essential oil
· 3 drops Grapefruit essential oil
· 2 drops Lime essential oil
· 2 cups water
· 1 teaspoon liquid soap
· 1 tablespoon white vinegar
For stubborn, odorous stains, Tea Tree essential oil is a revelation. Increase the ratio in favor of a softer essential oil if the Tea Tree fragrance is too powerful.
· 9 drops Tea Tree essential oil
· 1 drop Geranium essential oil
· 2 cups water
· 2 tablespoons baking soda
· 1 tablespoon dish soap
The acidity of citrus essential oils can quickly cut through gum and adhesive residues.
· 5 drops Lemon essential oil
· 5 drops Orange essential oil
· 1 tablespoon coconut oil
· 1 tablespoon baking soda
Peppermint essential oil is the perfect room refresher when used for wiping down your windows.
· 20 drops Peppermint essential oil
· 3 cups water
· 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Yuck! Nothing worse than the dreaded shower mold. Tea Tree essential oil is also anti-fungal, so spritz it in your shower after use to prevent mold build-up. Again, add a sweeter fragrance if Tea Tree feels overpowering.
· 10 drops Tea Tree essential oil
· 3 drops Lime essential oil
· 2 cups water
· 2 tablespoons white vinegar
Mix up a citrusy oven scrub to shift grease build up with Lime essential oil.
· 15 drops Lime essential oil
· Half a cup baking soda
· 1 tablespoon pure liquid soap
· 2 tablespoons water
Invigorate your floors: mop with a highly diluted solution containing foresty White Fir essential oil.
· 18 drops White Fir essential oil
· 2 drops Lemon essential oil
· 1 liter water
· 1 tablespoon pure liquid soap
Kill bacteria quickly with this easy, anti-bacterial Eucalyptus essential oil solution. Add a few drops of a citrus oil for a sweeter aroma.
· 12 drops Eucalyptus essential oil
· 3 drops Orange essential oil
· 1 one cup water
· 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Renew musty, tired upholstery with this fragrant mix of Rosemary and Grapefruit essential oils.
· 15 drops Grapefruit essential oil
· 5 drops Rosemary essential oil
· 1 one cup water
· Half a cup white vinegar
Nevermind the beeswax – combine olive oil with Thuja and Bergamot essential oils for a woody, natural and bee-friendly alternative.
· 7 drops Thuja essential oil
· 3 drops Bergamot essential oil
· 2 tablespoons olive oil
· 2 tablespoons white vinegar
Interested in other ways you can use essential oils to make your home environment more appealing? You can find our favorite aromatherapy diffuser blend recipes here.
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