Essential Oils for a Clean and Healthy Home
Essential oils aren’t just for alternative-medicine enthusiasts or hippie-types. In fact, with many Australians embracing healthier lifestyles and wanting to cut back on the chemicals they use inside their homes, essential oils are becoming a mainstream option.
And it’s about more than just the beautiful scents. Sure, they leave your home smelling amazingly fresh, but many essential oils have very effective antiviral and antiseptic properties that make them a fantastic choice for many household cleaning chores.
Growing environmental awareness is resulting in an undeniable shift in consumer preferences towards organic products and greener living, and incorporating the use of essential oils into daily life is becoming a natural step for many Melbournians.
With most of us spending more time than ever before inside our own four walls, the use of essential oils are a great way to blur the boundaries between our homes and the big outdoors – why not bring a slice of nature into your home by celebrating some of its most beautiful fragrances?
So, let’s take a closer look at the benefits of these oils and how to use them in your home.
What is an Essential Oil?
In simple terms, essential oils are concentrated plant extracts that preserve the same flavour and scent (or ‘essence’) of that plant. The oils are usually extracted from the plants using steam distillation or cold pressing methods, which is why the scent is so strong and the beneficial properties are so potent.
In fact, for most household uses, you literally only need a few drops of an essential oil to leave your room bursting with fragrance!
Pure essential oils are not mixed with any other oil or ‘carrier’. If the essential oil has been mixed it is no longer a pure essential oil.
What are Essential Oils used for?
Essential oils are a key ingredient for many of the cosmetic and makeup products we use daily. Soap, body wash, perfume, hand cream… essential oils are used to give these products their delicate fragrance. Many essential oils used in the cosmetic industry contain antioxidants which also enhance the performance of these products.
Alternative medicine practitioners have long been believers in the medicinal properties of essential oils. Aromatherapists believe inhaling these oils can improve breathing and allow helpful compounds to enter the bloodstream via the lungs.
The scent of some essential oils is thought to improve mood and enhance mental health. For example, lavender is believed to relieve insomnia and anxiety, while eucalyptus is credited with stimulating the brain and improving energy levels.
Cleaning with Essential Oils
Ready to ditch those harmful chemicals and spring clean your home with natural cleaning products? Let’s get started!
Lemon
It’s bright, tangy, and super fresh! The citrus family is the powerhouse when it comes to cutting through grease and grime, so this one is likely to become a kitchen favourite. Lemon is renowned for its antiviral properties, making it a great choice for households.
Add a few drops of lemon oil to 120mls of water for a general purpose cleaner that packs a punch. Stinky shoes? A few drops inside each shoe will help to neutralize those bad odours.
Lemon can be mixed with a lot of other scents too – it’s the perfect partner for basil, thyme, vanilla, peppermint, and bergamot.
Lavender
Lavender is generally associated with relaxation and sleep, but it’s also believed to contain potent antiseptic, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties too!
Mix a few drops of lavender oil into 120mls of water and pop it into a spray bottle. Use this beautiful-smelling spray to freshen up linen, pillows, and mattresses, or simply as an awesome air freshener.
Tea Tree (Melaleuca)
Now here’s one that has very strong antiviral, antifungal, and antiseptic properties (as well as a very strong, medicinal scent!) Tea tree oil is also well-known for helping many common skin conditions such as acne, athletes’ foot, nail fungus and warts, and its benefits far outweigh that lingering smell!
It can also be added to vinegar to make a cleaning spray that will leave your bathroom smelling wonderfully clean and fresh.
Thyme
Thyme is something we generally associate with roast chicken, it is a popular essential oil believed to alleviate inflammation and help to fight food-borne bacteria. It’s also thought to be beneficial for treating acne, heart disease and respiratory tract infections.
Mix about 10 drops of sweet thyme oil, 250mls hot water and ¼ cup of washing soda together to make a wonderful-smelling, general-purpose spray-and-wipe.
There are many home-made cleaning recipes out there that will leave your house sparkling, but here are three that are easy and effective:
General Purpose Disinfectant Spray:
- 250mls hot water
- ¼ cup washing soda (Try Lectric Inwash & Soaker Washing Soda from Woolies)
- 10 drops of sweet thyme oil
Simply mix to combine and then use on benchtops and other surfaces where you would have previously used disinfectant spray. Make small batches because this recipe works best while the water is warm.
Simple Sink Scrub
- ¼ cup washing soda
- ¼ cup baking soda
- 8 drops of essential oil (your chosen scent)
- ¾ cup vinegar for rinsing
Combine the sodas and oil in a jar and shake well to combine. Sprinkle into the sink and scrub with a damp cloth or sponge. Rinse with vinegar and follow with hot water.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon tea tree oil
- 10 drops lavender oil
- 5 drops lemon oil
Spray mixture inside and outside the toilet. Wait about 10 mins then sprinkle ½ cup baking soda into the toilet bowl. Using the toilet brush, clean the inside of the toilet.
Are Essential Oils Safe Around Children?
Just like any other cleaning or medicinal products, care should be taken when using essential oils around children, especially if this is something you haven’t done before. If you have any questions about the safety of using essential oils in your home, talk to your healthcare professional.
So ditch the chemicals and mix up your own cleaning concoctions with essential oils – as you can see a fresh-smelling, clean and healthy home is easier than some of us think!