10 All Natural Cleaning Use For Essentials Oils

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential Oils have become quite the “buzzword” these days!  But have you ever thought to yourself, “what the heck are essential oils”? Well, on a simple level, if you have ever enjoyed the scent of a flower or a fresh peeled orange, you’ve experienced the aromatic qualities of essential oils. Essential oils are naturally occurring, volatile aromatic compounds that are found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants. They give plants their distinctive smells and help protect plants as well as play a role in plant pollination. They also have been used for thousands of years in food preparation, beauty treatment, and health-care practices.

But what exactly is a volatile aromatic compound? In short, these compounds are small organic molecules that tend to change quickly from their solid or liquid state to a gas at room temperature. They are called volatile because they change state quickly. When you first open a bottle of essential oil, you instantly notice that the aroma is potent and you can smell it typically even from some distance. I’ll often put a few drops of peppermint oil on my hand and have someone on the other side of the room comment, “wow, what’s that yummy smell?”.

The physical and chemical properties of essential oils allow them to quickly move through the air and directly interact with the olfactory sensors in the nose. This is really where the term aromatherapy comes from – you can use these compounds from plants to help maintain a healthy mind and body – as well as other applications.

Why Essential Oils?

“So why do you love them?” you ask…well, in short, they allow me to support my family’s health quickly, simply and cost effectively.  Essential oils are literally just pennies per drop and it only takes 2-3 drops to effectively support the body! Not only are they inexpensive, they are SAFE!!!  Which, as mom living in a world of warning labels and possible side effects of this or that, it’s such a relief to know that what I’m using is natural and safe.  Of course, just like anything else, you do need to take precautions and use these little power houses of nature correctly. And as an added bonus, I can use essential oils to clean my home, make natural body care products and so much more!

Where to Get Your Essential Oils?

So where can you find essential oils?  This is actually the problem (at least in my mind)…due to their popularity, you can now buy essential oils just about anywhere! I’ve seen them at Wholefoods, Walmart and even TJ Maxx!  It seems like everyone is jumping on the essential oil bandwagon.  As a consumer you need to understand that this has become a very highly adulterated product and you can’t just trust that every bottle that says “pure essential oil” is actually just that.  In fact most of what’s on the market is full of chemicals and toxins.  So, here’s what you need to look for: the label on any essential oil that you know you can eat (i.e. lemon, lavender, peppermint) should have a supplement box, just like a box of food and list dietary use as a possible way to use the oil.  If it says “not for internal use” or “for external use only”, put it back on the shelf! You can eat a lemon, and you can “eat” lemon essential oil, if the company is saying you can’t, that means there’s something else in that bottle besides 100% pure lemon oil. There are some oils that are not safe for internal use. Oils like cedarwood, arborvitae and birch. I like to thing of it this way, we don’t go around eating trees (well at least not most of us), so you wouldn’t want to “eat” douglas fir essential oil.  You should also be choosing an oil that’s a certified pure therapeutic grade.

I’ve learned that even with pure essential oils the composition of the oil can vary depending on the time of day, season, geographic location, method and duration of distillation, year grown, and the weather, making every step of the production process a critical determinant of the overall quality of the essential oil product. That’s why I’ve turned to the experts! I use dōTERRA essential oils because they have a huge team of professional farmers, distillers and scientists that know what they are looking for.  Not only are all of their oils Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade, but they are thoroughly tested far beyond FDA regulations to ensure safety and efficacy.  This is why many hospitals and medical professionals only trust dōTERRA essential oils for use with their patients. dōTERRA currently manages 113 relationships with leading universities, clinical structures and hospitals around the world.

(For more information visit https://sourcetoyou.com/practitioners.html)

How to Use Essential Oils?

Okay, here’s what you’ve been waiting for…”how do I use them?” you ask! Let’s count the ways!

#1 All Purpose Cleaning Spray

Ingredients:

¾ cups white vinegar

1 cup hydrogen peroxide

10 drops essential oil (Melaleuca or Lemon would be a great choice)

½ teaspoon liquid castile soap

Add ingredients to a 16 oz glass spray bottle, fill bottle with filtered water, put on lid and shake. Spray on surfaces and wipe clean.

 

#2 Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Ingredients:

¼ cup baking soda

¼ cup vinegar

10 drops Melaleuca (aka Tea Tree Oil) essential oil

 

Sprinkle baking soda on rim of bowl above toilet water

Drip Melaleuca essential oil into toilet water

Pour vinegar onto baking soda (kids love to help with this part, I call it “science experiment cleaning”

Use toilet scrub brush to mix and clean

#3 Bathroom & Kitchen Soft Scrub Cleaner

Ingredients:

1 cup baking soda

¼ cup liquid castile soap

1 tablespoon white vinegar

10 drops of Lemon or Rosemary essential oil

 

Mix all ingredients and place in an airtight glass container

Apply to surface and scrub as needed

*Note: Add water if mixture is too thick.

 

#4 Glass Cleaner

Ingredients:

16 oz spray bottle

1 ½ cups white vinegar

½ cup distilled water

8 drops of any citrus oil of your choice (Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit, Wild Orange or any combination of these)

 

Add vinegar, water and essential oil(s) to spray bottle and shake. You are ready to clean!

#5 Garbage Disposal Refreshers

Ingredients:

2 cups baking soda

1 cup salt

½ cup water

¼ cup liquid castile soap (any scent)

15 drops Tangerine essential oil (you could sub any citrus oil)

15 drops Spearmint

 

Combine baking soda and salt into a bowl. Add castile soap and essential oil into mixture. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time while stirring with hands until it forms into the consistency of “damp sand”. It should stay together when you press it.  If you add too much water, just add some more baking soda and salt until the consistency is right. Pack mixture tightly into a small silicone mold. If you don’t have a silicone mold, just grab a tablespoon measurement device and scoop packed spoonfuls onto parchment paper. Let mixture dry for 24 hours or until hard. Put into a glass jar and use the next time you do dishes! Just place 1-2 refreshers into the garbage disposal and turn it on. You will immediately smell the refreshing aroma.

#6 Furniture Polish

Ingredients:

½ cup olive oil

10 drops of Lemon essential oil

Combine ingredients in a glass container or spray bottle. Polish wood or leather with soft cloth.

#7 Carpet & Upholstery Fresher

Ingredients:

20 drops essential oil (Your choice. I love dōTERRA’s Purify essential oil blend – it makes everything smell fresh and clean!)

3 cups baking soda

 

Combine ingredients in a glass container and seal overnight. Sprinkle on carpet and/or upholstery. Let sit for several hours or overnight. Vacuum.

 

#8 Dish Soap

Ingredients:

2 cups unscented liquid castile soap

20 drops Lime essential oil

8 drops Lemon essential oil

6 drops dōTERRA’s Citrus Bliss essential oil blend (you could make your own blend by choosing 2-3 other citrus essential oils you love)

 

Fill a large, clean glass bottle with liquid castile soap. Add essential oils. Shake bottle before each use. You’re done! Happy washing!

 

#9 Refrigerator and Microwave Cleaner

 

Ingredients:

1 cup white vinegar

2 cups hot water

15 drops of Lemon essential oil

 

Combine the ingredients in a glass spray bottle. Spray mixture inside of fridge or microwave, then scrub and wipe using damp cloth.

 

#10 Refrigerator Refreshers

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups baking soda

½ – 1 cup water

15 drops of dōTERRA’s Purify essential oil blend (This blend contains: Lemon, Lime, Siberian Fir, White Fir, Pine, Citronella, Melaleuca and Cilantro essential oils. You can make your own blend by using 2-3 of these oils listed. I recommend choosing a citrus, wood and herb essential oil for your own blend.)

Combine baking soda, ½ cup water and essential oils into a bowl.  Stir together.  If needed, add more water until thick paste forms.  The mixture should resemble “damp sand”. Divide mixture equally into silicone molds. Allow to rest 2-3 days or until mixture hardens. Once hard, place in refrigerator to help eliminate unpleasant odors. Store additional fridge refreshers in an airtight container until ready to use.  One disk will last up to one month in your fridge.

*Tip: Place under sink, in the shoe closed, or behind the toilet for additional freshness.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this information and that you have loads of fun making these recipes!  I love that these are all toxic free and you can include your children in the making of and using of these recipes.  Reducing the toxic load in your home is not only beneficial to your health, but as a mom it can truly provide peace of mind.  Wishing you a happy and healthy home!

Erin Parroco

Erin Parroco is a California native and has lived in the Bay Area for 15 years.  She is happily married with 2 young children. Erin is a Certified Holistic Wellness Coach and a certified AromaTouch Therapist. She travels the US mentoring and educating nurses, moms, massage therapists, yoga instructors and wellness professionals on the every day use of essential oils and holistic health care.

 

*These recipes originated from: https://doterra.com/US/en/blog-products and https://www.shareoils.com/blogs/blog

*Resources for learning about toxins: http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners , https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-13737/7-signs-you-have-too-many-toxins-in-your-life.html and http://bodyecology.com/articles/most_common_sources_of_toxins.php