Aside from just smelling amazing, some essential oils have properties that make them incredible and effective ingredients in natural, homemade cleaning products. From air purification, to disinfection, to removing tough grime, and stimulating your senses – there’s so much that essential oils can provide.
1. Eucalyptus Oil for all-purpose cleaning
Traditionally used to reduce inflammation through inhalation or topical application, Eucalyptus Pure Essential Oil can also be used as a versatile natural cleaner. Eucalyptus oil is naturally antibacterial, so it works as an effective and natural alternative to antibacterial all-purpose sprays.
Making your own all-purpose eucalyptus spray is easy. Simply add a couple of drops to 125ml of distilled water, then decant into our spritz bottle for the perfect natural cleaning solution. Oil does not remain suspended in water for long, so it is important that you give the spritz bottle a shake before using.
A few ways you can use eucalyptus to clean around the house include:
- spot cleaning carpet stains
- removing marks on leather sofas
- killing germs on door handles, railings and remote controls
- cutting through grease on kitchen appliances
- deterring bugs from entering doorways and windows
- naturally deodorising kitchens, bathrooms and busy living spaces.
Eucalyptus oil can damage plastics, paint, and porous materials if left too long or undiluted. Make sure you spot test somewhere discrete before using eucalyptus oil on walls, timber surfaces, or furniture.
2. Clove Oil for Killing Mould
When it comes to Clove Oil, mould doesn’t stand a chance. But before you go pouring this essential oil straight onto every patch of mould you can find, cool your jets – you’ll want to know how to use clove oil for mould properly, or you’ll waste a lot of time (and money!).
A quick and easy mould-banishing solution is to mix a small amount of clove oil – just a quarter of a teaspoon – with a litre of water in a spray bottle. Then spritz the solution onto the mould, leave it to work its magic for a minimum of 10 minutes (and up to a few hours), then use a wet cloth to wipe away the mould. Repeat. (See full instructions on this method here.)
3. Lemon Tea Tree Oil For Disinfecting Surfaces
Combining both Lemon Essential oil and Tea Tree Essential Oil, our blend of Lemon Tea Tree Pure Essential Oil is an effective and versatile oil for general cleaning and disinfecting. Lemon Essential Oil is naturally antibacterial, antiviral and antiseptic. Tea Tree Essential Oil (Melaleuca) is antiseptic, antiviral and antifungal. This essential oil blend combines these two ingredients for an amazing cleaning solution!
Lemon Tea Tree Oil is a powerful cleanser that eliminates mould and neutralises odours, without the artificial fragrances found in some cleaning products. This oil doesn’t just smell like lemon because of artificial perfumes – it contains pure lemon essential oil and has all of the amazing properties that come with it! Lemon oil is mentally stimulating, so you can enjoy the benefits of fresh citrus smell throughout your home with all the benefits of Tea Tree Oil.
For a powerful, multi-purpose surface disinfectant, mix a few drops of Lemon Tea Tree into water. To use this cleaner in your kitchen, bathroom or office, use our essential oil spritz bottle to get even coverage, then wipe dry with a clean cloth.
This Lemon Tea Tree Essential Oil spray can be used like the Eucalyptus Essential Oil spray above, but is also great for:
- killing mould in smelly areas like your laundry or bathroom
- removing bad smells from areas prone to fungal growth, like under sinks, inside dirty rubbish bins and near drains
- cleaning kitchen appliances, like inside your fridge, dishwasher, or oven
- cleaning high-use surfaces like light switches, door handles, fridge doors, computer keyboards, cutlery holders, and remote controls
- wiping down wet surfaces like sinks, shower screens, laundry baskets, kitchen benches, drink coasters, and kitchen cupboards/shelves/drawers.
4. Lemon Tea Tree Oil For Minimising Airborne Odours
Lemon Tea Tree Pure Essential Oil isn’t just great for killing bacteria, viruses and fungi on surfaces – it also works to eliminate these germs in the air! To us these antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties on airborne germs, simply add 5 drops to water in an Oil Garden Essential Oil Diffuser or Vaporiser to safely purify the air of unknown nasties and remove odours.
If you don’t own a diffuser or vaporiser (or you’re already using it in another room), you can also use your Lemon Tea Tree oil in a spray bottle. To create a fresh air spritz, add a few drops of your essential oil to 120mL of water, plus a tablespoon of white vinegar. You can safely spray this mixture into the air just about anywhere in your home to remove odours.
5. Lavender Oil for Laundry
Used for centuries in traditional medicine, Lavender Essential Oil is known for its relaxing, tranquil and healing qualities. To this day, Lavender Essential Oil is used in aromatherapy to help soothe the senses, relax your mind and enter a more relaxed state before sleep.
While you can always enjoy the aromatherapy benefits of lavender using an ultrasonic essential oil diffuser, there are other ways to try it as well. One great way to bring the smell of lavender into your bedroom and improve your sleep is to use Lavender Oil in your laundry routine.
Try adding a few drops of Lavender Essential Oil to water, then spraying a light mist onto your pillows and linen. This can help refresh your sheets and leave them smelling clean and comfortable – and the sweet scent can help you relax into a deep sleep.
You can enjoy this smell even longer by creating a natural laundry rinse. To make it, simply combine 1 teaspoon of lavender oil with 450ml of distilled white vinegar. Shake them together in a jar, then hand wash your sheets with it. You could also just add 100 mL to your washing machine either by itself, or with a small amount of neutral-scented washing detergent. Once finished, your clothes will be soft, clean and infused with the relaxing smell of lavender.
6. Cedarwood Oil for Floor Cleaning
Known for purification, vitality and freshness, Cedarwood Oil is a game-changing cleaning ingredient to try in your home. In contrast to the citrusy and eucalypt scents of the oils mentioned before, Cedarwood Essential Oil leaves a lovely woodsy scent.
This essential oil is used in aromatherapy treatments for reducing stress, relieving headaches, and enhancing concentration. In the home, Cedarwood Oil is also great for its natural antibacterial, insect-repelling, and deodorising properties. There are many great ways you can use it for cleaning, but we recommend trying it out for cleaning your floors.
To make a floor cleaning mix from cedarwood oil, mix 5 drops of essential oil with 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar and a cup of water. This mix can be used to condition and shine your floors. You can apply it with a soft cloth to spot clean off tough grime, or increase the ratio and add more water if you would like to mop instead. You can also try out adding 2 drops of lemon essential oil to tackle dirt and germs as well.
Why Use Essential Oils for Cleaning?
People tend to ask the same question about using essential oils for cleaning: why not just use ordinary cleaning products from the shops?
Aside from creating an aromatic haven, essential oils provide a natural alternative to other cleaning products. Products purchased off the shelf at the supermarket can be laden with potentially dangerous chemicals. These products also usually contain synthetic fragrances and preservatives that offer little benefit, or are only there to make you feel like they work effectively.
In contrast, homemade cleaning products using essential oils contain very few and very simple ingredients. Many of our favourite essential oils also have natural properties that make them effective for domestic cleaning without compromising on the safety of yourself, your family or your home.
By making your own natural cleaning products, you avoid being a part of this needlessly wasteful process and reduce exposure to chemicals in your own home too.
What Else You Should Know About Using Essential Oils for Cleaning
We recommend using distilled water in your natural cleaners to avoid any toxins or minerals that could be in your tap water. There are arguments for and against using distilled water when cleaning (e.g. FOR: distilled water doesn’t contain chlorine or flouride; AGAINST: it is wasteful and expensive to buy distilled water in a plastic bottle). If you cannot access distilled water easily, tap water will still work fine.
When using essential oils for cleaning the first time, test the solution on a small discreet area to see how the surface or product reacts. Some materials may stain or be damaged by undiluted oils, so this is an important step.
Using the natural power of Pure Essential Oils for cleaning in your own home is an easy, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly way to achieve a healthier, toxin-free life. If you’d like to get started, you can shop our complete range of essential oils to start your journey.