Easy Cleaning with Essential Oils: The Office

As we move onwards and upwards through our series of articles on Cleaning House With Essential Oils, we now move on to the office. Because of the nature of electronics, dust is attracted to monitors and keyboards. Also, most people will eat at their desks so food gets into the keyboard and all over the desk. We have in here some ways and means to use essential oils to clean your office to get rid of dirt, dust, and crumbs so you can have a clean, fresh place to work.

Supplies to Have on Hand

(This list will be the same on each of the cleaning house articles)

What Oils to Use

Lemon, Lime, Orange, Lavender, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Lemongrass, Grapefruit, Rosemary, Pine, Spruce, Cypress, Thyme, Palmarosa, Citronella, Wintergreen, Bergamot, Cedarwood, Spearmint, Oregano, Cinnamon Bark, Clove Bud, Sage, Petitgrain bigarade, Vetiver, Coriander, Juniper Berry

Cleaning With Essential Oils

•  Use cotton cloth to clean surfaces since it doesn't produce electricity like other materials.
• Always spray cleaning solutions on a cloth and not on the component.
• To clean a keyboard, use Tea Tree on a soft cloth to clean off the top of each key and a cotton swab to get in between each key. Use compressed air to get the dust and grime under the keys out.
• Compressed air is a very good thing to have with your electronics.
• It's okay to clean the outer workings of mouse wheels and disk drives with rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab. Just stay away from the circuitry.

Recipes

You can find other recipes for cleaning walls, windows, and floors in some of the other articles in the Cleaning House series.

Easy Breezy Glass Cleaner

• 1 cup Water
• 1 cup White Vinegar
• 10 drops Lemon or Lime oil

Combine all ingredients in a small spray bottle and shake well before every use. Spray lightly onto a cleaning cloth and wipe surfaces until dry. Good for monitors, glass surfaces of printers, etc.

Basic Office Dust Buster

• 2 cups Water
• 1 cup White Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Grapefruit Seed Extract
• 10 drops Orange oil

Combine all ingredients in a plastic spray bottle and shake well before every use. Spray directly onto a dry cloth and wipe surfaces clean.

All-Purpose Cleaning Wipes

• 1 cup Water
• 1 cup Vinegar
• 15 drops Basil
• Cotton or Microfiber cloth

Cut the cloth into small squares or rectangles and stack them on top of each other (10 is a good number). Pour the water, vinegar, and essential oils into a heavy-duty plastic bag with zipper closure. Mix well then place cloth pieces into bag and close it again, pressing down to squeeze out excess air. Use these wipes for quick cleanups, making sure to squeeze out the excess liquid from each wipe first. (Not recommended for unsealed wood desks.) Can wash cloths and reuse.

Clear the Room Spritzer

• 45 drops Thyme
• 30 drops Sage
• 4 ounces Pure Water

Combine all ingredients in a 4 ounce, fine mist, plastic spray bottle. Shake well before every use. Spray in all directions into air of room. Great to use in conference rooms, and in your office when the air gets musty. Can refill the water 3-4 times before refilling oils.

Cleaning Office Phone

• 2 tablespoons Water
• 2 drops Rosemary
• 2 drops Tea Tree

Blend all ingredients in a small bowl or cup. Moisten a soft cloth with this solution and clean the telephone receiver. Use a second cloth to dry it off.

Finally

What ways do you like to clean your office? How do you use your essential oils to clean? Please let us know in the comment section below. Share your own experiences! Disclaimer: Rocky Mountain Oils is not liable for any damage caused by use of these recipes. Each recipe was tested by employees of RMO and did not cause damage to home or person, but we still implore our customers to use caution before using a recipe in their home. Test recipes on small areas before applying them to the entire surface and do not apply recipes to areas that are potentially sensitive (i.e. priceless Victorian tubs, Baby Grand pianos, etc.).