Essential Oils for Cleaning House
Realtors, and those educated in essential oils, know the atmosphere of a home is determined by aroma. Certain scents, like freshly baked bread and cinnamon buns, will sell a house quicker than the smell of commercial cleaners and bleach, even though the second is a “clean” smell. In ages past, people put aromatic rushes and other sweet smelling herbs under the rugs in their homes so the scent would permeate the room whenever they were walked upon. These were the precursors to using essential oils for cleaning house.
There are other, subtle fragrances associated with homes that identify them with people living there. Certain scents can also relieve depression, anger and insomnia. They can uplift, strengthen and give peace. They can also clean, deodorize and disinfect.
Today’s cleaners are full of chemicals with lasting effects on our environment and on ourselves. These effects have not yet been fully measured, though. It will take another couple of decades to really understand what damage they may be causing. What has been noted, however, is the antibacterial agents added to soaps today are not filtered out by the sewage system and are now present in our rivers and other water sources. These antibacterial agents kill all bacteria. They are unable to distinguish between good and bad bacteria, and while they are busy killing off everything, our immune system is weakened. In our own homes, the effect can be devastating as our bodies lose the natural bacteria balance that fights off infections with good bacteria.
Fortunately, essential oils are great natural way to clean the air and the environment.
Set Up
When I researched this article, I found so many recipes for different cleaners for different rooms that I decided to separate this into several articles. So this one will contain basic cleaners good to use for any room and recipes for walls, and window and mirror cleaners.
Supplies to Have On Hand:
(This list will be the same on each of the cleaning house articles)
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The Essential Oils for Cleaning House
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
(This list contains all oils used in all the cleaning articles.)
A Few Points of Interest
- When cleaning walls from ceiling to floor, make it easier to avoid clean streaks from the cleaning solution by cleaning from floor to ceiling, instead of vice versa.
- The best, basic wall cleaning solution is to use equal parts vinegar and water, with several drops of essential oil of your choice.
- For grease stains on walls: Tear or cut a paper towel into 4 squares, To one square, apply 1 – 2 drops Eucalyptus oil and allow it to dry. Using an iron on low setting, press the oil stain for a few seconds. Then immediately press a clean paper towel square against the stain. Repeat process with remaining squares. If the stain remains, wait a few hours and apply a thick paste of Baking Soda, Cream of Tartar, and enough water to hold everything together. Brush paste away when it has dried to a powder. If both methods fail, time to either repaint or get new wallpaper.
- To remove crayon scribblings, use the above grease formulas. If the mark endures and it’s on a painted surface, scrub it with liquid Castile Soap and 1 – 2 drops Orange oil. Probably best to not try it on wallpaper, unless you think yours can handle it.
Recipes
All Purpose Room Cleaners
As stated, these can be used on walls in any room. Good, basic cleaning recipes anyone should have on hand.
Spring/Summer Cleaning
- 10 drops Lemon
- 4 drops Geranium
- 3 drops Petitgrain
- 2 drops Sandalwood
Mix together. You can add a few drops to water and use to wipe down walls in a hallway. Can also add to a cup of water in a spray mister. Use to freshen air in room.
Autumn/Winter Cleaning
- 8 drops Orange
- 3 drops Frankincense
- 3 drops Benzoin
- 4 drops Geranium
Mix together. You can add a few drops to water and use to wipe down walls in a hallway. Can also add to a cup of water in a spray mister. Use to freshen air in room.
Vamoosh Mist Spray
- 20 drops Eucalyptus Globulus
- 16 drops Lavender
- 10 drops Lemongrass
- 4 ounces pure water
Add all ingredients to a 4 ounce, fine mist spray bottle. Shake well before every use. Spray the room several times over a couple of hours. Good to clear out stale cooking odors as well as cigarette smoke.
Clean Room Mist Spray
- 70 drops Lavender
- 40 drops Allspice
- 40 drops Cinnamon
- 4 fluid ounce pure water
Combine all ingredients in a 4 ounce, fine mist spray bottle. Liberally spritz room to clean the air. Can also use it to wipe down counters.
Breathe Easily Mist Spray
- 40 drops Eucalyptus Globulus
- 40 drops Lemon
- 25 drops Cypress
- 25 drops Lavender
- 20 drops Grapefruit
- 4 fluid ounces pure water
Combine all ingredients in a 4 ounce, fine mist spray bottle. Liberally spritz room to clean the air. Can also use it to wipe down counters.
All-Purpose Citrus Wall Cleaner
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup Vinegar
- 6 drops Lemon, Grapefruit, or Orange oil
Combine all ingredients in a plastic spray bottle. Shake vigorously before each use. Lightly spray the affected areas of your wall and wipe with a clean, damp sponge. This works really well for tomato stains on walls. If you’re working on a stain and it’s still visible after the area has completely air-dried, clean the stain with Minty Wall Cleaning Paste.
Minty Wall Cleaning Paste
- 1/4 cup Concentrated Oil Soap Paste (Available in health food and hardware stores)
- 2 drops Peppermint oil
- 2 drops Spearmint oil
- 2 drops Tea Tree oil
Put the soap paste in a short, widemouthed glass jar, such as a clean baby food jar. Add the essential oils for cleaning house and blend well. It will have the consistency of jelly. Dip a damp cloth into the soap paste and squish the cloth between your fingers to make suds. Apply to wall. Rinse with another clean, damp cloth or sponge. Follow up with a dry cloth or towel. Can be used on wallpaper and semigloss painted walls.Thyme Formula
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup Vinegar
- 5 drops Tea Tree oil
- 3 drops Thyme oil
Combine all ingredients in a plastic spray bottle. Shake vigorously before each use. Lightly spray the affected areas of your wall and wipe with a clean, damp sponge. Give a final wipe of surfaces with a sponge or cloth moistened in plain water.
Window and Mirror Cleaners
These can be used in any room. Inside and outside windows.
Citrus Glass Cleaner
- 1 cup Water
- 1 cup White Vinegar
- 10 drops Lemon or Lime oil
Combine ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well before every use. Spray on surface to be cleaned and wipe until dry with a soft cloth or crumpled newspaper.
Just Like A Pro’s Window Cleaner
- 2 cups Rubbing Alcohol
- 1/2 cup White Vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid Castile Soap
- 15 drops citrus oil of choice
- Water
In a large bucket, combine alcohol and vinegar. Add enough water to make 1 gallon. Add Castile soap and essential oils and stir gently to combine. Pour into a spray bottle and shake well before every use. Spray on windows and wipe clean with a soft, dry cloth. Good to use on outside windows as well as inside.
Finally
We all want to keep our homes safer for ourselves, our families, and for our environment. These essential oils for cleaning house will get you on the right track. What do you like to use when you clean your home? What green cleaning recipes do you like to use? Let us know in the comment section down below. We’d all love to hear from you!