Cleaning my Home with Essential Oils

In my house and everyday chaos, essential oils are, as they are called, essential! I swear there are little bits of unicorn magic in those bottles! (and I wasn’t always a believer) 

We’ve been diffusing essential oils for probably about 6 years (I started using them just around the time I was pregnant with Carmen because candles were making me feel nauseous). More recently I have come across some awesome recipes and combinations for using them as cleaning products. Using these oils for various aspects of life, including cleaning, gives me peace of mind knowing I am using non-toxic, healthy products around my home.

Here are some of my favorite essential oil recipes for cleaning!

Homemade Wipes

1. Gather some old rags or cut up an old t-shirt to start 

2. In a bowl mix together the following:

   1 cup water

   2 tbsp white vinegar

   1/2 tbsp dish soap (use natural dish soap for a 100% natural cleaning product)

   8-10 drops essential oil (your favorite scent! Lemon would be fab)

3. Add your rags to an empty wipe container and pour mixture over, completely soaking the rags

4. Use as needed and wash rags after you are finished

Grease Cleaner

1. You will need an empty spray bottle to begin

2. Add the following ingredients to the bottle IN ORDER

   1 ¾ cups of distilled water

   2 tbsp of Castile Soap

   20 drops of Orange essential oil

3. Shake well before each use – since there are no chemicals, the ingredients will often separate between uses

4. Spray on greasy surfaces and wipe away with a clean sponge or cloth

Fresh Smelling Carpet Cleaner

1. Combine baking soda and a few drops of your favorite essential oil in a sealed bag and mix well

2. Sprinkle mix on carpets* and allow to set for a few minutes

3. Vacuum up the baking soda and it leaves your carpets and rugs smelling fresh

* Also works well on mattresses!

DIY Dishwasher Pods

1. Combine 1½ cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda + 3 tbsp of salt in a bowl

2. Combine ½ cup of water + 45 drops of your favorite essential oil scent (I prefer citrus scents for this recipe)

3. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir well

4. Add a spoonful of the mixture into a silicone mold (love using ice cube trays)

5. Let set for 24 hours, pop one out and use as you would a normal dishwasher pod!

Grout Cleaner

1. Create a paste using a combination of water and baking soda

2. Add 20 drops of lemon essential oil

3. Use an old toothbrush as your brush and scrub away at that dirty grout

Keurig/Coffee Cleaner

1. Fill a 12 oz bottle with 10 oz of distilled vinegar

2. Add 12 drops of lemon essential oil to bottle

3. Add 8 drops of orange essential oil to bottle

4. Top bottle off with distilled water and shake well

5. Pour solution into empty water tank of machine

6. Remove K-cups (if necessary)

7. Run a large mug dispense (make sure you have a large mug under the dispensing system to catch the solution) or simply run your coffee maker

8. Pour dispensed solution now in the mug back into the water tank

9. Let machine sit for 30 minutes

10. Run 10-15 times, adding water as the solution runs out, until you no longer smell vinegar