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
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Gather some old rags or cut up an old t-shirt to start
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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)
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Add your rags to an empty wipe container and pour mixture over, completely soaking the rags
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Use as needed and wash rags after you are finished
Grease Cleaner
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You will need an empty spray bottle to begin
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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
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Shake well before each use - since there are no chemicals, the ingredients will often separate between uses
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Spray on greasy surfaces and wipe away with a clean sponge or cloth
Fresh Smelling Carpet Cleaner
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Combine baking soda and a few drops of your favorite essential oil in a sealed bag and mix well
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Sprinkle mix on carpets* and allow to set for a few minutes
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Vacuum up the baking soda and it leaves your carpets and rugs smelling fresh
* Also works well on mattresses!
DIY Dishwasher Pods
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Combine 1½ cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda + 3 tbsp of salt in a bowl
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Combine ½ cup of water + 45 drops of your favorite essential oil scent (I prefer citrus scents for this recipe)
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Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir well
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Add a spoonful of the mixture into a silicone mold (love using ice cube trays)
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Let set for 24 hours, pop one out and use as you would a normal dishwasher pod!
Grout Cleaner
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Create a paste using a combination of water and baking soda
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Add 20 drops of lemon essential oil
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Use an old toothbrush as your brush and scrub away at that dirty grout
Keurig/Coffee Cleaner
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Fill a 12 oz bottle with 10 oz of distilled vinegar
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Add 12 drops of lemon essential oil to bottle
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Add 8 drops of orange essential oil to bottle
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Top bottle off with distilled water and shake well
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Pour solution into empty water tank of machine
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Remove K-cups (if necessary)
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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
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Pour dispensed solution now in the mug back into the water tank
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Let machine sit for 30 minutes
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Run 10-15 times, adding water as the solution runs out, until you no longer smell vinegar