Clean and Freshen
With Essential Oils
by Irene Helen Zundel
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Clean and Freshen With Essential Oils
Home is where the heart is, and is undoubtedly the most inviting place on earth! Happy memories, good food, and pleasant scents are all part of our most poignant memories. To make your home its most memorable, spruce it up with the lovely aroma of essential oils.
Following you will find recipes for dryer sheets, dish soap, pot and pan cleaner, air freshener, disinfectant, and natural repellents for all kinds of pests. Why not give them a try next time you clean?
Dryer Sheets
Mix together 15 drops of spearmint oil and 12 drops of lavender. Put this mixture on a clean cloth, folding it several times. Wrap another cloth around that and toss it into the dryer!
Extra Tough Pot and Pan Cleaner
Boil a solution of 1 cup water, 5 drops cedarwood oil, and 3 tablespoons baking soda directly in the pot or pan. Allow the mixture to stand until the food can be scraped off easily.
Super Smelling Dishwashing Soap
You will need:
- liquid castile soap
- 20 drops lime essential oil
- 10 drops sweet orange essential oil
- 5 drops citrus seed extract
To make:
Fill a clean 22-ounce plastic squirt bottle with castile soap (diluted according to directions if using concentrate). Add the essential oils. Shake the bottle before each use. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the liquid to dishwater and wash as usual.
or substitute these essential oils for a different scent:
- liquid castile soap
- 10 drops lemon essential oil
- 6 drops bergamot essential oil
- 4 drops lavender essential oil
- 2 drops orange essential oil
Air Freshener
In a small spray bottle, add the following:
- 4 ounces of purified water
- 30 drops of cinnamon oil
- 20 drops of clove oil
- 20 drops of sweet orange oil
- 10 drops of cedarwood oil
Disinfectant
In a small spray bottle, add the following:
- 50 drops of lavender
- 30 drops of clove oil
- 20 drops of peppermint
Bug Repellent
In a small spray bottle, add the following:
- 4 ounces of purified water
- 30 drops of citronella
- 20 drops of eucalyptus
- 10 drops of lavender
- 10 drops of patchouli
Flea Repellent for Pets
Mix together 10 drops pennyroyal, 10 drops eucalyptus, 10 drops cedarwood, and 9 drops citronella. DO NOT put directly on fur. Instead, put it on a rope collar or bandana and tie it around your dog or cat's neck.
Flea Repellent for Carpets
Add to a 1 pound box of baking soda 3 drops pennyroyal, 3 drops eucalyptus, 3 drops cedarwood oil and 9 drops of citronella. Sprinkle over the carpets and let it sit for one hour before vacuuming.
Moth Repellent and Linen Freshener
Use cotton balls scented with lavender, patchouli, sandalwood or cedarwood oils. Place them in your closet
Make sure to use real cotton balls, not ones manufactured with a polyester blend, otherwise the smell will not last for long. Do not put essential oils on plastic, dyed materials, inks or finished woods, as they may mar the surface.
For more great uses of essential oils, visit these websites:
To order essential oils, contact:
Glenbrook Farms Herbs & Such
15922 76th Street
Live Oak, FL 32060
Toll Free: (888)716-7627
FAX 1-386-362-5321
Recommended Book:
The Naturally Clean Home: 101 Safe and Easy Formulas for Non-Toxic Cleansers, Karyn Siegel-Maier, Workman Publishing Company, 1999. Available at Amazon.com
Ms. Zundel is a freelance writer and homeschooling parent. She specializes in writing educational and family oriented articles. Irene Helen Zundel is the author of Make Your Kid A Genius and other great books!
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