Spring Cleaning with Essential Oils

With all of our WebChats I like to give an intro on the difference-- a very significant one -- between essential oils and fragrances. Pure essential oils are produced from plants either via steam distillation (about 95% of oils) via cold pressing (citrus oils) or they are produced as absolutes (rose and jasmine, for exxample). Essential oils are very complex, containing as many as 400 constituents. They have a variety of health benefits and, in general, are very safe to use.

Fragrances are produced in a laboratory from a petrochemical base, usually coal tar. Fragrances do not have the same holistic properties as essential oils -- they are generally just a few synthetic components. They are also known to be far more likely to produce negative reactions in people. Some fragrances, unlike pure essential oils, contain chemicals that are extremely toxic. In the process of breathing them in or putting them on your skin, you will almost inevitably incorporate these chemicals into your system.

There are many known consequences of exposure to these chemicals. One of the more dangerous chemicals is Diethyl Phthalate (DEP), which causes a variety of problems and has been banned in Europe and, more recently, in California. It's a common ingredient in many synthetic products and is often used as an adulterant in bodycare products (in which case you would not see it on the label).

Most of the aromatherapy products found in mainstream stores are based on fragrances. This includes air fresheners, candles, soaps and more. I’m sure you can guess from the scent that your typical car freshener is not made from essential oils! It is documented that the vast majority of air fresheners contain DEP.

When using aromatherapy for health benefits, you want to make sure you are using pure essential oils.

Multi-Purpose Cleaning Solution

We’ve all got floors of some kind in our home. Keep in mind that essential oils are easy to use for cleaning floors. Citrus oils are great anti-microbials -- they effectively kill bacteria and fungus. They are easy to use in your mop bucket. Simply add 20 drops of either lemon or sweet orange oil to your mop water, add some liquid soap (it helps emulsify the oil) and you're ready to go.

You may notice that many cleaners on the market use citrus and pine oils in their formulations. (Think Pine-Sol and Citri-Solv.)

Keep in mind that citrus oils work on almost any surface. They do have one disadvantage in that they can stain if used on light-colored surfaces.

You see a lot of products for cleaning the house on the market today that tout anti-bacterial claims. Essentials oils are very effective in killing bacteria - especially those oils high in phenols. High-phenol oils include cinnamon leaf, clove, oregano and thyme. These oils are also high in antioxidants and antimicrobials.

Some of our customers cite very positive and effective cleaning experiences using such things as our foam bath cleaners to scrub their tubs and showers. They smell great, contain pure essential oils that are effective for cleaning and the foaming ingredients act as a gentle, yet effective scrubbing agent. Customers have also used orange oil as a replacement for ‘goo’ removers such as goo-gone.

If you like cleaning with citrus oils, but notice that the aroma doesn’t last long, try ‘fixing’ it with a base oil like patchouli or sandalwood essential oil.

Glass Cleaner

Making a glass cleaner using essential oils is a little tricky, but it can be done. You can use a base of plain soap and water with a hint of alcohol, then add an oil like orange or lavender. You could also forgo the soap and alcohol and use straight white vinegar and add your essential oil to that.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Cleaning the toilet bowl is job that none of us like, yet it must be done. Lavender, lemongrass, bergamot and citrus oils are great to blend together or use by themselves in a simple base of soap and water. Other terrific oils are anise, cinnamon, cassia bark, patchouli, rosemary, thyme and bay.

Another favorite is the Essential Solutions Medieval Mix. This is a blend of highly antimicrobial oils such as lavender, rosemary, thyme and lemon. It smells great and really does the job of cleaning the bowl and keeping it fresh. Simply add a squirt of soap (castile is a good choice) directly to your toilet bowl along with 10 to 20 drops of Medieval Mix. Clean your bowl as you normally would, then simply flush away.

An additional trick with the Medieval Mix is to take an empty Aura Cacia spray tin, add 100 drops of Medieval Mix and 30 drops of lemon oil, and fill with water. You can use this not only as a bathroom spray, but you can spray the surfaces of the toilet, inside and out, to make it smell good AND to kill germs.

You may also consider just keeping a bottle or two of some of the above oils in the bathroom to simply drop into the toilet bowl or tank along with a drop or two of your soap of choice. The soap will bind with the oil and the next time the toilet is flushed, the oil and soap will circulate through the bowl and make it smell fresh and clean.

Washing Machines and Dryers

Lavender is a great oil to keep with your laundry supplies. It will cut grease and may do the job on even big greasy messes. It is also an excellent oil to add directly to your washing machine. It will make your clothes smell wonderful! Lavindin is also an inexpensive alternative to lavender. Simply add 10 to 20 drops directly to your soap. Bergamot and thyme are also excellent oils for laundry, especially smelly loads.

For your dryer, make a blend in an empty Aura Cacia spray bottle with oils like lavender, jasmine, rose, and bergamot, and spray on a wash cloth or towel, then add directly to your dryer. It will act as a dryer sheet to make your laundry smell great. If you use a commercial dryer sheet, you can add oils to it as well.

Fungus Among Us

If you have a fungal issue on your floor you can add some good anti-fungal oils to your cleaning blend. A favorite of ours is sandalwood; it is by far the most powerful anti-fungal oil available. If you have serious fungal issues, this is the one to use. But it's expensive, so be sure to save it for the really bad stuff. For those everyday cleaning issues, try adding a small amount of white thyme oil and a little Tea Tree to your mop bucket. You can also add a couple drops of patchouli as a fixative.

You may (or may not) be surprised to know that 15% of adults in North America suffer from some form or another of athlete's foot. If foot fungus is an issue in your home, you need to treat not only the surfaces where bare feet hang out -- the shower, the bathtub, floors, etc. -- but also socks, shoes, slippers, flip flops, footies, and such. Simply soak them in a mixture of essential oils, water and soap. Try a blend of sandalwood, tea tree, lavender and white thyme essential oils. Let the footwear soak for as long as possible -- at least several hours. You can do this directly in your washing machine, if you like. But remember, you’ll still need to do it for several hours to make sure you kill the fungus.

Once you’ve done this, you’ll want to continue to sterilize your shoes and socks. Use a large zip-lock or sealable plastic bag. Drop 4 drops of Sandalwood oil in the inside of each shoe or sock, add a drop of thyme, put them in the bag and close it tight. Let them fumigate overnight. This is a good practice to do if you travel a lot and constantly re-infect your feet.

And if you travel, a spray bottle and collection of antimicrobial and antifungal essential oils is a must. You'll want oils like thyme, rosemary, oregano, lavender, lemon, and sandalwood. Put 10 to 20 drops of each oil in the bottle, then fill it with water. You may add extra of one or some of these oils to create an aroma that is appealing to you. Spray any surface in your hotel room that you want to disinfect -- shower surfaces, fixtures, counter tops, remote control, etc. Avoid bed linens and lightly colored fabrics as some oils can stain.

What about the gym or health club?

If you belong to a gym or health club, you can use the same spray as above on surfaces you encounter in these types of facilities. Places you spray might include the shower floor and fixtures, benches, dressing room floors, and bathroom surfaces. Don’t forget about workout equipment, free weights, exercise matts, balls, etc. Simply spray the surfaces, let the oil sit for a moment then wipe off with a towel.

A simple solution would include oils like orange and/or lemon that are excellent anti-microbials. Or, add them to the above to make a sweeter smelling solution.

A key point to consider is that you don’t use oils that may be offensive to others.

Clearing the Air

It is always a good practice to clean your airspace on a regular basis to minimize mold and bacteria in your home. You can use any number of diffusers, candle lamps, plug in diffusers, fan diffusers, etc. The point is to use oils that are very effective at killing microbes. The best oil for this is cinnamon or cassia bark. It's a very potent antimicrobial -- but be careful, it is very irritating to the skin. Avoid accidentally dropping any on your skin. You can also use thyme, tea tree, oregano and clove, all strong antimicrobials. Citrus oils are also powerful antimicrobials and most people enjoy their scents. Adding a little patchouli or sandalwood creates a nice blend. Other interesting oils include anise, bay, fennel and cardamom. They are good antimicrobials and give off a very pleasant aroma, both individually and when blended together.

Other interesting oils that are not so commonly used are bergamot, clove bud, sweet marjoram, spearmint, rosewood, frankincense and blue cypress. Blue cypress is a oil that boasts a wonderfully soft aroma, is very antimicrobial, and has a very long lasting base note and a gorgeous blue color.

If you are using a diffuser that includes pads, remember, using the same pad over and over for different oils will not give you the pure sent of your oil or blend, but a combination or all of the oils you’ve used on that pad. Also consider that when you diffusing a base oil like patchouli or sandalwood on a pad, the scent will last for a long time. So if you put another oil on top of it, you will smell more than just the new oil.

When using a candle diffuser, you need to put some water on the top and then add the oils to that -- otherwise you’ll burn the oils on the top of the diffuser and make a crusty mess.

Other ways of diffusing oils is to add them to a pan or kettle of water on top of a stove. The heat from the stove will heat the water and diffuse the oils. You can also simply heat water on your stove or in your microwave, add your oils to the water, and let them sit on your stove or counter. The oils will diffuse naturally into the airspace as the water evaporates.

Another variation of this is to drop or spray oils into the vent of your air conditioner. This is especially helpful if your AC gets musty over the winter or if you stay in hotel rooms where the vents may not smell so great. Good Oils to try are cedarwood, lavender, peppermint, citronella or bay.

Carpets

If you’re looking for a natural alternative to those powdery carpet fresheners -- and remember, they’re mostly synthetics and chemicals -- essential oils are easy to use. Simply add your favorite oils to a spray tin with some water and spray directly on your carpets. Remember to avoid using oils that have a color (like German chamomile, blue cypress, orange, etc) on light colored carpets and surfaces.

Another idea is to use your favorite Aura Cacia foam bath product. Simply sprinkle it on your dry carpet, let it set for as long as you like and then vacuum. So easy!

Animal House

If you have four-legged friends in your house, remember that they can be sensitive to essential oils. You want to be sure to keep your pets safe from ingesting oils.

On the other hand, you can use very small amounts of essential oils to clean your dog as well as you house. Use an all-natural pet shampoo and add a drop of orange or lemon to help with doggie odors. You can also add flea and tick repelling oils like lavender or basil.

Pests

Unwanted pests can make our living spaces feel less than clean. Small bugs have tiny sensory receptors, so essential oils can be quite overwhelming to their little bug systems. Peppermint is great for keeping away ants as well as mice. Spray or drop the oils in the places where the bugs or pests are coming in. A combination of irritating oils like cinnamon, cassia bark, thyme, rosemary, oregano, clove, etc. will not only help keep them away, but will kill most bugs when they are sprayed directly with the oils.

In the Nursery (plants, that is)

A great use of essential oils is to sterilize your nursery pots and flats. It is always good to reuse your old pots but they can often contain unwanted microbes. Simply add approximately 100 drops of oil to a gallon of soapy water and then clean the pots with it.

Essential oils can also be used as pesticides. Oils used in pesticides include, clove bud, thyme, and wintergreen. Clove bud has become the new organic herbicide also. In a spray bottle put 30 drops of clove, 5 drops of wintergreen, and a small amount of lecithin as an emulsifier. This will kill plants on contact, so be sure you don't get it on plants you want to keep.

Safety

Some of the essential oils we’ve talked about can be very interesting to the skin. For instance, although cinnamon and cassia are two of the most powerful antimicrobials, they are also the most irritating of oils if they come in contact with the skin. And keep in mind that any oil of these highly concentrated can be irritating to anyone with a sensitivity to them.

If you get an irritating oil on your skin, immediately apply a carrier oil, like almond, jojoba, olive, etc. This will dilute the oil and lessen any pain. The same is true if you get an essential oil in your eyes. Use a vegetable, nut, seed or jojoba oil to ‘wash’ out the essential oil out of the eyes.

If you are cleaning with irritating oils, it is always a good idea to wear protective gloves. Essential oils are hydrophobic. They don’t like water and will seek out another lipid (a fat or a carrier oil) to attach themselves to. If you don’t add the lipid they seek, they will find you!