In terms of overall usefulness, it’s hard to imagine an essential oil that could hope to compete with lavender oil! From its anti-inflammatory effects to its calming qualities, lavender oil has many useful properties that can come in handy in your day-to-day life.
To give you a better idea of just how useful lavender oil can be, today I’ll be sharing 20 practical uses for it around the house. Once you start to understand everything that lavender oil can do, you’ll find yourself reaching for it all the time!
For a printable list of uses for lavender oil, plus lists of uses for my other favorite essential oils, check out the link below!
Related: Here Are The 4 Essential Oils I Recommend To Everyone (And Why)
20 Practical Uses For Lavender Oil
1. Natural Laundry Scent
Add a few drops of lavender oil to a coffee filter or clean cloth. Use it just like a dryer sheet to naturally deodorize your laundry and leave behind a naturally fresh, floral scent!
2. Splinter Extractor
Have a splinter that’s buried too deep for tweezers? Add a drop of lavender oil to the area to reduce skin swelling and expose more of the splinter, making it easier to remove.
Related: 20 Of The Best Things You Can Do With Lemon Essential Oil
3. First Aid Addition
First aid kits are usually equipped with supplies that can help you treat minor scrapes and rashes. Lavender oil is great for minor scrapes and rashes too, so it makes a great addition to any first aid kit!
4. Scar Minimizer
Use skin-loving lavender oil to help minimize the appearance of scars over time. Just massage diluted lavender oil on or around the affected area daily until you see improvement.
Related: 20 Of The Best Practical Uses For Tea Tree Oil
5. Vacuum Hack
Clean your carpets and leave them smelling fresh at the same time! Just add some lavender oil to a couple of cotton balls and place them inside of your vacuum’s bag or dust cup.
As you vacuum, the airflow will carry the fresh scent of lavender throughout your house!
6. Natural Deodorant
Forgot to put on deodorant before you left the house, or maybe you’re just looking for a more natural alternative to traditional deodorants? Apply a couple of drops of lavender oil to your underarm area to keep yourself smelling fresh!
Related: The 20 Most Useful Things You Can Do With Peppermint Oil
7. Restful Sleep
Spritz a bit of lavender oil over pillows and bedsheets to help lull restless children (and adults!) into a more restful sleep. Evidence suggests that lavender oil can help treat mild insomnia and improve overall sleep quality.
8. Soothe Bites & Stings
Fun in the sun often goes hand-in-hand with bug bites and insect stings, so it helps to keep lavender oil at the ready! Just put a drop of lavender oil onto the sting or bite to help soothe the itching and reduce skin swelling.
9. Ironing Aid
Use your iron to do double duty by eliminating wrinkles and freshening fabrics at once! All you have to do is add 1-2 drops of lavender oil to the water in your iron before ironing.
10. Cold Sore Treatment
Dilute 1 drop of lavender oil with 10-15 drops of fractionated coconut oil and apply it directly to a cold sore to promote healing.
11. Linen Spray & Fabric Refresher
Sheets and towels that have been sitting in your linen closet for a while can take on a slightly musty smell. Use lavender oil to make a simple linen spray that will freshen your linens fast!
12. Healthy Hair Growth
For healthy, fast-growing hair, add a drop of lavender oil to a handful of shampoo before you wash your hair. Scrub the shampoo into your hair, then let it sit on scalp for a few minutes before rinsing out.
13. Steam Treatment For Cold & Flu
Supplement your cold or flu medicine with this airway-opening steam treatment. Add 4-6 drops of lavender to a bowl of hot water, then place a towel over your head and the bowl. Inhale the steamy air to help ease your breathing and relax your mind.
14. Natural Perfume
Use lavender oil as a beautiful, floral fragrance. Just dab a drop of oil behind each ear and on each wrist. Carry a bottle in your purse and reapply every couple of hours. It will keep you smelling great and feeling relaxed!
15. Allergy Relief
Lavender oil can help calm irritated and swollen sinuses and other allergy-related issues. Apply a drop or two to the back of your neck, chest, and between your eyes.
16. Linen Closet Helper
You can use lavender oil to both keep your linen closet smelling fresh and repel moths and other insects as well. Just add a few drops to a cotton ball and tuck the cotton ball into the closet. Replace as needed as the scent fades.
17. Soak For Soreness
Add a big handful of Epsom salt plus a few drops of lavender oil to a hot bath. Soak in the warm water for at least 20 minutes to help ease soreness and muscle tension.
18. Sunburn Relief
Add 10 drops of lavender oil and 3 ounces of cool, distilled water to a small spray bottle and shake to mix. Spritz the mixture over sunburned skin for cooling relief. Store the bottle in your fridge to for the ultimate cooling effect!
19. Pet Spot Deodorizer
Sometimes pet spots can still smell even after the stain itself is gone. To eliminate the lingering odor, add a few drops of lavender oil to a handful of baking soda. Sprinkle the scented baking soda over the spot, let it sit for about 30 minutes, then vacuum it up!
20. Headache Relief
Dilute a drop of lavender oil, then dab the diluted oil over your temples to help soothe a painful headache. Lie down and rest until the pain recedes.
How do you use lavender oil at home?
Lavender oil is the one oil that every household needs to have. It has so many uses and it can never harm you, there are no precautions for its use. (don’t know about the cats mentioned in the previous comments though :))
Great article! I didn’t know about some of the uses like for example cleaning the sink.
That steam treatment sounds perfect for me right now, as I have been struggling with an annoying cold that I have tried everything to get rid of. Can’t wait to give this a go… fingers crossed it works!
Holly from The Art of Being Holly xo
You so rock. I don’t know how you come up with these helpful tips and ideas, but I love them all you are so sweet to share. Have a great weekend.
when we had pets I had learned that a drop or two of lavender oil at the base of the head/neck of said animal would keep them from getting fleas and ticks. It sure helped!
https://www.snopes.com/are-essential-oils-poisonous-to-cats/#.Wlb-ea92wqc.facebook
This is from snopes.com. Only a Vet approved online site can say which oils are and are NOT safe for your pets.
Lavender oil is one of the most toxic. I just found this out recently and have been spraying lavender and eucalyptus oils on my pillows for years! :(
I would love to be able to post your article to my self help group on G+ but cant see a way to do this!
Just copy and paste the URL :-)
Once you had wrappings around your little fingers and said you had surgery to correct a condition that was often found in people with Scandinavian heritage.
I am having a similar problem and would appreciate it greatly if you would tell me the name of this condition as I am having similar problems. I have learned so much from your blog! Really like the essential oils information too.
It’s called Duputyren’s Disease :-) Good luck!
Just an FYI, lavender oil is toxic to cats. A lot of essential oils are. So please be careful.
I love lavender.Like so many other oils , it works even better when combined with other oils. I had a massive headache I couldn’t get rid of with the flu I couldn’t get rid of. I was using peppermint oil and it was doing much, but I combined with lavender and was finally able to get rid of it.
Can lavender oil be added to the water of a Shark floor steamer?
Yes! Just a few drops should do the trick!
I’ve recently read on Facebook that essential oils are toxic to pets, especially cats, and that even diffusing essential oils can kill your cat. I would like very much to know if there is truth to this or if it’s just another Facebook rumor. I love my essential oils, but I can’t take the chance on hurting or killing my cats.
I have an 18 year old cat and she has grown up with peppermint and lavender oils. I use them in the water when I clean the floors. Obviously, it’s not more than maybe 10 drops in a bucket of water and vinegar, but I don’t rinse the floors afterward, and she walks on them and licks her feet. She’s fine!
According to this article, lavender is not one of the oils that are toxic to cats. :-) http://jillee.co/2Dcaa95
I was told this by my vet…no diffusing, no to using most oils near my cats.
It is true, some oils attack the oragans of both cats and dogs. Here you go.
https://www.snopes.com/are-essential-oils-poisonous-to-cats/#.Wlb-ea92wqc.facebook