We’ve had quite the full house for the past several weeks, which has been a positive experience for the most part! I’ve been enjoying being able to spend so much time with my kids, but having a full house isn’t without its challenges, like my never-ending battle against stale and stuffy air!
I try to keep my home as clean and inviting as possible, and the way the air smells is a big part of that. Stale air can also indicate the presence of dust, allergens, pollutants, and other impurities.
So if you’ve been struggling with stale air while staying home recently, you’re not alone! You’re also not without help, because today I’ll be sharing a simple solution to clean the air in your home.
But before we get to that, it’s important to understand why simply reaching for an air freshener spray isn’t such a good idea!
The Problem With Air Fresheners
Many commercial air freshener sprays contain chemicals that have been linked to all sorts of health problems. A 2007 review from the Natural Resources Defense Council found that 12 out of the 14 popular air fresheners they evaluated contained hormone-disrupting phthalates.
And considering that air fresheners do little more than cover up unpleasant smells, using them in your home just doesn’t seem worth the risk!
The Easy & Natural Way To Clean The Air In Your Home
Luckily for us, there’s no reason to bother with air fresheners at all when you have an essential oil diffuser! Diffusing essential oils is an easy way to cleanse the air of things you’d rather not be breathing.
A 2018 review suggests that certain essential oils, including clove, oregano, and lemon, can have an anti-fungal effect on air quality. That’s part of the reason why I use my Defend essential oil blend in my diffuser so frequently!
In addition to clove, oregano, and lemon oils, Defend blend also contains cinnamon, lime, eucalyptus, rosemary, peppermint, and spearmint oils. Many of these oils have cleansing effects and can help soothe respiratory issues, making it a great option for cleaning your air.
Defend blend is available in both a standard 15ml bottle and in a 10 ml Roll-On bottle. You can grab both in the Immunity Kit!
What Are People Saying About Defend?
I am working on a decluttering project at home. It is so hot and humid, in addition to the dust and grime. The Defend Blend is so energizing and refreshing and makes me feel cleaner.
– Ruth
I absolutely love Defend! I use it to make homemade cleaners and homemade hand soap. It smells amazing! I feel that I am making a healthier choice for my family using this product.
– Jennifer
When Should I Clean The Air?
There’s never a bad time to freshen up the air with essential oils, but here are a couple of situations where I find it particularly beneficial:
- While Cleaning – When I’m dusting and/or vacuuming, I hate the feeling that I’m kicking up a bunch of dust and grime into the air. Diffusing Defend, or any other oil for that matter, helps me breathe easy and it leaves my home smelling extra clean!
- While Driving – Sometimes the air in my car feels less than fresh, whether it’s because it needs a good vacuuming or because I’m driving through truck exhaust on the highway. That’s why I keep my favorite car diffuser handy! (No diffuser? No problem! Check out these easy DIY options.)
Bonus Tip: Keep The Door Open!
More Ideas You'll Love
- Whenever you’re using a diffuser in a small room, it’s important to make sure the room is properly ventilated by keeping the door open or running a fan.
- This is especially important if you have pets, because their sensitive noses can be overwhelmed by the potent aromas of essential oils.
- So keep the room well-ventilated, and make sure your pets are free to leave the area if they want to.
What’s one way that you keep the air in your home clean?
Where did you get that small bamboo diffuser?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jenny, that was the first diffuser we sold in my By Jillee Shop. Unfortunately, we don’t carry it anymore, but we do have this one and I have one and love it!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.https://shop.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/collections/diffusers/products/bamboo-diffuser
Thanks for your post….readers, please scroll down and read about pets. Do your research before diffusing any oil around pets especially tea tree with a dog
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I don’t open my window in my room. My family gives me a lot of grief . With my allergies it would just aggravate them. I have recently started making an air freshener with essential oil. I do occasionally use my diffuser. I actually diffused Eucalyptus oil 1-2 weeks ago because my allergies were giving me awful headaches. I also recently came across a diy version of the popular Thieves version vs buying the expensive stuff. I’m hoping it will help with my immunity to this virus.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.“I’m hoping it will help with my immunity to this virus.”
It won’t. Sorry.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I know it might not help with the virus. But- because I work in a field with the public I need to do anything I can to boost my immunity to this.
I’ve used a reed diffuser in our basement for a few years and it still is producing a great smell. I live in a climate that is fairly humid. All the moisture in the air can make it smell very dank. I used to joke that the smell was like a frog pond.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just open your windows is usually a good solution.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.at then end of the artical you briefly mentioned pets..are there oils you should not use if you have pets,mine are dogs.i read an artical year or so ago that mentioned a very ill dog in conection with the use of essential oils.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yes, this cannot be stressed enough! My cat was on the brink of death from a lavender oil diffuser. Cats especially are highly susceptible to poisoning from essential oils. And every pet owner should also consider that animals sense of smell is much stronger than ours and burning oils may not only overwhelm them but be suffocating to them! I dont believe that anyone with any kind of pet should use an oil diffuser!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have a LARGE cat who sheds even though I brush him. Any ideas on how to rid my home of his fur? I am watching it fly around me as I write this. Please help!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Here is a post that should help… http://bit.ly/2MM3shC
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve never used a diffuser and wondered about using the EOs. Where do they end up when diffused out of the diffuser? Do you then have oily film on your furniture, floors, windows, and carpets etc?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It diffuser in to air. Oils aren’t actually oily. Read her posts on oils for beginners. EOs have become a way of life for me and I feel all the better for it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I jumped right up dug my diffuser out of the corner and filled it with lemon oil. I have a 14 week old puppy that pees wherever he wants tp, even though he is crate trained and let out 10 plus times a day. I also have a 15 yr old golden with a fatty tumor that is breaking open leaving blood on the carpet. I heal then she lays on it or bumps it and it leaks again. I tie my old pj bottoms around her to cover it but she works it off eventually. If anyone needs a fresher smelling home it me!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Some years back when our Sharpei had a large laceration that couldn’t be bandaged we were told to give him daily epsom salt bathes with tea tree oil. (This was after he had shots for infection). He loved the soothing bathes and never had a wet dog smell. It helped him heal quicker. The vet was very impressed how well he healed. It is the only way I bathe any dog now. No shampoo, no soap just pour the bath water over their body. Dilution is the key, 1-2 droppers worth in a bath tub. I use the same solution for my bathes at times too. Don’t use the dropper and put essential oil on your dog or yourself.
Peppermint oil in cbd , hemp or pot cream will take pain away from headaches ear aches and tooth pain!! Use a cotton swap and rub it on your gum with the mixture. Massage it on your temples or forehead or neck- were ever the headache is coming from. Use a cotton swab to put a bit in your ear.
If you are having hot flashes mix peppermint oil with water in a spray bottle to mist your neck and chest etc, just don’t spray it near your eyes. Also mix peppermint oil with lotion to put on where ever you need to when the hot flash comes on. Just know peppermint oil is very cooling so don’t put it all over your body or you will be freezing cold!
I am no expert on eo, but these work for me.
exactly!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Pet owners… word of caution. I just found this out! Search the internet for more details.
Oils that are harmful to cats include, but are not limited to:
Wintergreen
Sweet birch
Citrus (d-limonene)
Pine
Ylang ylang
Peppermint
Cinnamon
Pennyroyal
Clove
Eucalyptus
Tea tree (melaleuca)
Thyme
Oregano
Lavender
Oils that are harmful to dogs include, but are not limited to:
Cinnamon
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Citrus (d-limonene)
Pennyroyal
Peppermint
Pine
Sweet birch
Tea tree (melaleuca)
Wintergreen
Ylang ylang
Anise
Clove
Thyme
Juniper
Yarrow
Garlic
That’s actually not true. There are actually shampoos and sprays made with melaleuca for insect repelling.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Much of the “cautions” around using essential oils around pets are based on using inferior quality products.
There’s a great book called SpOIL your pets written by a veterinarian and essential oil expert.
I was a vet tech and have used essential oils for years on my pets and anyone who wanted to try with great results and no ill effects.
Major dilution is key along with quality. Jillian makes a great point to allow your animals the opportunity to leave a room where the oils are being diffused.
My own pets have some that they will actually seek out and yes, some that they prefer at a distance.
Contrast that with the flea and tick meds that people use with no thought at all on their pets and check out the side effects.
There is a difference between topical application and diffusion. An animal may tolerate dilute topical application of an EO, but inhaling it will be lethal and expecting them to know that it is in the air and leave somehow is absurd.
I had to quit diffusing because my cats eyes would run, and look like they were infected. I mostly used Lavender and Lemongrass. As soon as I stopped their eyes cleared up. So if you have pets ..BEWARE!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Lavender almost killed my cat, she stopped eating and drinking for four days. I’ll never risk her life again in order to have a good smelling home! Birds, fish and other pets suffer from oil diffusers too. I cant imagine how many animals have succumb to or are living in torment because of these diffusers! They need to make pet owners aware that these products are never safe for pets!
My dog went through hell because of a diffuser. I didn’t know any better. He eventually had to be put down. He had other health problems also, but the diffuser exacerbated things into a downward spiral.
Jackie,
I am sorry about your dog.Losing one of our pets is like losing a family member! We always recommend that people talk to their vets before using essential oils in your home when you have pets. There is safe ways to use some essential oils when you have furry friends. Many of our team members have animals and we have not had issues. Here are a couple of great articles that I have found on the internet.
Essential Oils for Pets: The Best & Worst Oils to Help Your Furry Friends
Are Essential Oils Safe for Pets?
Yes, essential oils are very dangerous for cats and dogs.
When you find yourself picking up truck exhausts through your car’s vents, or pollens, push the car symbol with circles of air on your climate control panel. This circulates the air in your vehicle and cuts down on smells and sneezing.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Jillee, love your site!! ..is Defend blend safe to use around kids? I have an almost 2 yo and an almost 8 yo. I think most essential oils are safe for the 8 yo but there probably quite a few to be avoided for 2 yo(?)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Isa,
Please log in or create a free account to comment.There are some essential oils that can be safe for children, but I would recommend that you do not use them with children under 6 years old.