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While essential oils can be useful tools for health and wellness, that’s not all they’re good for! I think it’s a shame that more people don’t know about how useful essential oils can be in other applications, especially cleaning!
In fact, there are many ways that essential oils can help you keep your home clean and sanitary. You can use them to make homemade cleaners, eliminate odors, remove stains, clean appliances, and more!
Since we’re all currently spending more of our time indoors than we’re probably used to, I wanted to share some of my favorite essential oil cleaning hacks I use around the house with you today. Keeping our homes clean and inviting can do wonders for our state of mind, especially in these uncertain times!
13 Practical Essential Oil Cleaning Hacks That Everyone Should Know
1. Freshen While You Vacuum
Turn your vacuum into a double-duty cleaning and freshening machine! All you need is a cotton ball and few drops of your favorite essential oil or oil blend.
Just add a couple drops of oil to the cotton ball (I love Simple Clean for this), then vacuum it up with your vacuum. As you continue to vacuum your carpets, the air moving through your vacuum will carry the scent of the oils throughout your house!
2. Deter Pantry Pests
Having trouble with pantry pests? Add a few drops of peppermint oil to a cup or so of white vinegar, then use the solution to wipe down your pantry shelves.
Vinegar and peppermint oil are both natural pest repellents and will help keep those pesky bugs at bay!
3. Boost Your Mop Water
After mixing up your mop water solution to clean your floors, add a few drops of lemon essential oil to it. Lemon oil will help dissolve greasy messes that may have spilled on your floor, plus it will leave your floors looking shiny and smelling fresh!
4. Eliminate Garbage Odor
Add 2 drops of tea tree oil and 2 drops of lemon oil to a cotton ball, then place the cotton ball at the bottom of your garbage can. Both tea tree and lemon oils have antibacterial and deodorizing properties, which will help prevent your garbage can from smelling like… well, garbage! ;-)
5. Clean Your Microwave
If the inside of your microwave is coated with splatters, grease, and gunk, never fear! Just add a cup of water and 5 drops of lemon oil to a microwave-safe bowl, then microwave it for about 3 minutes.
When the timer goes off, use oven mitts to carefully remove the bowl from the microwave. The lemon-scented steam will have loosened up the grime inside your microwave, making it quick and easy to wipe clean!
6. Keep Towels Fresh
You can use tea tree oil when laundering mildew-prone items like towels to help keep them fresh and clean. Just add 20-30 drops of tea tree oil to your wash load to get rid of musty smells and help prevent them from returning!
7. Wash Your Produce
Use a bit of lemon oil to make a produce wash for your fresh fruits and veggies! Add 2-3 drops of lemon oil to a large bowl of cold water, then swish your produce around in it to remove surface dirt and debris.
8. Super Sparkly Dishes
Before you start a load of dishes, add a few drops of lemon oil to your dish soap. The lemon oil will help cut through grease and mineral deposits, leaving your dishes sparkling clean and smelling fresh!
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9. Easy Air Freshener
You can make a quick and easy air freshener spray using just a bit of water and your favorite essential oil! Fill a small spray bottle with water, then add about 6 drops of the oil or oil blend of your choice.
Replace the spray top, shake to mix, then spray around the house to freshen the air. You can’t go wrong with lemon oil for its clean, citrus-y scent, but Simple Clean or lavender would work well here too!
10. Deodorize Your Fridge
Give that box of baking soda in your fridge a boost of deodorizing essential oils! Just add a few drops of lemon essential oil to a fresh box of baking soda before storing it in your fridge.
The lemon-scented baking soda will absorb any lingering food odors and replace them with the fresh scent of lemon.
11. Erase Greasy Smears
Gum, oil, grease, and even crayons can leave behind greasy smears and stains on hard surfaces. These smears can be stubborn, but they’re no match for grease-cutting lemon oil!
Just add one or two drops of lemon oil to the greasy smear, then wipe it away to erase the mark.
12. Make Your Own Cleaners
When it comes to cleaning applications, my go-to oil blend is Simple Clean! This blend features oils with powerful antibacterial, grease-cutting, and deodorizing properties, making it a great addition to all sorts of homemade cleaning solutions.
Check out my favorite ways to use Simple Clean here!
13. Clean Your Dishwasher
Over time, your dishwasher can get bogged down by greasy buildup and food residues. Follow these steps to clean your dishwasher, then keep it clean by adding 2 drops of lemon oil to your dishwasher detergent in each load!
Share your favorite essential oil cleaning hacks in a comment below!
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