How to clean your home naturally with essential oils

How to clean naturally with essential oils

It was sophomore year in college and I lived in an apartment on campus with three other girls. There were four of us and only one bathroom. One shower, one toilet, one bathroom sink. That’s it.

To my dismay (and defeat), no one took cleaning very seriously which quite literally left the dirty work to me. I would mop, wipe, spray, and cover every square inch of the shower with Scrubbing Bubbles until I couldn’t stand to breathe, at which point I would vacate the premises and return later in hopes that the bubbles did their job so I could finish mine.

To this day, my husband would tell you that a neat freak I am not. Our house is usually in close to perfect condition, or a total disaster. There is rarely a middle ground and while my tolerance for a messy house is embarrassingly high, I can’t stand a dirty house. I love to clean and even more than that, I love the look, feel, and smell of my house after it is clean and lately, that affinity has skyrocketed.

Gone are the days of holding my breath so as not to inhale the fumes, or wearing those weird yellow gloves to protect my skin. I’ve started making natural, non-toxic, cleaning products with essential oils and am beyond excited to share them with you!

Maybe you’ve been feeling torn about your cleaning supplies because you want to disinfect, but don’t want to harm your air quality, or the bodies of those cleaning. Maybe you have little ones and are looking for ways to get them involved in household chores, but are limited because of the tasks that require toxic cleaning products.

Rejoice! Here are some of my favorite essential oil cleaning recipes that will make cleaning the house an entire family affair. As a bonus, the kids can even help make them!

You can, of course, add any essential oil you choose, but certain ones can not only smell lovely, but have special cleaning powers. Double win!

Here are a few of my favorites:

Thieves: Kills 99.96% of germs which is similar to Lysol but actually helps your immune systems as well.

Lemon: Cuts grease and removes stubborn marks and stains.

Purification: Cleans the air and neutralizes foul odors.

Citrus Fresh: Smells refreshing, helps purify the air, and energizes.

Remember, not all oils are created equal. There are various price points on brands, please make sure you do your own research before choosing a different brand and using it in your household.

All Purpose Cleaner Recipe:

• Glass Spray Bottle
• Water
• White vinegar*
• 30 drops of essential oil

Fill up the bottle two-thirds with water, top off with vinegar, add essential oils, and shake. You can make this in advance and store in your cupboard — just give it a good shake before spraying.

Window Cleaner:

• Glass Spray Bottle
• Equal parts water and vinegar
• 10-15 drops of essential oil

Add to a glass spray bottle, shake, and spray!

Bathroom Floor Deodorizer Recipe:

• Bucket of hot water
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1/4 cup white vinegar*
• Quick squeeze of dish soap
• 2 drops of Purification Essential Oil
• 2 drops of Lemon Essential Oil

Floor Cleaner Recipe:

• 1 gallon hot water in a bucket
• 3/4 cup white vinegar*
• 1 T Castile soap
• 15 drops of essential oil

*Costco has HUGE jugs of white vinegar for a very inexpensive price. 

We’d love to hear from you! Do you have a favorite homemade cleaner recipe or essential oil scent you love?

Looking for more ideas for naturally cleaning your home?

Looking for ideas on removing odors from your home?

Does your bathroom smell like a frat house? Have you just resigned yourself to the pee smell? This is one of our most popular posts and while all the suggestions are decidedly NOT natural, there are tons of ideas to choose from!

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