Household Cleaning and Freshening
with Aromatherapy

If you've got household cleaning to do, why not reap the benefits of aromatherapy while you're at it!

If you've ever tackled household chores, you know that the smell of some products can be overwhelming. If used without proper ventilation, many can even cause sickness.

Wouldn't it be nice if your household chores were invigorating rather than tiring? They can be and your home can be too.

I’ll show you how in a minute, but first, a few tips...

• Making your own household cleansers is easy, fun and cost-effective, especially if you make large amounts.
  
  
• As with all household cleaning and freshening products, remember to properly label those which are homemade.
  
  
• Remember to store the products in an area where children or pets can't get them. Even though they're non-toxic, ingestion of excessive quantities can cause sickness.
  
  
• Always keep essential oils away from the eyes.

Which aromatherapy ingredients do I use for household cleaning/freshening and how?

Freshen up the air in a stuffy room. Don’t have a diffuser? A pot of water works just as well…

Put your favorite scent into a pot of water and simmer mixture on the stovetop for several hours. The smell of citrus rinds is invigorating but you can use any essential oil.

Bathroom

To ensure there's always a fresh scent in the bathroom squeeze a few drops of essential oil onto the cardboard roll that holds the toilet paper. The fragrance will release with each pull. Remember to repeat with each new roll you hang.

If you want to use chemical-based household cleaning products but prefer to leave behind a fragrance that doesn't smell like harsh chemicals, make a rinse using water and your favorite essential oil.

Eucalyptus, pine, lemon, wintergreen, lavender and lots of others are good choices.

Four drops for every pint of water is a good ratio. Place mixture into a spray bottle and use it as a sort of 'final rinse' when cleaning. Store the mixture in a dark area.

Kitchen

Tea tree oil and lavender essential oils have anti-bacterial properties so you can use this type of natural mixture for cleaning countertops. Just mix a few drops with water and spray on surfaces. For large jobs such as killing mold and mildew, add about 50 drops into a bucket of water.

Carpet

Here's a simple recipe for homemade carpet fresheners:

• 4 cups of baking soda or cornstarch
• 25 drops rosewood essential oil
• 35 drops eucalyptus essential oil
• 30 drops lavender essential oil

Mix above ingredients in a bowl, breaking apart the clumps and stirring well. Pour the mixture into a shaker bottle and sprinkle on carpets about 15 minutes prior to vacuuming.

Be creative, if you have other favorite essential oils, substitute them for the ones in the recipe above.

Floors

For a floor cleaning mixture that works well on tough jobs and will leave your room smelling fresh try this combination:

• 15 drops of orange essential oil
• 8 drops of lemon essential oil
• 1 gallon of hot water
• 2 tablespoons liquid soap

Laundry

Make your own dryer sheets by placing several drops of your favorite essential oil onto a towel. Add the towel into the dryer along with clothes and dry as you normally would.

For a deep sleep, place lavender essential oil into a spritz-type bottle. Lightly spritz bed sheets before retiring for the night.

Ahhhh…. household cleaning has never been so therapeutic!

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