Cleaning your house with chemicals may be quick and effective but negatively affect our health and is bad for our environment and our planet. Many cleaning products that are tough on grease and grime contain toxic, corrosive ingredients that can be damaging to your health.

As people become aware of that risk, they start looking for better, safer options. There are more non-toxic cleaning products available as manufacturers respond to growing demand, unfortunately, “green”, “natural” or even “organic” printed on the label doesn’t guarantee that the product is safe.

One of the best ways of keeping your house clean and healthy is making your own cleaning products using essential oils.

Benefits of using  essential oils for cleaning

There are many benefits of using essential oils at home. You can use them to clean mineral build-ups off bathroom faucets, grease off kitchen appliances, deodorise your fridge, improve your mood, and make your house smell fresh without inhaling toxic fumes.

They will help you get rid of mould, mildew, bacteria, dust mites, ants and other common problems and pests.

Always use the best quality essential oils you can afford, especially if you have a cat or a dog. Our pets have a very powerful sense of smell and some scents can bother them. Additionally, certain essential oils can harm your cat or our dog, so check with your vet before placing a diffuser in every room.

Pure essential oils are expensive but your homemade cleaning products will still be cheaper that the commercial products as you will only need a few drops depending on the formula.

You don’t need be an expert in aromatherapy to use essential oils to clean your house safely. You just need to know the properties of a few essential oils that are most commonly used for cleaning how to he oils to boost the benefits.

You can start with just a couple of them and add more later depending on what you like and need. The most powerful and useful oils are lemon, lime, wild orange, thyme, peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus, melaleuca (tea tree), rosemary, and cinnamon leaf. They will leave your house germ- and toxin-free.

what can you use your essential oils for?

01. Lemon Oil

Lemon Oil has antibacterial and antiviral properties and can be used to keep your fridge fresh and clean. Mixed with white vinegar and tea tree oil will help get rid of mold and mildew. It can be used to make a multipurpose cleaner, mirror and glass cleaner or everyday shower spray.

02.Lime oil

Lime oil comes handy when you need to get rid of sticky residues or keep your dishes extra clean. It’s also an excellent choice for homemade cosmetics such as brown sugar lime skin scrub.

03.Wild orange oil

Wild orange oil is a fabulous grease remover. It can also be used to clean stains on tiles, deter spiders and pests that attack our household plants, and make a rubbish bin smell nice.

04.Tea tree oil

Tea tree oil fight bacteria and viruses and is extremely versatile. You can make tee tree oil multipurpose cleaners, mould remover, and pest repellent. Adding a few drops of melaleuca oil to your laundry will freshen up your bed linen, towels and clothes. It’s especially useful when you wash heavily soiled laundry such as cloth nappies.

05.Lavender oil

Lavender oil is one of the favourite essential oils because of its many uses. It’s very popular and affordable, which makes it a great choice for everyone who needs oil with deodorising, antiviral, antibacterial and antiseptic properties. Mix it with white vinegar and use on benchtops and kitchen/bathroom sinks. It repels ants, moths, and cockroaches, and can be used in your wardrobe and pantry.

Another affordable essential oil that can be uses for cleaning is eucalyptus oil. With its antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and deodorising properties use can use it for various purposes, from cleaning your toilet and removing mold to cleaning floors and getting rid of silverfish.

If you want to get rid of mold and mildew, cinnamon oil is another good choice. It will also repel spiders, and it’s warm, spicy fragrance is perfect for using in the kitchen. Mixed with water and vinegar creates a powerful cleaner that you can even use to clean cutting board, especially when combined with other essential oils that have antibacterial properties, too.

The combination of peppermint and rosemary is ideal for a lovely and effective homemade air freshener spray.

Always check before you use essential oils on some surfaces, such as marble, polished furniture, or plastic. Remember that essential oils have to be used safely, especially when used around little children, people with allergies, pregnant women or pets.