Spring is the season of renewal, where the April showers rinse off what was left of Old Man Winter and May flowers begin to push up through the murky soil to reach for the beautiful sunshine, thus awakening from a long winter's nap. So, too, do we awaken with renewed spunk and energy, looking forward to the warmth of summer, basking in the glow, recharging our batteries in order to begin that process of Spring Cleaning!
As a member of Young Living, I have at my disposal so many helpful tips and uses for my essential oils in regards to cleaning. With so many of us wanting to steer away from less than healthy chemical cleaners, why not try using essential oils instead? An oil in a healthy dose of hot water and vinegar is a lot easier on the senses, pocketbook and our overall health & wellness, as well as that of our four-legged furry friends! They appreciate the natural smells of therapeutic-grade essential oils as opposed to the harsh chemical smells of other cleaners.
The following will contain just a few of the cleaning hints, tips & recipes for cleaners that I've found from some of our fellow Young Living Oilers, as well as some things I do in my own home with my oils.
Some of the best essential oils for cleaning include cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, thyme, spruce, lemon, lemongrass, and grapefruit. Try some of the following ideas for a powerful, natural clean:
Household cleaner:
- Fill a spray bottle with water and a squirt of dishwashing soap.
- Add 3–5 drops each of lavender, lemon, and pine essential oils.
- Shake well.
Floor cleaner:
- Add 1/4 cup white vinegar to a bucket of water.
- Add 5–10 drops lemon, pine, spruce, melaleuca, or Purification essential oil.
Fighting dust mites:
- Recent research has shown that eucalyptus essential oil kills dust mites that live in bedding.
- Add 25 drops of eucalyptus essential oil to each load of laundry for an effective dust mite deterrent.
Hot tubs and saunas:
- Use 3 drops per person of lavender, cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, thyme, lemon, or grapefruit to disinfect and freshen the water.
- For saunas, add several drops rosemary, thyme, pine, or lavender to a spray bottle with water and spray surfaces. This water can also be used to splash onto hot sauna stones.
Kitchens and bathrooms:
- Mix into 1 quart water: 2 drops rosemary, 4 drops lemon, 3 drops eucalyptus, and 4 drops lavender.
- Shake well and put into a spray bottle. Shake again before using.
Window cleaner:
- Mix in 1 quart spray bottle: 1 cup White Vinegar, 10-15 drops of Lemon Essential Oil, water.
- Mix vinegar and water in spray bottle.
- Add essential oil.
- Shake and use.
Stain Removal:
- Use a drop or two of lemon essential oil on stains.
- Let stand and rub off with a clean cloth or throw into laundry cycle.
In the Dryer:
- Instead of using toxic and irritating softening sheets in the dryer, toss in a dampened washcloth with 10 drops of lavender, lemon, melaleuca, bergamot, or other oils added.
- While the oils will not reduce static cling, they will impart a lovely fragrance to the clothes.
Young Living’s Most Popular Oils for Cleaning
- Lavender essential oil
- Lemon essential oil
- Pine essential oil
- Cinnamon essential oil
- Thieves® essential oil blend
- Purification™ essential oil blend
Here’s a quick run-down of some common cleaning chemicals, along with some of the many places you may see them:
- DEA (Diethanolamine)—Found in more than 600 home and personal care products, such as shampoos, conditioners, bubble baths, lotions, cosmetics, soaps, laundry and dishwashing detergents. Suspected of carcinogenic activity (causing or contributing to cancer) or of being potentially dangerous or hazardous to health.
- Propylene Glycol—The main ingredient found in anti-freeze; also common in shampoos, deodorants, cosmetics, lotions, toothpastes, processed foods, baby wipes, and many more personal care items. Implicated in contact dermatitis, kidney damage, and liver abnormalities; can inhibit skin cell growth in human tests and can damage cell membranes causing rashes, dry skin, and surface damage.
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)—Industrial uses include concrete floor cleaners, engine degreasers, and car wash detergents. Also found in shampoos, liquid soaps, conditioners, cleansers, toothpaste, and children’s personal care products. SLS is found in nearly all toothpastes, and is absorbed through skin contact and retained for up to five days.
- Talc—Chemically similar to asbestos, talc has been inked to ovarian cancer. It’s found in many body and baby powders, as well as many cosmetics.
- Alcohol—Most mouthwash products have a higher alcohol content than most alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, etc). Mouthwash products with alcoholic content greater than 25 percent have been linked to cancers of the mouth, tongue, and throat. Alcohol acts as a solvent inside the mouth, making tissues more vulnerable to carcinogens.
Pretty scary when you read what's in our most common household products like shampoos, soaps, cosmetics, powders, cleaners, etc. The above chemical listings were also taken from Young Living's website. The more you read, the more you want to take the next steps in trying to eliminate most of these toxins from your homes and lives. It is a very daunting task, but once you make a few positive changes, you will find it becomes natural to you. We may never rid ourselves of ALL the toxins out there, seeing as many of us have polluted air in our cities, offices, stores, etc. and the fact that we also can't live in a bubble. There are things we can do, however, to live as clean and green as we can, as well as improve our health and wellness, to better able our bodies to deal with the toxins we come in contact with in our everyday lives.
Stay tuned for more blogging on cleaning with Essential Oils and just as a last note: I ONLY recommend Young Living Essential Oils as they are the world leaders in 100% therapeutic-grade essential oils...I would NOT recommend store bought oils be used on your person, pet or taken internally!
