Have you started your spring cleaning yet? It can be a daunting taskespecially when you know there’s dust, dirt and germs lurking everywhere!
Certain essential oils that have antimicrobial properties can help you get your entire home spic and span in a natural, chemical-free way. Best of all, you can choose what scents you like best and combine them to take advantage oftheir unique properties and make your whole homesmell better than ever.
Here are a few suggestions for some common household chores you may be planning to tackle this spring.
Combine eucalyptus, tea tree and lemon essential oil as a fragrant spray for your closets.
Spring is always a great time to go through your closets so you can toss what you don’t wear anymore and stock it with all your clothing for warmer weather. Since closets are one of those dark, crowded areaswhere the air can get kind of stale, you can grab a spray bottle, fill it with 1 1/2 cup of water plus eight drops each of eucalyptus, tea tree and lemon essential oiland then give your closet a thorough spray to freshen it up.
Useplain old water, vinegar and your favorite citrus essential oil to wash windows and window sills.
It’s refreshing to open the windows to let the spring breeze air into your home, but this can also bring your attention to how dirty and dusty they may be after a long winter. Mix 1 1/2 cup white vinegar with 1 cup water and eight drops each of lemon, grapefruit, wild orange, lime or a combination of these all in a spray bottle for a beautifully fragrant and effective solutionto wash and wipe down all your windows.
Create a mixture of wild orange, sandalwood and clove essential oil to wipe down doorknobs, handles, buttons and switches.
We all know that germs spread easily when infected people touch things that other people touch. It’s time to kill off any signs of cold and flu season for good by wiping down anything that’s regularly touched by multiple people with a mixture of water and bacteria-fighting essential oils. Eight drops each of wild orange, sandalwood and clove diluted in 1 cup of water will smell amazing and kill anything nasty that’slingering on stuff in your home.
Add lemon essential oil to some tissues or cotton balls to add to your vacuum cleaner’s canister.
Lemon essential oil is one of those super powerful oils that has antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and antibiotic properties. By sticking a few tissues or cotton balls soaked with 5 to 10 drops of lemon essential oil into the canister of your vacuum, the oil will diffuse throughout your home and eliminate that dusty vacuum cleaner smell.
Fill a bucket with water, vinegar and peppermint or lemon essential oil to mop your floors.
Believe it or not, essential oils are versatile enough to work on almost any type of flooring including hardwood, tile, linoleum, ceramic, vinyl and laminate. Since spring is when all the critters wake up and sometimes make their way into our homes, peppermint oil will be your best friend in helping you ward off mice, ants and other insects. You could also use lemon essential oil if you’re intention is to disinfect. Add 1 cup vinegar plus 15 to 20 drops of essential oil to a bucket of water and get mopping!
Before purchasing essential oils, make sure to do your research. The most inexpensive varieties are used for aromatherapy and aren’t nearly as pure as therapeutic grade oils. Find out more about what you need to consider when shopping around for essential oils.
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Photo Credit: Thinkstock
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
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