Cleaning
Whether or not you like to clean, it is much easier to keep a clean house when you have useful and effective
cleaning agents. While you may be used to the fact that people use essential oils for health and wellness, you
may not realize that essential oils can also be extremely useful for cleaning. With natural cleansing properties,
essential oils provide a simple yet powerful way to keep things clean.
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Essential oils have different types of “cleansing” properties
It is important to keep in mind that there are many essential oils that are known to have cleansing properties; however, the word “cleansing” can have many different meanings. Some essential oils have chemical components that will provide cleansing benefits for the skin. Other oils may have a chemical profile that make the oil useful for internal cleansing. When it comes to household cleaning, the best essential oils are those with properties that are useful for surface cleansing. Remember that each essential oil has a different and unique combination of chemical constituents. Some essential oils may have chemical components that are generally “cleansing,” but they may not be particularly useful for surface cleansing. Other essential oils
may contain cleansing properties that are useful for cleaning surfaces; however, if these chemical components only appear in small amounts, it is better to use an essential oil with higher percentages of chemicals that are useful for cleansing surfaces specifically.
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Only a small amount of essential oil is needed
Don’t forget, if you are using pure essential oils that are high in quality, only a small amount will be necessary when cleaning around the home. Especially if you plan to combine several essential oils together, you will only need a small amount to reap the
desired cleansing benefits. When using essentials for cleaning, remember: you can always apply more oil if necessary but once you use too much oil, it is difficult to take it back. This is particularly important to remember when making your own cleaning
agents. You can always add more drops of an essential oil to the solution, but you can’t take them out once they are added, so start small. Keep in mind that when it comes to cleaning with essential oils, a little goes a long way.
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MAKING YOUR OWN CLEANING SOLUTIONS AT HOME
Essential oils can be combined with a number of household ingredients to make your own cleaning agents. Consider using the following ingredients when making your own natural cleaning agents at home:
WHITE VINEGAR: Contains purifying properties. Useful for cleaning grease and mineral deposits.
BAKING SODA: Useful for absorbing and eliminating odors, and cleansing surfaces in the home.
SALT: Known as an effective scrubbing agent. Useful for cleaning stains and greasy messes.
CASTILE SOAP: Helpful for lifting dirt, stains, and grease.
Any of the cleaning agents above can be combined with essential oils for various cleaning tasks throughout the home.
To determine which essential oils will be most effective for cleaning around the house, take a look at the following list.
Storage
Part of safe essential oil use (in any capacity) is ensuring that the oils are stored safely and responsibly. Because essential oils are so potent, young children do not understand how best to use them, and thus they can pose a threat if children try to use the oils without supervision. Many parents store regular cleaning products in hard-to-reach places or areas that children cannot get to in order to keep them safe from improper exposure or ingestion. Be sure to do the same with essential oils and any homemade essential oil cleaning solutions. Make sure that your children cannot access oils or cleaning solutions without your knowledge in order to keep them safe from improper exposure. In addition to keeping essential oils in a safe place, it is also best to store the oils in a cool, dry place in order to preserve the natural chemical properties within the oils. Essential oil properties are best preserved when stored in dark bottles in order to keep UV rays and other types of light from altering the chemical composition. When storing your own essential oil cleaning agents, the chemistry of the oils will be preserved best in a glass or stainless steel container. Solutions should not be stored long-term in plastic. If you choose to make your own essential oil cleaning solutions and store them for future use, keep in mind that oil and water don’t mix, so you might have to shake the cleaning solution vigorously before using again. When an essential oil cleansing solution sits in the cupboard, it is possible for the oil to separate from the other cleaning agents, so be sure to shake well before each use to ensure effective cleaning.