Cleaning With Essential Oils: A Fresher Home for Less

Commercial cleaning products are expensive and can leave your home with a chemical odor that smells more like a hospital than a home. Following, you will find six cleaning recipes using essential oils, from dryer sheets to dish soap, that serve double duty: to both clean and freshen your home. Why not give them a try?

Editor’s note: If you do not already use essential oils around your house, an initial investment is required to purchase the various oils, which may seem pricey. However, with essential oils, a little goes a long way, and you can use them for many money-saving purposes, from cleaning to skincare to pest control.

1. Scented “Dryer Sheets”

Combine 15 drops of spearmint oil and 12 drops of lavender. Put this mixture on a clean cloth, folding it several times. Wrap another cloth around that and toss it into the dryer!

2. Extra Tough Pot and Pan Cleaner

Boil a solution of one cup of water, five drops of cedarwood oil, and three tablespoons of baking soda directly in the pot or pan. Allow the mixture to stand until the food can be scraped off easily.

3. Super Smelling Dishwashing Soap

You will need:

• liquid castile soap
• 20 drops lime essential oil
• 10 drops sweet orange essential oil
• 5 drops citrus seed extract

To make:
Fill a clean 22-ounce plastic squirt bottle with castile soap (diluted according to directions if using concentrate). Add the essential oils. Shake the bottle before each use. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the liquid to dishwater and wash as usual.

Substitute these essential oils for a different scent:

• liquid castile soap
• 10 drops lemon essential oil
• 6 drops bergamot essential oil
• 4 drops lavender essential oil
• 2 drops orange essential oil

4. Air Freshener

In a small spray bottle, add the following:

• 4 ounces of purified water
• 30 drops of cinnamon oil
• 20 drops of clove oil
• 20 drops of sweet orange oil
• 10 drops of cedarwood oil

Related: Frugal Homemade Air Fresheners (Recipes and Tips)

5. Disinfectant

In a small spray bottle, add the following:

• 50 drops of lavender
• 30 drops of clove oil
• 20 drops of peppermint

6. Linen Freshener and Moth Repellent

Use cotton balls scented with lavender, patchouli, sandalwood or cedarwood oils. Place them in your linen closet.Make sure to use real cotton balls, not ones manufactured with a polyester blend. Otherwise, the smell will not last for long. Do not put essential oils on plastic, dyed materials, inks or finished wood, as they may mar the surface.

Related:

• Spring Cleaning the Frugal Way
• 13 Ways To Remove Odors Naturally and Inexpensively
• 10 Ways To Cut the Cost of Cleaning

Reviewed March 2024