10 WAYS TO USE ESSENTIAL OILS IN YOUR HOME TODAY

Whether you are new to essential oils or have had experience using them for a while, these simple tips will show you that the time for using essential oils in practical, everyday applications has never been better!

1) Use essential oils to keep the air in your home free of harmful microorganisms. 

Diffusing essential oils can help improve the air quality in your home. Many essential oils have antiseptic properties, meaning they are antiviral, antibacterial, and/or antifungal, so diffusing the right essential oils can eliminate airborne microorganisms that may lead to infections of many kinds. So, why wait until you know that an airborne microorganism is contaminating the air in your home before you start to diffuse essential oils when you could use them to prevent that from happening?

2) Use essential oils around your home to deter and eliminate creepy crawlies

Many essential oils have a long history of being used to chase away unwanted creepy crawlers or prevent them from entering your home or patio in the first place. Peppermint, Thyme, Lemongrass, Lavender, and Citronella, are just some of the oils that have a well-established reputation for deterring insects like spiders, cockroaches, and bedbugs, as well as chasing them off once they've invaded your space. 

Try adding any of these essential oils with rubbing alcohol, or either a water and borax solution, or white vinegar and water solution, and then spray any infested areas with the mixture, and around doorways and windowsills with it.*** 

3) Use essential oils in your kitchen

Try adding a couple of drops of citrus essential oils like lemon, lime, or orange, to the dishwasher detergent compartment, before adding the detergent; or add 10 drops of essential oil to 2 ounces of unscented dishwashing liquid and shake well, then use it to wash your dishes. Not only will it help kill any bacteria on your dishes, and help cut grease, but it will provide an uplifting aroma that may cheer up your mood and help lessen the doldrums of dishwashing.

4) Use essential oils in your bathroom

Because of the antiseptic nature of most essential oils, they can be added to a solution of white vinegar and water and put in a spray bottle and used to spray down most bathroom surfaces, for a chemical-free clean that leaves the room not only streak-free and germ-free, but smelling fresh too!***

5) Use essential oils in your mop water

Adding a few drops of essential oils such as pine, lemongrass, eucalyptus or lemon, to your mop water will give your entire house a wonderful aroma, as well as disinfecting without the unnecessary harsh chemicals.

6) Use essential oils in your laundry room

It's not only easy to include essential oils in your laundry washing routine, but they are free of the toxins found in synthetic perfumes that can cause headaches and allergies, and if you are sensitive to the chemical perfumes in most laundry detergents and fabric softeners (like me) you don't have to worry about missing out on clean, fresh-smelling laundry. You can add a few drops of pine, eucalyptus, orange, lemon, or tangerine essential oils to the washing machine before loading to wash, or try pre-soaking or pre-washing heavily soiled laundry in hot water with essential oils, before laundering with your unscented, plant-based detergent, for an even deeper clean. 

Once your laundry is ready to dry, just add 3 to 5 drops of your favorite essential oils to a few wool dryer balls and toss them in with your laundry to dry, and voila! Fresh, amazing-smelling laundry, without harsh, synthetic chemicals is possible!

7) Diffuse essential oils to eliminate foul odors in any room

Just like burning scented candles and incense can help eliminate foul odors from the air in a room, diffusing essential oils can help rid your home of unpleasant odors too, but without the side effects of burning synthetic perfumes and filling the air with smoke and toxic residues. Essential oils can help to combat the bacteria that cause the stench in the first place, not just mask the unpleasant odors like most scented candles and synthetic air fresheners do, so you get a longer-lasting effect. 

8) Use essential oils in linen closets and storage bins

Using the right essential oils in areas that get left undisturbed for long periods of time, not only helps the items being stored smell fresh for longer periods, but it can help discourage moths and rodents from taking up habitation in them.

9) Diffuse essential oils in your office to improve cognitive function

Many essential oils contain chemical constituents like sesquiterpenes, which cross the blood-brain barrier and help to oxygenate the brain, as well as improve the function of glands like the pituitary and pineal. 

Whether you are overworking your brain in front of your computer or cramming for an exam over a pile of books, diffusing the right essential oils can help you stay alert and remain focused, as well as improve your memory recall later.

10) Diffuse essential oils in your bedroom

Diffusing certain essential oils in your bedroom at night can help you to relax better and promote more restful sleep. They can also help to increase oxygen levels in the brain while you are asleep, resulting in feeling more alert when you wake up the next morning. 

So go ahead, what do you have to lose? Try essential oils in your home today!

*** Some essential oils can act as solvents, and damage painted surfaces when used in high concentrations, so always remember to do a spot test, in an inconspicuous area, before using over large areas.