Essential oils have become very popular in everyday use. Find out more about them and how to use essential oils in your home and some great essential oil recipes to use in your home.

Oils have been a source of cleaning and comfort for thousands of years. They were highly valued as a tool for healing in early history. Today, people seeking alternative medicine have returned to the use of oils in their homes and as a support for continued health.

Essential Oils in Your Home

With lovely aromas and diverse qualities, essential oils are used in many ways to clean, disinfect, and beautify your home.

Choose a Reliable Supplier

There are many oil suppliers these days, and it can be easy to feel overwhelmed when trying to decide between one brand and another. Simplify the decision by keeping purity, sourcing, and quality in mind. You want to find oils that have been distilled to their essential core and those that haven’t been diluted with other ingredients.

Look for a supplier that provides oils sourced from the plants’ natural origins, and those suppliers that don’t add extra chemicals during the extraction process. Finally, do some research into the company. Do they have a good reputation? How have consumers responded about their purchases?

 

Disinfect Your Home

Several oils have antibiotic and antimicrobial qualities, making them useful in fighting bacteria and germs that linger around your home. Peppermint and tea tree (or melaleuca) oils, for instance, are chosen frequently as ingredients in cleansers for the home. Try the following household cleaner recipe:

 

·        20 drops of peppermint or tea tree oil

·        30 drops lemon, citrus, or preferred oil

·        2 cups vinegar

·        2 cups water

·        1 teaspoon dish soap

Mix these ingredients in a quart-sized container and then spray or wipe the mixture on the surfaces you want clean.

 

Create a Pleasant Atmosphere

Did you know that scents are powerful triggers for memories and emotions? The rise of scented candles is evidence of a common desire to surround ourselves with aromas that soothe, calm, and generally, boost moods. It’s easy to put together an air freshener with essential oils.

 

·        ½ to 1 cup water

·        Eight drops each of your favorite scented oils

·        Tea tree, eucalyptus, and lemon

·        Lavender, chamomile, and lemon

·        Lavender, frankincense, and rose

·        Rosemary, lemon, and lime

·        Wild orange, clove, and sandalwood

Mix the water and oils in a spray bottle to mist your rooms throughout the day. If you want to try an unfamiliar combination create your own blend of scents, try them on a small scale, so you don’t end up with unpleasant combinations.

Prevent Scum Buildup

Several oils have protective qualities that may reduce the possibility of buildup on the shower walls and door. Mix them together into a spray that you can use every day to prevent scum and slime from building up.

 

·        1 ½ cups water

·        1 cup vinegar

·        ½ cup rubbing alcohol

·        1 tsp dish soap

·        15 drops each of lime and tea tree oil

·        

Simply spray the mixture on shower walls and door after showering to prevent unsightly buildup.

 

Make Them Your Own

Your favorite essential ingredients can boost your mood, cleanse the air, and disinfect the countertops. Mix the ingredients into spray bottles, scrubbing pastes, and diffusers for pleasant aromas in every room of the home. The light scents of wild orange, peppermint, and lime could help you start the day with a pleasant spring in your step or a combination of cinnamon, frankincense, and wild orange could evoke childhood memories of holidays. Give oils a try and discover for yourself why their early ancestors were considered to be rare and expensive gifts.