Spring cleaning with essential oils

Spring’s here already! Synonymous with renewal, blossoming and activity, spring is also the season for cleansing your body, mind and living environment.

Essential Oils

Claudie Gagnon
Claudie Gagnon
@AVogel_ca


23 April 2020

The advantage of essential oils is that they're 100% natural and, when used safely, much less harmful to your health than many commercial products.
Here are some aromatic synergies you can add to your household cleaning products for a range of purposes.

Washing floors and other large surfaces

Combine an essential oil blend with a natural, all-purpose concentrated pH-neutral soap for cleaning floors and other large surfaces—bathrooms, counters, you name it! You can also use liquid black soap as a base in these mixtures.

Citrus essences evoke cleanliness and purity. Notable members of this family include lemon essence, as well as grapefruit zest essence with its invigorating fragrance and scent reminiscent of exotic tropical destinations. Lastly, sweet orange with its sweet and stimulating zest and purifying fragrance can be added to this sunny citrus trio designed to clean, purify and perfume your floors and large surfaces such as counters and bathrooms.

Aromatic citrus-essence synergy for multipurpose cleaning

In a 5 ml amber glass dropper bottle (or a well-cleaned essential oil bottle), pour:

Add about 10 to 15 drops of this synergy to the required amount of concentrated cleanser and mix well. Then add the mixture to the water used for cleaning the floor and surfaces.

Vinegar- and essential-oil-based glass cleaner

Vinegar has long been known as an excellent homemade window cleaner. However, its somewhat sour, pungent smell may discourage some people from using it. Here's a little suggestion for a synergy that should make for a more pleasant olfactory experience.

In a 1-litre spray bottle, combine:

  • Two thirds water
  • One third white or cider vinegar
  • 20 to 50 drops of essential oils 

Aromatic synergy suggestion

  • 10 drops geranium essential oil
  • 5 drops lemon essential oil
  • 5 drops bergamot essential oil

Geranium essential oil's distinct slightly fruity and lemony scent is surprisingly like a rose's fragrance, but more vivid. Its joyful, rich and flowery fragrance evokes the balmy summer days ahead.

A must-have in every cleaning kit, lemon is frequently used to clear the premises of "pollution" both literally and figuratively. Its essence is therefore a must-have in a range of synergies used for household cleaning purposes.

Finally, bergamot zest essence—tangy, sparkling and slightly sweet—has a floral lightness and slight peppery background spiciness that harmonize the synergy and round it out.
Your windows will be pampered by this clearly inspiring aromatic blend and will squeak with delight!

"Fresh & Clean" linen water with essential oils

Linen water is great for giving clothes a fresh and clean smell after ironing. It's also good for imbuing bedding with a faintly perfumed scent.

Here's a nice linen water recipe you can use to freshen and perfume your textiles at home.
In a 1-litre spray bottle, combine:

  • 750 ml water
  • 250 ml grain alcohol
  • 1 to 5 ml of essential oils chosen according to the olfactory effect you're aiming for.

Suggestion for an aromatic linen water mixture

To be added to the other ingredients in a 1-litre spray bottle: the quantity can be as much as doubled if you like:

It is important to macerate the formula in a dark and cool environment for about a week before use to help fix the fragrance and make the product more homogeneous.

Purifying air spray

Essential-oil-based room purifying sprays can be a great part of your spring-cleaning routine, and they're also perfect for just keeping your home smelling pleasant and inspiring.
Here's one aromatic synergy you can use in a purifying room spray:

In a 60 ml amber spray bottle, combine:

  • 42 ml grain alcohol or 60% alcohol
  • 18 ml spring water
  • 20 drops of essential oils (see note (5))

Suggested aromatic synergy for use in a purifying spray

  • 6 drops rosemary essential oil
  • 6 drops lemon essential oil
  • 8 drops of pine essential oil

As you can see, essential oils are versatile and welcome companions, not just during spring cleaning, but anytime you feel the need to purify your living environment and fill it with inspiring fragrances that can change as often as your tastes and moods do.

They can be mixed with a wide range of cleaning and room freshening products to harmonize your home. Give them a try!

References:

FESTY Danielle, PACCHIONI Isabelle. Aromatherapy pocket guide: "32 huiles essentielles pour se soigner en toute simplicité." Ed. Leduc, 2010, 127 pp.
SOMMERARD, Jean Charles, RENÉ, Jacynthe. Précis d'aromathérapie sensorielle, Ed. Maison Jacynthe.ca, 2018, 95 pp.
FORTIN Sylvie, COSMÉTIQUES NON TOXIQUES, Ed. La Presse, 2011, 239 pp.

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