Today didn’t start off very promising. But then… the sky cleared and we actually had a beautiful day!
It was one of those days where the weather plants a “bee in your bonnet” and you feel like working in the garden (still too cold for it though) or sprucing up the house. Decluttering even seems like a good idea (am I the only one who completely decluttered their house during the first lockdown?). I think you all know exactly what kind of day I’m talking about 🙂.
Speaking about decluttering, let’s talk cleaning with essential oils 🍃. Most essential oils have antiseptic and bactericidal properties, meaning they inhibit the growth of bacteria. Naturally then, when using essential oils for cleaning, they not only make our home smell beautiful but they make it safer too. The therapeutic life of most of these essential oils is about 2-3 years but the disinfecting qualities stay active for longer. In Eucalyptus, for example, they actually improve with age. If you have essential oils at home that are too old to be used for skincare, pop them under the sink (to keep them out of reach of children and pets).
Some tips from my home to yours:
1) Want to clean the kitchen surface or sink? Just put 2 drops on a cloth and wipe them down. Easy as that! Afterwards, let the water run through the cloth and the powerful compounds of the oils will disinfect your pipes as well 👍🏻.
2) Washing dishes can even be made exciting. If you’re like me and you don’t have a dishwasher, you’re also probably at the sink a couple of times a day. By adding essential oils to your washing-up liquid (preferably odourless) you can make washing dishes not only more effective, because of the antibacterial properties of the oils, but also therapeutic.
How? Just add 10 drops of your chosen essential oil to a bottle of washing-up liquid and shake well. Adding lemon or grapefruit to the liquid will give the washing-up session some zing and energy. If you add some lavender or geranium to it the session can turn into a more soothing experience. Do you start to feel depressed just by thinking about doing dishes? Add bergamot essential oil because of its antidepressant properties.
Why not give this lovely blend a try?
Lime – 5 drops
Bergamot – 3 drops
Lavender – 2 drops
Sweet orange – 1 drop
Add them all to a 100ml bottle of washing-up liquid and shake well.
3) Fruit essential oils, like lemon, mandarin, lime, grapefruit, bergamot or sweet orange are great for washing fridges and the freezer. All you need to do is add 1 drop to the final rinse water and you’ll be left with a lovely refreshing scent!
4) Add essential oils to your floor cleaning water. We have tiles downstairs because we have 5 dogs at home – a very sensible decision, don’t you think? 😂. My choice of oil depends on my mood, but my all-time favourites are lemon, peppermint, sweet orange, and lavender. All I do is add about 8 drops per litre of water.
I hope some of these tips come in handy. Happy spring cleaning everyone!
P.S. You may be wondering which of these bacteria busters are safe to use around your dogs? Look no further than Lemon, Eucalyptus, Pine, Lavender, Niaouli, Lime, and Grapefruit 👍🏻
Stay safe, Jitka xx