Essential oils are very popular and there are so many uses for them. Essential oils are perfect to use around your home to clean and add a nice scent in a safe way.
Essential oils have become very popular over the last few years. My mom was an RN but also she’s a bit of a hippie, so I learned about essential oils as a kid.
Having a nurse and hippie as a mom leads to learning a lot about health and not having a lot of sweets in the house. Thank goodness for grandmas, mine loves to bake and always had what she calls her candy store, which is a china cabinet with all kinds of candy. This could be the cause of my major sweet tooth…Well, now that I want to go make cookies, back to healthier things.
Essential oils are something I use in my house every day. However, I do get worried about all the promoting of essential oil use by people that aren’t trained as certified aromatherapists and are promoting ingesting oils and using them undiluted. Essential oils are powerful and they can be harmful when used incorrectly.
I don’t see a certified aromatherapist, I’m not sure we even have any near me. Because of this, I go the safer route and I don’t ingest oils. I am also very careful about using them topically and always dilute very well.
The main way I use essential oils is simply for scent. I diffuse them and put them in my homemade household products. I thought I’d share some of the ways I use essential oils around my home. Even in this use remember many oils are very strong and may not be safe for some people or pets. Use with caution and talk to your doctor if you have questions.
Why I Use Essential Oils
I like to have my home smell nice. I’m one of those people that is highly affected by smell, it can trigger memories for me and impact my mood heavily.
The problem with many scented products is they can also trigger my asthma. This is common for many asthmatics. As a child, I learned to notice strong scents quickly and pick up on which would possibly trigger asthma. This skill was formed because my mom went through a time of having very severe asthma and had lost her sense of smell. I would warn her when we went to places that had heavy scents that could send her into an attack.
Another issue with most scented items is they contain fragrance which isn’t an ingredient but a group of ingredients. Companies are not required to disclose what’s in this group of ingredients and often it hides phthalates. Phthalates are endocrine disruptors and can cause a lot of different health problems.
Using essential oils for scent is a safer way to still enjoy nice smells around your home. I also have control over what I’m using so I can avoid things I’m allergic to or trigger my asthma.
Ways to Use Essential Oils Around Your Home
1. Make Your Own Fabric Refresher
Fabric refresher is a great way to keep your home and clothes smelling great but the ingredients in conventional fabric sprays are questionable at best. Making your own is simple and only requires a few ingredients, including your own favorite essential oil blend.
2. Freshen Up Your Carpet
I have a large dog and even with almost daily vacuuming our carpet can start to smell less than fresh. It’s super simple to make your own carpet freshener using essential oils. Just sprinkle, let sit, and vacuum as normal.
3. Scrub Your Shower Less Often
I love using a daily shower spray to keep my shower clean longer. Scrubbing the shower is one of my least favorite chores and it means I don’t have to do it as often!
4. Feel More Relaxed With Sleep Linen Spray
I love using a lavender-scented linen spray on our bedding before going to sleep. It smells great and makes me feel so relaxed.
5. Diffuse Essential Oils
I love candles but using a diffuser is my favorite way to scent my home. It’s safer since there is no heat or flame and you get to control the scent. I love changing my scents for the season.
6. Keep Refridgerator Odors Away
Baking soda alone will help keep odors under control in your fridge but you can up your game with a citrus refrigerator deodorizer using essential oils.
7. Clean Your Toilet Quickly
I like to give the toilets a quick clean each day but I don’t want to spend a lot of time. Toilet cleaning tabs are a great way to clean them quickly and freshen the toilets as well.
8. Create Your Own Room Sprays
I love creating different air fresheners using essential oils. I always have a few different ones made up. I enjoy creating new scents for each season. The possibilities are endless and the ingredients are much safer than conventional air fresheners.
9. Make Your Own Bath Bombs
A hot bath and a good book is one of my favorite ways to relax and love to throw in a bath bomb. Nice, natural bath bombs can be pricey. It’s easy and cheaper to make your own bath bombs and you get to choose the scents. If you want something even easier you can make fizzy bath soak instead.
10. Keep Your Trash Can Smelling Great
Trash cans are another household item that can get smelly fast. I make trash can deodorizing tabs to keep mine fresh. They are easy to make and smell amazing.
Essential Oil Resources
- Using Essential Oils Safely on Children
- How to Dilute Essential Oils
- Must-Have Essential Oils, Using Essential Oils Safely
- Cleaning with Essential Oils
There are so many other ways to use essential oils. I love adding to my collection of oils and finding new scent combinations to use in different household and bath products.
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chelsea says
Thanks for the tips! I am new to EOs so this is super helpful!
Lisa Sharp says
Glad you liked the tips! 🙂
Tiffany (NatureMom) says
I use EOs contantly. Rarely a day goes by when I have used them for something!
Lisa Sharp says
Aren’t they great?!
Lindsay says
I love using them as a carpet freshener too! Thieves is my favorite 🙂
Lisa Sharp says
Sounds lovely! 🙂
Jessica Cangiano says
Really lovely post! I’m a huge EO fan and adore finding new ways to use them. One of my favourites will always be dabbing a drop or two inside of a handbag (assuming the material won’t be damaged by such, of course; if it will, the EO can be applied to a cotton hankie instead that you then tuck in your bag). There’s something soooo lovely about being greeted with a small, pleasant whiff of a beautiful scent each time you open your purse.
? Jessica
Lisa Sharp says
What a great idea! I’m going to have to try that. Thanks, Jessica!
Rhoda Fajardo says
When I was still employed as a Junior Architect in an Interior Design Firm I used to work for, we spray essential oils in the rooms we just finished Staging so that the fragrance will enhance our clients’ mood.
Lisa Sharp says
Very cool! What scents did you use?
Norm Brown says
Great post Lisa. Essential oils are a much safer way to give the house a fresh smell. So much better than those air fresheners you get at the store. Also a great way to set a mood for your home – calm and relaxing!
Lisa Sharp says
Thanks! I love them. It’s fun to make your own scents too, you can’t do that will all the pre made stuff.