29 Feb Spring Clean Your Home: Harnessing Essential Oils for a Natural, Fragrant Cleanse
While we can’t deny their effectiveness, we are all becoming more and more aware that no one is fully aware of the long-term effects that the use of synthetic chemicals in the home has on us and our families. So, in the pursuit of a fresh and inviting home environment, many of us are turning to natural ways to clean and scent our spaces. From candles to air fresheners, surface cleaners and detergents, our modern homes are full of different cleaning substances, and we can help you swap some of these out for some more eco-friendly, gentler alternatives that are still just as effective.
The cleaning power of natural preparations like lemons and bicarbonate of soda, white vinegar and witch hazel can be boosted with the addition with some carefully selected Essential Oils. Essential Oils are in ‘essence’ concentrated liquids extracted from plants, capturing their aromatic compounds and therapeutic properties. Each Essential Oil boasts its own unique aroma and potential benefits, from the refreshing notes of Lemon or Peppermint to the outdoorsy scents that Neroli or Rose can evoke. These natural extracts have been used in so many ways for centuries for their aromatic and wellness-boosting qualities, as far back as 4000BC when they were used for their naturally antibacterial nature and pest deterring abilities.
A Scented Home
A common way to enjoy the benefits of Essential Oils around the house is by using a diffuser or burner, but there are also several other ways to disperse a cleansing or relaxing aroma around your space. Diffusers, such as ultrasonic diffusers and nebulisers, disperse the oils into the air as a fine mist, providing long-lasting fragrance and therapeutic benefits. A nebuliser has the ability to diffuse into really large spaces as it offers generous coverage so is great in open plan settings or even the workplace and can be a really cost effective way to scent a space too; one 10ml bottle of oil can last for weeks, even if used daily. Reed diffusers offer a more subtle fragrancing option, using porous wooden reeds to gradually release the pure scent into the room and they work especially well in small spaces such as a cloakroom or bathroom. For a quick D.I.Y. fragrance boost, simply add a few drops of oil to a bowl of hot water or a cotton ball and place it in the desired area, ideally on a saucer to protect any surfaces. A top tip is to add a few drops of your desired Essential Oils to cotton balls and place them in cupboards or drawers for a freshen up – when the drawer is opened the fragrance will be released. We love Cedarwood, Lavender, Rosemary or Lemon as they all are fantastic moth repellents and won’t be overpowering if used in small quantities.
Who doesn’t love a multi-use product?
A spray is a great way to scent your home and our Natural Room Sprays do just that, but did you know they are also great de-greasers? This top tip comes straight from one of the founders of Absolute Aromas and might just surprise you! Our Natural Room Sprays have powerful degreasing and anti-stickiness powers too! On areas that may be overlooked in your daily cleaning regimes like kitchen lights, cooker hoods and tops of wall units, try giving them a spray and the alcohol content in the spray will help break down that kitchen stickiness. The sprays are great used on glass lampshades in particular, but we always do recommend doing a little patch test on any materials you’re uncertain of before use as Essential Oils can have slight corrosive properties (to some surfaces) to them, and avoid using them on food preparation surfaces. Our Organic Castile Soap is also a super-versatile eco-cleaning product. Use it as a dish or body soap as it is, or enhance it with your choice of Essential Oils to create a bespoke hand or body wash. Check out our recommended eco-cleaning products under the ‘Wellbeing’ tab on our website for some other great product suggestions.
Therapeutic Benefits of a Space Scented with Essential Oils
Beyond their unique scents, Essential Oils also of course can have therapeutic benefits that can enhance both physical and emotional well-being. Lavender, for example is renowned for its calming properties and can promote feelings of relaxation and soothe stressful feelings, making it ideal for creating a tranquil atmosphere in the bedroom or living area. Eucalyptus and Peppermint Essential Oils offer refreshing and invigorating aromas that can help refresh airways and purify the air and can be great in small stuffy spaces that may have a tendency to feel musty, and are great to neutralise unwanted odours from bathrooms. Rosemary and Basil can heighten mental clarity, boost focus, and support memory function, so these make great oils for diffusing in home office settings, or during exam periods.
Better for the Planet for a Whole Host of Reasons
Essential Oils not only smell amazing, but they also offer a sustainable solution for home cleaning and fragrance. Natural cleaning products are far less questionable to our environment’s health and are a more eco-conscious choice for sure, especially when stored in a reusable bottle. A cleaning solution made with 250ml water, a tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda and 8-12 drops of an Essential Oil of your choice will (we love Geranium, Lemongrass and Eucalyptus for their natural antibacterial properties) makes a really effective surface spray and should be stored in a glass amber bottle that you can re-use time and time again. Because you know the ingredients, you can be content that your cleaning solution therefore doesn’t contain chemical unknowns that cause significant air or water pollution and is in a reusable, recyclable container.
Eco-Friendly cleaners reduce the risk of indoor pollution too, as synthetical chemicals sprayed on surfaces can remain in the air for up to an hour. If you choose any products from our Organic range, you can rest assured that these have been produced without harmful pesticides too as they have been certified by the Soil Association. One of our favourite Organic products is our range of Floral Waters (or Hydrosols as they’re also known) which are available in Rose, Lavender and Orange Blossom. Hydrosols are water-based products made from the distillation of fresh flowers, leaves, fruits, and other plant materials, and are a by-product of the Essential Oil manufacturing process and share many of the same properties as the oils they have come from. Hydrosols can be used effectively instead of synthetic aerosol fragrances and are ‘ozone friendly’ too. Orange blossom or Rose Hydrosol smell absolutely divine and can be used to instantly create a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere anywhere in the house – especially in the bedroom or living room. A few sprays of Lavender Hydrosol are ideal in the kitchen to mask cooking smells when you’ve overdone it with the onions or garlic!
To freshen the smell of your clothing you can also use Hydrosols in your steam iron to fragrance your clothes whilst you are slogging away at your ironing pile, just add about a tablespoon of Rose or Orange Blossom Hydrosol to your water before pouring it into your iron, and your clothing will gently diffuse its aroma.
One of the many benefits of using Essential Oils for home fragrance is the ability to tailor the scent to your preferences. Whether you crave the comforting warmth of Cinnamon and Clove or the refreshing zest of citrus and Peppermint, the possibilities are endless. Try experimenting with different oil combinations to find your perfect blend and adjust the intensity by varying the number of drops used, but never go over the ratios suggested on your diffuser or burner. Our social media pages are a great source of ideas and inspiration, especially over the coming weeks when we will be exploring the use of Essential Oils at home to clean and create a welcoming atmosphere at home this Spring.