Spring Clean

We all love that smell of fresh clean air when you walk through the woods just after its rained. 

The smell of clean bed sheets or freshly laundered clothes. In this post we will be looking at the benefits to using essential oils in the home and how they can give you a natural spring clean and leave the home smelling amazing with all the added benefits that essential oils offer.

Because essential oils are highly concentrated, they should always be used sparingly.  Whether diffusing, spraying or adding them to your washing cycle, essential oils can be used to help remove odours in and around your home. Because essential oils are100% natural and hold all of the beneficial properties of the plant they can also be can also be used to eliminate bacteria, germs and fungi while purifying the air and disinfecting surfaces. Who knew that one tiny little bottle could hold so much punch?

Let’s look at some of the oils that will aid a spring clean in the home.

Tea Tree and Lemon essential oils are anti-bacterial and antiviral they are great for bathrooms and kitchen. Lemongrass, Lavender and Rosemary all make excellent air purifiers and Cinnamon and Clove are wonderful anti-viral and warming oils that will make your home smell great.

Tea Tree - comes from a small shrub or tree with needle like leaves and a yellow or purple flower. Based on a long history of use by aboriginal people of Australia, Tea tree has been extensively researched and is a must have in your kitchen or bathroom cabinet. Tea Tree is great as its antiviral, antiseptic, anti-bacterial, anti-infectious to name a few. 

Lemon - Comes from the fruit of small evergreen trees with very fragrant flowers. The juice and peel are widely used in the kitchen. The essential oil is antimicrobial, antiseptic, antibacterial.

Lemongrass - Comes from the fast-growing perennial grass. It has a fresh grassy-citrus scent with earthy undertones. It has a multitude of uses, from acne to being an insect repellent. Its great as an antiseptic and antibacterial with a great uplifting and fresh deodorising effect in the home.

Grapefruit - Comes from a cultivated tree with glossy leaves and large yellow fruits. The fruit is high in Vitamin C and gives valuable protection against infectious illness. Naturally antiseptic and an uplifting stimulant it aids headaches and nervous exhaustion, depression and stress. In short it gives you a zest for life.

Lavender - Comes from an evergreen woody scrub with beautiful violet blue flowers. Generally regarded as the most versatile essence on the market. With comforting and calming properties. Ever home should have a little bottle of Lavender - the oil can treat burns to bites. Whilst in the bedroom is great for scenting linen or room spray, to aid a restful sleep.

Peppermint - Comes from perennial herb that is easy to grow. Mint has been cultivated since ancient times in China and Japan.  And been found in tombs dating back to 1000BC in Egypt. Its no wonder that this wonder herb has its place in and around the home. Great to aid mental fatigue, indigestion, nausea, headaches and cramp.

Rosemary - Comes from a shrubby evergreen bush with needle shaped leaves and tiny pale blue flowers. Used widely in soaps detergents cosmetics and household sprays. It has a strong fresh herbaceous scent with woody undertones. Known for its antimicrobial antioxidant and antiseptic properties.  A perfect pick me up oil to clear the air and the mind in the home.

Cinnamon - comes from a tall evergreen tree with strong branches and thick bark. The inner bark from the new shoots from the tree are gathered every two years and used as a domestic spice. Known for its warming properties this oil should never be used on the skin. It gives the home a warm and fragrant scent. Great for the winter months.

Clove - comes from evergreen trees with a smooth grey bark.  They large bright green leaves. The cloves comes after the rosy-pink corolla and as the corolla fade the calyx slowly turn deep red.  These are beaten from the trees and when dried provide the cloves. The oil scent is great in the home for giving a strong spicy-woody scent.

Here are a few ideas to make at home recipes to aid in household cleaning. We always recommend you make only small quantities of cleaning products so that you don’t need to add a preservative.

Peppermint & Grapefruit Surface Spray.

With the great combination of organic grapefruit and organic peppermint oils, both naturally antiseptic. The fresh citrus scent of grapefruit can have a positive and uplifting effect on the mood while peppermint is known for its refreshing and stimulating properties.

This handy surface spray is perfect to use on your counters, sinks and other household surfaces. Blend 500ml of water with a dash of white wine vinegar then add 10 drops of SOiL Organic Peppermint essential oil and 5 drops of SOiL Organic Grapefruit essential oil. Shake well and it is ready to use.

Cinnamon, Orange and Tea Tree Natural Disinfectant Spray.

This sweet-smelling natural disinfectant with organic Sweet Orange, Cinnamon and Tea Tree essential oils will leave your house feeling clean and smelling lovely. Tea Tree has been acknowledged as an excellent anti-bacterial, anti-septic and disinfecting essential oil, Cinnamon is known for its strong anti-viral properties and Sweet Orange will freshen the scent while adding its own anti-bacterial and immune-boosting properties.

Blend 10 drops of SOiL Organic Sweet Orange essential oil, 10 drops of SOiL Organic Tea Tree essential oil and 5 drops of SOiL Organic Cinnamon essential oil into 1/2 a cup of vinegar and add 1 cup of water. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and shake to blend. Then simply spray onto all surfaces, walls, floors, bathrooms and kitchens and wipe clean.

Don’t like the orange scent? You can replace the Sweet Orange essential oil for any of our SOiL Citrus essential oils, such as organic lime, organic lemon or organic Grapefruit, for a similar effect.

The Must Dust - Furniture Spray

Change dusting from a chore to a pleasure by making your own DIY spray. A natural furniture spray can help you avoid adding un-necessary harmful chemicals in your home and this organic spray not only cleans but smells great too!  

To a spray bottle add 1/2 a cup of filtered water, 8 drops of SOiL Organic Sweet Orange essential oil, 4 drops of SOiL Organic Cedarwood essential oil, 4 drops of SOiL Organic lemon essential oil and 1/2 a teaspoon of organic olive oil. Apply the top and shake well to mix. Spray the mix onto a cloth and wipe surfaces clean.

* For an alternative polish for wooden surfaces our SOiL Organic Lemon essential oil has many uses around the home, it naturally cleanses and purifies the air and surfaces, supports healthy respiratory function and promotes a positive mood and cognitive ability. Simply add a few drops of SOiL Organic Lemon essential oil to olive oil to clean, protect and shine wood finishes. *

Look after your linen spray

Create a personal beautiful scent just for you, with SOiL essential oils. The right blend won’t just mask odours but actually work against the bacteria that causes them with the extra antimicrobial effect that natural organic essential oils have.

Blend 24 drops of SOiL Organic Lavender essential oil, 36 drops of SOiL Organic Lemon essential oil, 20 drops of SOiL Organic Tea Tree essential oil and 30 drops of SOiL Organic Cypress essential oil with 1 TBSP of organic vodka or rubbing alcohol. Combine the essential oils and alcohol in a 500ml spray bottle and swirl around to mix. Leave to sit for 15 minutes so that the scents can combine, shake again and then add filtered water until the bottle is almost full - around 2cm from the top of the bottle. Replace the cap onto the bottle and shake to ensure everything is combined.

Before each use shake the bottle well and liberally spray on fabrics as desired. Please note, this spray is safe for most fabric types, but a small area can be patch tested if there are any concerns.

We hope you have enjoyed this post and welcome you to like love and share your must have SOiL essential oil stories, recipes and love of all things essential oil in the home.

Back soon with more SOiL essentials x

Please note that All SOiL essential oils are intended for external use only. Unless otherwise advised by a medical practitioner. Do not use undiluted on skin. Do not apply to broken or irritated skin. If sensitivity occurs discontinue use. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking any medications or under medical supervision seek professional advice before use. Please keep out of reach of children.

SOiL advocates the responsible use of essential oils. We grow and source the finest quality essential oils from around the world to supply you with pure, potent plant extracts for aromatic and therapeutic applications. Essential oils are many times stronger than the plants they are derived from and are far more concentrated than the herbal tincture extracted from the same plant.

Accordingly, we recommend that you avoid oral use/ingesting pure essential oils without seeking professional advice beforehand. The issue is not the quality of the essential oils you take orally – there is no such thing as a ‘therapeutic grade’ of essential oil nor is one brand of essential oils safe to ingest over another brand. The issue is safety and even though essential oils are 100% natural, plant-derived extracts, they are botanical medicines which have the potential to cause harmful side effects when taken orally. Essential oils should only be prescribed for oral use in a clinical setting, by a suitably qualified practitioner. 

There are many methods of obtaining the aromatic and therapeutic benefits of essential oils, namely; inhalation, massage, skincare preparations, bath and compress. If you require individual advice on oral use/ingestion or in relation to a specific medical condition, we recommend you consult a qualified practitioner, as described above.