11.02.2011

Essential Oils& Herbs for Cleaning

There are SO many essential oils out there, how can you know which to use when making your cleaning products?  I'm fortunate to have most any oil I would need in my repertoire due to my business, but many people don't, and there's no need for you to run out and buy them all.  We're all on a budget these days, and need to save money wherever possible.

Let's start with the herbs & spices that you can use in cleaning:
  • Basil - purifying
  • Bay Leaves - antibacterial
  • Lavender - soothing, antibiotic/viral/fungal/bacterial
  • Mint - antibacterial, refreshing
  • Oregano - antibacterial/vial
  • Rosemary - antibacterial
  • Thyme - antibacteria/fungal/viral
  • Sage - antifungal/bacterial; great purifier
  • Rose - calming
  • Cinnamon & clove - great for adding to scrubs
Many of these will be found in your spice rack or your garden; I'm a big advocate of using what you have!

Now, onto essential oils I recommend:
  • Citronella - antibacterial, pesticide
  • Citrus (lemon, lime, sweet orange, grapefruit) - all are antibacterial/viral/biotic and great cleansers, not to mention uplifting!
  • Tea tree - antibiotic/fungal/viral/bacterial; great clarifier
  • Peppermint - refreshing/uplifting, antibacterial
  • Bergamot - antibiotic, uplifting
  • Lavender - soothing; antibiotic/viral/bacterial/fungal, natural pesticide; safe for baby!
  • Cinnamon - antiviral; warm, cozy
  • Clove - antibiotic/viral; warm, cozy
  • Eucalyptus - antibiotic/fungal/viral/bacterial
  • Pine - antibiotic/bacterial
I know what you're thinking: "Essential oils can be expensive. I can't afford all of these!!!" And you don't have to.  This is simply a list of the major oils you can use to cleanse your home; you, by no means, need to have them all. 

My top 5 essential oils to have are:
  • Lavender.  This oil has SO many uses, from aromatherapy, addition to your cleaning products, keep in the kitchen to help with burns, put a dab on a bug bite... the list goes on and on.
  • Peppermint. I love the smell of peppermint and find it to be very uplifting; if you (like me) don't really like cleaning and view it more as a necessity than a good time, this can be really helpful.
  • Pine. Okay, I'm among those whose grandmother used pine cleaner for EVERYTHING, so it just reminds me of her.
  • Lemon & sweet orange.  I put these two together because, if you an only afford three, I say get these and lavender.  They are all widely available and very affordable.  Not to mention the uplifting qualities.  They're the best "bang for your buck".
Be sure to check back, as my next blog post will begin with recipes and formulas that I use in my home.  See you there!

Namaste -

Candace

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