Spring Cleaning with Essential Oils (Part 1)

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My favorite time of year is the very short period after winter and before summer. I call it bliss, others call it spring. Spring brings new life to the world. Leaves start filling empty branches on the trees, green grass starts breaking its way through the ground, and flowers start blooming.

Spring also brings new adventures outside. One of my favorite things to do in the spring is yard work. I love digging in the dirt to plant new flowers, herbs, and vegetables. I love putting down grass seed in the backyard in hope that it’ll actually look nice, green, and full.

Unfortunately, spring time also brings lots of new adventures inside the house… like cleaning. After having the heat on and the windows shut all winter long, the house always feel extremely stuffy and slightly smelly. I’ve also noticed that there is a lot more dust in the winter time than any other month. When you add all of this stuff together, in addition to nasty germs, you get the need for a seriously deep clean.

For years I’ve relied on store bought cleaning supplies that were filled with a bunch of nasty chemicals. I didn’t know that there were other effective ways of cleaning that didn’t leave behind a burning nose, a sore throat, and dry skin. I didn’t know much about all the uses of herbs and essential oils. But now I do, and I’d love to share some of my favorite recipes with you.

Cleaning Recipes

Cleaning Spray
INGREDIENTS
2 cups Water
1 cup White Vinegar
2 teaspoons Unscented Castile Soap
20 drops Spruce Essential Oil
15 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
10 drops Lemon Essential Oil
10 drops Lavender Essential Oil
5 drops Marjoram Essential Oil
11 milliliters Optiphen Plus**

INSTRUCTIONS
Mix all ingredients in a spray bottle of your choice. I personally like using glass best, but PET plastic is fine too. Shake well before use.

NOTES
**The Optiphen Plus is a preservative. If you choose not to use a preservative, we recommend you store the spray in the refrigerator.

Foaming Hand Soap
INGREDIENTS
2 cups Water
3 tablespoons Unscented Castile Soap
10 drops Lavender Essential Oil
10 drops Steam Distilled Lemon Essential Oil
10 drops Spruce Essential Oil
1 Foaming Soap Dispenser
1½ teaspoons Optiphen Plus

INSTRUCTIONS
Mix all ingredients inside a foaming soap dispenser. Shake well before each use.

NOTES
**The Optiphen Plus is a preservative. If you choose not to use a preservative, we recommend you store the soap in the refrigerator.

Stainless Steel Cleaner
INGREDIENTS
2 cups Olive Oil
15 Drops Grapefruit Essential Oil
10 Drops Lemon Essential Oil
5 Drops Orange Essential Oil

INSTRUCTIONS
Mix all ingredients in a spray bottle of your choice. Spray on the stainless appliances and allow to sit for a few minutes before buffing out grime and fingerprints with a microfiber cloth.

Fresh Linen Spray
2 ounces Everclear
10 Drops Lavender
10 Drops Lemon
10 Drops Tea Tree Oil

INSTRUCTIONS
Mix all ingredients in a spray bottle of your choice and shake well. Spot test before use. Spray fabric and allow to dry thoroughly before use.