Archive for the 'Essential oils' Category

October 3, 2007 | Kitchen, Kids clean, Vinegar, Essential oils, Cleaning tips, Cleaning products

Shannon asked for this one. Now first of all, I can do this because my cleaners are 100% non-toxic, safe. If yours aren’t (like, if you use, say Formula 409) then I’d certainly recommend keeping them in their own ugly containers, locked in a cabinet that the kids can’t get to.

But, if you use safe household cleaners, like diluted vinegar with essential oils or Barefoot Home Essentials, most kitchen supply stores sell oil misters. I like to put some olive oil infused with fresh herbs in mine since my Calphalon cookware doesn’t like aerosol cooking sprays. But, you can also use one for your all-purpose cleaner (that is, if it’s non-toxic). The reason I caution you from putting anything toxic in it is simple. Your mother-in-law comes to visit and is cooking in your kitchen and !whoops!, or your kids are playing with what they found on the counter and —EEK— Call poison control!

The one pictured to the right is from Williams-Sonoma, but I’ve seen them in ceramic and all sorts of other pretty appearances in kitchen stores and even grocery stores.  If you use something toxic as an all-purpose, by all means keep it locked up tight. But if you use all-naturals, or if you’re willing to try it, put some diluted vinegar in there. Add some orange zest and a cinnamon stick, and you’ve got a pretty, sweet-smelling cure for most germs and grime.

That’s what works for me. Head over to Shannon’s place for more ideas.

September 2, 2007 | Floors, Vinegar, Essential oils, Cleaning tips

I just had new hardwoods installed in my living room and dining room - and they’re gorgeous. Lush, warm, all nice and shiny… I love ‘em. So naturally I’ve developed a renewed interest in maintaining them. I had a recent post on cleaning hardwoods, but I tried something new this weekend.

A healthy splash of apple cider vinegar (it kills germs and bacteria better than white vinegar) in the mop bucket, fill with water, add 5-7 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil. The tea tree oil serves multiple purposes - it overpowers the vinegar scent, inhibits mold growth, conditions wood, and inhibits bacteria and viruses. After mopping the floors looked great, the rooms smelled awesome, and I know that the tea tree oil is working its magic.

And that little additive is perfect for people who don’t like the way vinegar smells - a few drops of tea tree oil and you don’t smell the vinegar at all.

August 21, 2007 | Essential oils

Along with back-to-school sales and the start of football season, it’s also back to the grindstone with fighting colds and viruses. Fall is on its way, and with it, the flu season, bronchitis, and all those extra fun illnesses heralded by a cold snap (though right now in Atlanta, a cold snap seems far, far away).

So we’ve been looking around to see what we can do this winter to protect ourselves and our kids from the run of the mill back to school viruses and colds, and I have some information you might find helpful.

Tea tree oil fights bacteria, viruses, and fungi (molds & mildews).  So you can use it to kill the mold in your shower grout, or spray it (diluted, of course) on light switch plates, the phone, door handles, all those things around the house to inhibit the spread of germs from person to person.

White tea has been found to have similar properties - at least in fighting bacteria and viruses. Drink that during cold season to help your immune system do its job.  Several toothpastes have white tea added to them, so those may be of help too.

Of course the most important thing you can do is wash hands properly at least 5 times a day. Warm water, scrub for at least 20 seconds. And then dry hands with a paper towel to wipe off any stubborn germs. Use hand sanitizers for those tricky times that proper hand washing isn’t an option.

Need to teach your kids to wash their hands? Lysol has some helpful resources for families here.  (Not that we sanction the use of Lysol - it’s chemical-laden, but why throw out the baby with the bath water?)

June 26, 2007 | Essential oils, Cleaning products, Pregnancy, Shopping

Lavender actually gets its name from Latin lavare, meaning, to wash. It was actually used in WWII to disinfect hospital walls and floors - I’d say that’s pretty potent, with what was going on in those hospitals! As fas as the essential oils go, it’s pretty popular for its clean, pure aroma. It promotes nervous system health and balance, and has lots of other healthy uses.

It has been used for nerves, migraines, headaches, tension, emotional stress, sore muscles or tense muscles. Other uses include benefits for the skin, immune and circulatory systems. The medicinal uses make it popular as a general additive for aromatherapy, but you can just as well add some lavender essential oil to your regular cleaning products, or add some to a damp rag to rub into your hardwood floors. It’ll leave your home smelling fantastic, promote health for your family, and do hard work as a disinfectant.

You can purchase essential oils at your local natural foods store, or Google it and purchase online. You’ll want to aim for Lavandula angustifolia, also known as Lavender Fine, as that’s the better type of lavender on the market. Happy cleaning! 

Please note: Lavender is not recommended for early pregnancy. When pregnant, please use caution when handling any essential oils, as most have not been tested for their effect on baby development. 

May 29, 2007 | Dusting, Essential oils, Cleaning tips, Cleaning products

The Green Guide’s tip last week was most helpful! They suggest making a furniture polish with a vinegar or lemon juice base, so that it doesn’t make your furniture ‘gunky’ like an oil-base would. Check it out here! I just tried it - and I love the results!

Edited 7/5/07: The first time I tried it with vinegar, olive oil and eucalyptus essential oil. But I just did it again with 1/4 c. lemon juice and about a tablespoon of safflower oil (I’m out of olive oil) and I didn’t need the essential oils. I love it!!! It leaves a beautiful sheen on the furniture, with no buildup. And the lemon juice leaves a nice scent in the house. Please note: Lemon juice will go rancid if left out, so please refrigerate. It’s fine on the furniture, but if you have leftover solution, keep it in the fridge.

April 18, 2007 | Essential oils, Shopping

Thanks to The Alternative Consumer for pointing out Boo! Shampoo, infused with tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is one of the most widely used essential oils out there - it has great antiseptic, antiviral, anti fungal, and disinfectant properties. You can use it to clean all sorts of surfaces, from wood floors to scraped knees. We’ll take a jaunt into all the many uses of tea tree oil another day, but for now, did you know it’s an insect repellent?

Amazingly, tea tree oil can be used to prevent head lice. Because of this, it’s been used as an additive in Boo! Shampoo, to be used for daily shampooing for all hair types. The formula also contains calendula, lavender, ginseng, wheat protein, rosemary, and honeysuckle. Mmmm… Sounds like a treat for hair, mind, and body! This is the perfect thing to send the kids off to camp with this summer, and if you like it, keep using it through the school year. How much easier it is to prevent lice than to get rid of the nasty buggers!

March 25, 2007 | Essential oils

Mmmm… one of my favorites… That slightly sweet, woodsy yet menthol-ish homey scent… I use it to spruce up my homemade cleaning products, I add it to the humidifier, use it to make bath salts, and I keep a few sprigs of eucalyptus tree (when I can find it fresh) atop my piano in the living room. Hmmm… enchanting…

Eucalyptus was known as the “fever tree” in the 19th century because it drove away the mosquitoes that carry malaria.  In fact, it cleans the environment so well that the frail and sick would migrate to places where the tree was growing, just to live in its presence. Eucalyptus has been used to promote healing in wounds, fight infection, and relieve muscle pain. It’s also used in many herbal breathing treatments to help clear airways and promote respiration.

For cleaning around the home, it’s a disinfectant and also works great in laundry to kill dust mites.

March 16, 2007 | Vinegar, Essential oils, Cleaning tips, Cleaning products

Just because you don’t like the chemicals in convenience cleaning products like Swiffer doesn’t mean you can’t use the idea! Don’t ditch your Swiffer! Just keep a spray bottle next to it filled with a mixture of 1 part white vinegar, 1 part water, and scented with your favorite essential oil. I recommend eucalyptus and lavender, but even without the essential oils you’ll have a nice cleaning solution. The smell of vinegar dissipates as it dries.

When you need it, spray your tile or laminate floors (anything except hard wood) with the solution whenever you need a little spot cleaned, run over it with the swiffer, and no need to rinse. Voila!

March 5, 2007 | Essential oils, Cleaning tips

I tried something new today, and I’m so happy with the results! I ordered a concentrated organic cleaner that’s unscented, and when I diluted it to clean my floors, I added some Lemongrass oil. The result is amazing! I have beautifully clean floors (even hardwoods!), and my house now has the clean, uplifting scent of lemongrass.

Here’s some information I found about essential oil of lemongrass:

• The scent is clean, with an earthy-citrus smell, but not overpowering.
• The light, airy scent dissipates relatively quickly but eats odors as it goes.
• It has a calming, anti-depressant affect.
• It’s a natural antiseptic, anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-inflamatory.
• It is known to relieve fatigue and headache, and promote digestion, stimulate the appetite, relieve sore muscles, and aid in milk flow in nursing mothers.
• It’s also a great insect repellent!
• It should be avoided during pregnancy or in people with high blood pressure.

Ways to use Lemongrass:

• Add several drops to a solution of 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 water for an all-purpose cleaner.
• Add several drops to your bath.
• Mix a few drops into an unscented massage oil.
• Add a few drops to your laundry detergent or laundry rinse cycle, especially when washing sheets to kill and prevent dust mites.