6 essential oil hacks for a clean, fresh kitchen & bathroom
You know your favorite essential oils like lavender, lemon and eucalyptus, can help keep you calm, renew your spirit, and create an aromatic ambiance that makes your house feel like home. But did you know that these same essential oils can also have powerful healing powers for your home? Why not use the natural cleaning power of essential oils to freshen your home, without toxic chemicals that can harm your family. Here are six of our favorite essential oil hacks to help keep your kitchen and bathroom clean and green.
FRESHEN UP YOUR FRIDGE
The truth is, your refrigerator is one of the stinkiest places in your house. Smells from pungent foods, like fish, can linger long after you’ve shut the door. Using baking soda is a great way to absorb foul fridge odors, but there’s a cleaning hack you should use to help keep your fridge fresher. Mix 5 drops of your choice of grapefruit,lime, or lemongrass essential oils with water in a spray bottle and spray shelves after cleaning. This sweet-smelling solution will leave your fridge feeling clean and fresh.
REFRESH YOUR FRUIT
Nobody likes bruised apples or brown bananas. To make your fruit more appealing and help fruit stay fresher longer, try this essential oil hack. Simply add 3-5 drops of lemon essential oil to a bowl of cool water and soak the fruit for a few minutes. This will help increase the shelf life of your fruit, leaving it bright and ripe for a few extra days.
POWER SCOUR YOUR SINK
Here’s an easy DIY tip to create an all-natural kitchen sink scrub that smells divine. All you need is ½ cup of baking soda, ⅓ cup of vinegar, and five drops of bergamot and lime essential oils. Mix ingredients in a bowl, dip in your sponge, and get busy scrubbing the sink. Rinse well with warm water, and voila! You’ll have a clean shiny sink, with no toxic stink!
GREEN CLEAN YOUR POTS & PANS
You’re probably cooking at home more than usual these days, which means you’ve got more pots and pans to wash. But don’t despair! We’re here to share the secret ingredient for all you master chefs who haven’t mastered the art of pan scouring yet. It’s lemon oil. All you have to do is boil water in the dirty pot or pan, then add a few drops of lemon essential oil to the mix. The heated lemon oil will gently remove yucky stuck food clinging to your cookware. You can also add a few drops of lemon oil to your dishwasher soap compartment to leave your dishes spot-free and citrusy fresh.
SHOWER CURTAIN SCUM BUSTER
Don’t just clean yourself while you shower, clean your shower curtain too! Before you get into the shower, fill a spray bottle with warm water and a mix of four drops of antibacterial eucalyptus essential oil and four drops of antifungal tea tree oil. Spray your shower curtain to remove that nasty soap scum film. The heat from your shower will help dispense the oils and keep your shower curtain fresh and mildew-free.
HELP STOP MOLD COLD
Mold and mildew are the nasty home invaders you never invited over, and you can’t wait to get rid of. Keep your home sweet home mildew and mold-free with an essential oil diffuser filled with fungus-fighting tea tree essential oil or antimicrobial cinnamon leaf essential oil. For a superpowered mold and mildew shield, mix the tea tree oil with grapefruit oil and vinegar and add the mixture to a spray bottle. Grapefruit oil, with it’s high citric acid content, helps naturally neutralize mildew and mold spores. Spray problem areas in your bathroom and kitchen to keep your home clean and help stop mold cold!
