Essential oils are typically used as at-home, alternative remedies for things like headaches, cramping, immune support, and even anxiety.
However, essential oils aren't just great for your physical health. They can be great for your home and for little problems you might face either in your day-to-day life or on special occasions.
Many essential oils, like lemon oil and lavender oil, have antibacterial properties. Others, like cinnamon oil, have antimicrobial properties. Those are just three oils, but the list goes on and on.
For folks who like to keep their lives super organic and natural, at-home remedies and solutions are a great option without breaking the bank, and essential oils are included in loads of at-home solutions. Remember, a little bit goes a long way when it comes to highly concentrated essential oils, so even just a little bottle will last you quite a while.
Half an ounce will usually run you about six or seven dollars. If that seems steep to you, think about how you'll usually only need a few drops for each of the 10 uses below. That half ounce will last you quite a while!
Will you try any of these non-health-related uses for essential oils? Please SHARE with your family and friends on Facebook!
Thumbnail source: Flickr / ilovebutter
1. Disinfect Counters
If you mix water, vinegar, and your essential oil of choice together, you get a homemade disinfectant that you know is completely natural. You can add whichever kind of oil you want, but lemon, rosemary, and eucalyptus are all really great choices for your kitchen or bathroom!
2. Keep Bugs Away
Using essential oils, in combination with apple cider vinegar and witch hazel, can help keep bugs from biting while you're out and about. This is a great alternative if you prefer to keep it completely and totally natural, or if you simply don't like the smell of the canned stuff!
3. Give Stationary Some Scent
You can use essential oils to make totally custom scented stationary by adding your oil of choice to a cotton ball and boxing it up with a stack of stationary for a few weeks. The scent will saturate the paper and envelopes and you'll have a great way to send a thank-you note, an invitation to a baby shower, or just a simple, scented hello.
4. Freshen The Fridge
The refrigerator is susceptible to holding on to some pretty nasty smells. Mixing something like lemon essential oil with water and white vinegar can help cut down on odors and leave your fridge smelling nice and fresh. A fresh-smelling fridge is just a bit of essential oil away!
5. Wash Fruits And Veggies
If you don't trust a bath of regular tap water, you can make a fruit and vegetable wash spray with vinegar, baking soda, and essential oil that will be sure to get all the dirt and other elements off your fresh produce before you chop it up and put it into a delicious meal for your family.
6. Clean Carpets
Mixing lavender essential oil — which has antibacterial properties and is approved for kiddos under the age of 2 to be exposed to — with baking soda can help you with a stinky carpet. Sprinkle the mixture onto your carpet and vacuum it up later on. Easy as pie.
7. Remove Permanent Marker
Straight lemon oil has been reported to remove permanent marker from just about any surface. Just drop some on and scrub away, and the mark should come off with a little elbow grease.
8. Purify Air
Make a reed diffuser for cinnamon essential oil and you can help purify the air in your home. Cinnamon oil has antimicrobial qualities that do wonders for air quality.
9. Control Pests
For keeping mice and cockroaches away, you can drip some peppermint oil onto cotton balls and place them about the house where you suspect the critters might be trying to enter. The strong scent should deter them from bothering you in your home.
10. Remove Gum
Everyone's had to get an unwanted haircut thanks to a rogue piece of gum at some point in their life. Now you can put the scissors down and pick up some essential lemon oil instead. Voilà, no more asymmetrical haircuts!
Will you be using any of these tricks with essential oils? Please SHARE with your family and friends on Facebook!
