Spring is here and you know what that means...it’s time for spring cleaning! Even though no one is especially fond of the annual or semi-annual tasks that spring cleaning brings, everyone enjoys the fresh start it symbolizes. These helpful tips, including the use of essential oils, will help you have the cleanest house on the block without spending a fortune on harsh cleaners.

First, know that there’s no need to waste money on expensive cleaners. If you can’t find natural cleaning products at the store at a good price with a coupon or sale, check your pantry. A little baking soda, white vinegar, olive oil, dish soap, lemon along with essential oils are pretty much all you need to tackle many household cleaning chores without exposing you and your family to harmful chemicals in the process.

Window Cleaner:

Spring is the perfect time of year to clean windows along with door frames, baseboards, and walls. Be sure to pick a cloudy day to wash your windows...if the solution dries too quickly in the sun, you’ll end up with streaks. A super simple window washing solution can be made by using equal parts of water and white vinegar. Just pour your solution into a spray bottle and wipe using old dust rags. This is great all-purpose solution that can be used to wash your door frames, baseboards, and sills, too. Add a few drops of lemon essential oil for a little extra cleaning power and a fresh scent.

Walls and Hard Surface Cleaner:

For walls filled with dust, fingerprints, and if you have young children, crayon, first dust or vacuum your walls to get rid of all the loose debris. Then, dip a natural sponge or white towel in a soapy solution of warm water with a squirt of liquid dish soap. You can add a few drops of lemon essential oil to the solution if desired.

Start washing at the bottom to avoid drips running from the top down to still dirty walls which could leave streaking. Move up the wall and then side to side, being sure to stop for breaks after finishing an entire wall. Otherwise, you might end up with marks where the clean part of the wall dried before you finished washing it. Rinse your towel in a second bucket filled with warm clean water, and then rinse the wall. Use a dry white towel to blot the excess moisture after you’re finished. You can clean many hard surfaces in your home using this same technique.

Wood Cleaner:

A homemade wood cleaner will probably also come in handy. You can clean tables, TV stands, and other wood furniture using a simple solution of ½ teaspoon olive oil and ½ cup white vinegar or lemon juice in a spray bottle. Spray onto a microfiber cloth and polish away!

Bathroom Cleaner:

A little elbow grease, stiff cleaning brush, and a paste made from ½ cup baking soda, 1 tablespoon of dish detergent, and vinegar to your desired texture is all you need to tackle my least favorite room to clean – the bathroom. Clean your toilets, tile, and shower with the mixture and then rinse with warm water.



Diffuse and Sanitize:

Of course, simply diffusing citrus essential oils will sanitize and clean your environment all year long. Be sure to use a cold air atomizing diffuser and not an ultrasonic (water) diffuser as ultrasonic diffusers do not allow the anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties of the oils to be released into the air. 



Fresh and Clean Essential Oils:

Listed below are some of our favorite oils, and what they can commonly help with.

LEMON ESSENTIAL OIL:

Lemon essential oil is often added to commercial cleaners because of its fresh and clean smell. Lemon oil has cleaning agents on its own, and can help brighten or possibly remove set in laundry stains, or help brighten your floor tiles or vinyl flooring. You can also add a few drops to your steam mop and use on wood or laminate flooring for a fresh and clean smell.

PEPPERMINT OIL:

Peppermint essential oil is a cleaning favorite, because of its invigorating smell and its powerful antibacterial properties. Add to vinegar and/or castile soap to disinfect your bathroom or toilets, as well as kitchen surfaces. Peppermint is also a natural pest deterrent!

TEA TREE ESSENTIAL OIL:

More commonly referred to as tea tree essential oil, melaleuca oil boasts antibacterial, antiseptic and antifungal properties. It is amazing against mold and mildew areas, such as your shower or bath. It’s safe to leave on the surface, so don’t worry about wiping it up perfectly. You can also add melaleuca oil to your musty laundry such as towels, sheets, gym clothes, or cloth diapers.

SWEET ORANGE ESSENTIAL OIL:

There is a good reason why many stove cleaners smell of oranges. It’s a perfect degreaser! Saturate your greasy stove top with orange essential oil, and wipe it up easily. It leaves a pleasant citrus smell to boot.

LAVENDER & GRAPEFRUIT ESSENTIAL OILS:

The scent of lavender essential oil and grapefruit essential oil are amazing! Add them to your laundry wool dryer balls, or any of your homemade cleaning solution mixtures for a fun, uplifting, natural scent that will linger and help improve your mood.