The Best Essential Oils For Cleaning

My favorite essential oils for cleaning and disinfecting

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the constant information coming at you about ‘this cleaner is toxic’ or ‘that cleaner claims to be good for you but it’s not’ or even ‘fragrance, fragrance, fragrance.’ So much information out there.

I have a solution! For years now, I haven’t owned one commercial cleaner and have been utilizing essential oils along with some other safe alternatives to clean my home. Friends, THEY WORK! Like get all the dirt, grime, stinky, funk, germs, dirt, and yuck. They really do the job! And what a relief to be able to clean my home without worrying about my baby crawling on chemicals, or my little one getting into the cleaning supplies, or touching the toilet bowl cleaner chemicals. Clean, safe, less toxic life doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s doable! 

Below, I am detailing the oils I love to keep on hand for cleaning, different ways to utilize them, and some recipes for making your own cleaning solutions. I hope these help to simplify your life and open your eyes to some of the amazing ways to utilize these incredible oils in your life.  

BUT FIRST, What’s the big deal about commercial cleaners? 

Here’s a few facts about the common commercial cleaners you might see on the market, and why avoiding these and finding safer, less toxic alternatives is so important for you and your family’s health. 

• Most common household cleaners contain harmful chemicals, contribute to indoor air pollution, are poisonous if ingested, and can be harmful if inhaled or touched. Some are even linked to long-term health effects such as cancer or hormone disruption. 
• Manufacturers of these cleaners aren’t legally responsible to list what’s ACTUALLY in their cleaners. For example, some products such as carpet cleaners and dishwasher liquid release VOCs—volatile organic compounds. Experts say that some VOCs can create difficulty breathing and nausea, contain irritants, and cause harm to the central nervous system and other organs. Yikes! 
• In fact, some cleaners are among the most toxic products found in the home. In 2000, cleaning products were responsible for nearly 10% of all toxic exposures reported to U.S. Poison Control Centers, accounting for 206,636 calls. Of these, 120,434 exposures involved children under six, who can swallow or spill cleaners stored or left open inside the home.
• AND, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but even some of the common ‘natural’ cleaners out there are green washed, and aren’t even as safe as they claim. So frustrating, when we are just trying to do better, only to find that these are not even the best for us. 

The wonderful resource of having essential oils in your home

My solution to simplify your life is by using essential oils for cleaning! 

Essential oils are such WONDERFUL multipurpose tools to have in your home. Many of the oils you keep on hand can be used for things like relieving headaches naturally, to turning around and cleaning your toilet with that same oil. Am I blowing your mind yet? Not only are they so beneficial for your body, tools for natural holistic medicine in your home, wonderful for all sorts of recipes and DIY (again a topic for another day, but think shampoo, beeswax candles, scrubs and more), but you can also clean with them! Having them on hand can absolutely make your life oh- so-much simpler.

My goal is to always keep on hand a spare of the main oils I use regularly, such as Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint, Digize, Tea Tree – the list goes on. 

Ok, let’s jump on into what essential oils I love to use in my home for cleaning! 

Lemon Essential Oils

Lemon essential oil is absolutely one of my top oils for cleaning. It’s an antimicrobial oil, meaning that the constituents (or the chemical compounds the essential oil is made up of) in this oil have properties that kill bacteria, fungi, and viruses. So that alone would obviously make it a great cleaner for your counters, sinks, fridges, bathrooms – you name it. It is also a natural degreaser, as are a lot of citrus oils! Meaning it can tackle dirt and grime. 

A couple ways I like to use lemon oil in my home for cleaning- 

• The sticker un-stick-er! I use Lemon for anything like a stuck on label, stuck on sticker, scuff mark, crayon and pen mark, counter scuff – I could keep going!  Just drop a couple drops on the sticker or spot, allow a little time to sit, and then scrub away. It should come right off!
• Stove de-greaser. Sometimes when I need a little extra cleaning power with my Thieves household cleaner against sticky grime on my stove, I grab my Lemon oil. I drop a couple drops onto the spot(s) I need to clean, allow to sit for just a bit, and wipe it clean. 
• Diffuse. Lemon is almost always an oil I grab to throw into my diffuser blends when I need an extra fresh scent in my blend, OR just to diffuse into the air simply to purify it. Remember- antimicrobial.
• White cabinet cleaner. I love my cabinets, forever and always (until my taste changes again haha), but they do show…. a lot. Lemon to the rescue. I drop a few drops on a wash cloth with warm water, and a couple drops of Thieves dish soap, or a Castile soap, and scrub away. I’m always amazed at how easily they clean with this oil. The best!
• Kitchen cleaner spray. I use Thieves all purpose cleaner, but you can also add Lemon into a kitchen spray cleaner recipe, listed below in this post. This is a great oil to clean and disinfect counters, handles, faucets, etc. 

Here is the link to Lemon Essential Oil!

Thieves Essential Oil 

Correct me if I’m wrong, but in my opinion Thieves is the GOAT when it comes to cleaning and disinfecting. 

Thieves is a great product to try instead of those commercial disinfectant brands full of chemicals that you may have used. It’s a blend of clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus radiata, and rosemary. Many oil’s that have huge antimicrobial and defense properties and my word, it smells the BEST! Spiced, bright, and fresh! 

Here is a study talking about some of the components that make up the Thieves blend:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25500277/

Ways I use thieves oil to clean:

• I buy Thieves household cleaner concentrate which you can literally use for EVERYTHING in your home. I’m talking windows, kids highchairs, floors, counters – you name it! I’m telling you, this blend of the BEST!
• Add Thieves Essential Oil to cleaning recipes or laundry soaps. (Some listed below) 
• DIFFUSE Thieves! So many oils in the blend are good for cleansing air. If we are around sick people, or have sickness in our home, I diffuse Thieves to help get rid of the germs in our home! 

Here is the link to Thieves Essential Oil!

Peppermint Essential Oil  

An oil I never want to be without in my home! Peppermint can be used from things like headache and muscle tension to cleaning a toilet, or freshening your gym shoes. It is also an antimicrobial oil, so it has similar cleaning abilities to the lemon as far as anti-fungal, antibacterial etc. 

A couple ways I like to use Peppermint oil in my home for cleaning:

• Toilet cleaner. One of the main ways I utilize my Peppermint in cleaning is in my toilet. Our old house had some bad hard water stains in our toilet and this method worked wonderfully for those! Simply add about 1/4-1/2 cup vinegar into your bowl, and 5-10 drops of Peppermint. Leave for about 15-20 min and then scrub with a toilet brush and flush. Safe and effective! No crazy chemicals like some of those commercial toilet bowl cleaners have. Ugh!
• Diffuse. Peppermint is a cool, fresh, minty scent, so I also like to cleanse the air with this one too. 
• Trash can purifier. Drop a few drops onto a cotton ball and put into the bottom of your trash can.
• Kitchen cleaner spray. I use Thieves all-purpose cleaner, but you can also add Peppermint into a kitchen spray cleaner recipe, listed below in this post. This is another great oil to clean and disinfect counters, handles, faucets, etc. 

Here is the link to Peppermint Essential Oil!

Tea Tree Essential Oil  

I grew up in a very holistic minded family, and I can remember waaaaaay long ago as a kiddo, before essential oils were the ‘thing’ to use, my mom having Tea Tree on hand and grabbing it out for fungal skin issues or to disinfect. Such a good tool to have on hand, but especially for cleaning. Tea tree has antiseptic and antiviral properties and is often used topically to treat skin abrasions, acne, bug bites, and fungal problems. This one can also be useful for cleaning or deodorizing your household. Some ways I use tea tree oil for cleaning: 

• Keep a spray bottle of 1 cup water, 1 cup of vinegar, and 10 drops of Tea Tree on hand. Use this spray to clean the shower or washing machine to prevent dampness and mildew. You can also use it as a disinfectant for counters etc. 
  • You can also just add 10-15 drops to your washing machine, undiluted, and run your machine on the hot cycle to disinfect. 
• Drop a couple of drops into your garbage disposal to disinfect and clean. 

Here is the link to Tea tree Essential Oil!

Tools you may need

• Amber Spray bottles. I like to use amber spray bottles when making cleaning solutions with oils. Essential oils can be damaged or lose effectiveness when exposed to ultraviolet light, so it’s important to keep them in a dry, cool space and(or) keep them in amber bottles. Make sure to never use plastic! Plastic can leach into the solution. Here is the link to the bottles I love. 
• A mop. This is the link to a mop similar to the one I use here. I love it! I simply make a floor solution in an amber bottle, label it, and spray the floor and mop as I go. Works wonderfully! 
• Cloths for cleaning and scrubbing. 
• Scrub brush. This is the link here to the brush I use for scrubbing my sink or stove or anything that needs some extra love. 

Essential oil cleaning recipes: 

Now to some recipes for cleaning and different ways to utilize your oils.

All Purpose Cleaner with Thieves Concentrate 

Mix 1 capful Thieves household cleaner and 3 cups water in an amber glass spray bottle.

All Purpose Cleaner with vinegar 

Mix 1/4 cup vinegar and 1 3/4 cups water with 30 drops of essential oils of your choice. (You can use a single oil like lemon, peppermint, or eucalyptus, or mix oils to make your own recipe) Add to an amber glass spray bottle. 

All Purpose Cleaner with NO vinegar

Mix 2 cups water with 2 tablespoons Castile soap, add 30 drops essential oils of your choice. (You can use a single oil like lemon, peppermint, or eucalyptus, or mix oils to make your own recipe). Add to an amber glass spray bottle.

Stainless Steel Polish

Mix 1/4 cup fractionated coconut oil, 3/4 cup distilled water, 1 capful of Thieves cleaner and 10 drops essential oils (lemon + orange or grapefruit + lime are good options!) to an amber glass spray bottle. Make sure to shake before use every time!

Window/Glass Cleaner

Mix 1 capful Thieves household cleaner, 4 cups water, 1 tsp white vinegar, and 5 drops lemon or citrus essential oil in an amber glass bottle.

Floor and Laminate Cleaning Spray

Mix 1/2 cup vinegar, 1 cup water, 2 drops lemon essential oil, 2 drops grapefruit essential oil, and 1/2 cap Thieves concentrate. Shake. Spray on floor and mop with a dry pad or cloth! 

Sink scrub

Mix together 1 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup vinegar with 10 drop essential oil. Combine everything in a bowl and add into a glass container. When ready to use, wet a sponge, dip into prepared scrub, and scrub away your sink. Leave for 5 minutes. Wash off with water and wipe dry. 

But WAIT- Thieves Cleaner Concentrate (aka the BEST)

 

I know this post is about essential oils, but I can’t make an actual cleaning post without talking about my most favorite cleaning product (and possibly my favorite product in YL?!). And since this cleaner is made up of mostly pure essential oils, I decided I couldn’t leave this post without mentioning it. Have I mentioned I’m obsessed?? What makes Thieves cleaner concentrate so wonderful you ask? 

Well first of all, it’s versatility and the way it has simplified my life. I use Thieves cleaner for everything. You heard that right- EVERYTHING! Windows. Kids high chairs. Floors. Stainless steel. Bathroom sinks. Car doors. Cabinets….Are you getting the idea? So essentially, you are getting a fabulous cleaner to replace every other crazy chemical cleaner in your cupboard. 

It’s made with Thieves essential oils- so it’s antimicrobial and does a wonderful clean! 

And it’s so cost effective.Thieves Household Cleaner concentrate is HEAVILY concentrated meaning that bottle will last months! Diluted 1:30, one bottle of Thieves Household Cleaner concentrate will make more than 28 – 450ml bottles of cleaner. That works out to less than $1 per bottle. That is for each bottle of completely natural, non-toxic, and very effective cleaning solution for every room in your home! And the cool thing about it is you can customize the dilution according to what you need! Simple all purpose cleaner? One capful. Heavy degreaser? Use a couple! Soooo helpful. 

And have I mentioned it’s safe safe safe to use? Everyone breathe a collective sigh of relief! 

You can find Thieves Cleaner here. 

How to purchase Young Living essential oils?

Are you currently not a member of Young Living? Or maybe you’ve never even heard about them? Click the link below to shop my link at Young Living. Add some amazing products to your cart. Then create a member account, making sure to use my member number 29090205 if prompted for one. And your set to begin your oily journey! I would love the chance to serve you and run with you, friend! Let’s do this!

https://www.youngliving.com/us/en/referral/29090205 

More Thieves Products I love

Young living has a whole line of Thieves cleaning products! I’m listing a couple more I love below, along with their links:

• The link to Thieves dish soap here
• The link to the Thieves foaming hand soap here 
• The link to the Thieves sink and shower scrub here (this stuff is EPIC!)
• The link to the hand sanitizer here
• The link to the veggie scrub here
• The link to laundry soap here (absolutely a must!) 

Conclusion

Have I convinced you yet that essential oils are an essentialtool for your home?! Cleaning being just one of the many ways to utilize them. 

Bookmark this page, come back to it. Try the recipes! Let’s do this together! I would love to support you, serve you, and run with you on this natural, less-tox journey! 

What are you waiting for?