There’s nothing like a clean home – even better if you were able to create it without using harsh chemicals.
For the past few years, I’ve been making some of my own cleaners and trying to simplify the cleaning products that I use. Cleaning products can be so expensive, and a lot of times they don’t even do what they claim. Not only that, but my bathroom cupboards were starting to burst at the seams with specialized products (toilet bowl cleaner, wipes, shower sprays and powders, glass cleaner, and more).
Maybe you’ve been using homemade or natural cleaners but are looking to give your products a little boost of cleansing properties (many of these oils have antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties). Or, maybe you just hate the smell of vinegar. Regardless, these are some of the best oils to try.
The Best Essential Oils to Clean Your Home
If you’re looking to create a clean home using homemade cleaners, this list of essential oils is the perfect addition to your cleaning product arsenal.
Single oils with cleansing properties
Cinnamon Bark
Cinnamon bark has powerful antibacterial properties. It’s also antiviral, antifungal, and anti-parasitic.
Note that cinnamon bark oil may irritate your nose if you inhale it directly from the bottle, so use it with caution. Be sure to dilute it when using it as a cleaner. I typically add a drop or two to a bucket of vinegar water.
Cinnamon Bark is also found in many oil blends, including Thieves, which is one of my favorite essential oils to use for cleaning.
Clove
Clove oil has antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiparasitic properties. As with the cinnamon bark oil, a little bit of the clove oil will go a long way. You’ll only need to use a drop or two in your cleaning products.
Eucalyptus Blue
Eucalyptus blue oil is an insecticide. It has been used for over 250 years in Equador to repel insects and cleanse wounds. It also has antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties.
I use eucalyptus blue oil in my diffuser to cleanse the air, but I also add a couple drops to my homemade cleaning products to give them a nice smell.
Lavender
Lavender is one of the most versatile essential oils. It has antiseptic and antifungal properties. It is also a relaxant.
Because lavender is known to be calming, relaxing, and balancing, I love adding it to water and spraying it throughout my house as an air freshener (I’ve also put it on a cotton ball in my vacuum bag and on a clothespin attached to my furnace vent). You could also put a couple drops on your furnace filter to cleanse the air. I also frequently added to cleaning products (and laundry) to make them smell better. 😉
Lemon
Lemon peel has historically been used as an antiseptic for cleaning. It is also thought to promote clarity of thought with its invigorating fragrance.
I add a few drops of lemon oil to my cleaning products. I also mix it with other oils in my diffuser or put it on cotton balls to clease the air.
Peppermint
Peppermint oil is another versatile oil. With antiparasitic, antibacterial, antiviral in antifungal properties, it’s a great addition to any cleaning product. It’s also known to improve concentration and alertness.
I’ve used peppermint in my house to ward off unwanted insects (are insects in your home ever wanted?!?), like spiders. I simply placed a couple drops on cotton balls and placed them around my basement.
Unfortunately, peppermint should not be used on children under 18 months of age and it can reduce your milk supply if you’re nursing, so use with caution if you’re nursing or if you have young children at home.
Pine
Pine oil has strong antiseptic properties. Native Americans used pine needles in mattresses to repel lice and fleas.
I typically diffuse pine and eucalyptus oils or citrus oils for 30 minutes to cleanse the air in my house. I’ve also put it on cotton balls in the bottom of the diaper pail to help eliminate odors.
Pine can also be added to vinegar or water and used to clean wood, counter tops, and household appliances.
Tea Tree (Melaleuca Alternifolia)
Tea tree oil is antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial, antiviral, and antiparasitic.
It’s great to diffuse to get rid of (and prevent) mold. I’ve also used it in my laundry, especially on towels. Because tea tree oil has antimicrobial properties, it could be used in a spray as a great bathroom or kitchen cleaner, especially on the shower curtain!
Blends with cleansing properties
I love the following Young Living essential oil blends to diffuse and add to my cleaning products.
Citrus Fresh
Citrus Fresh contains orange, tangerine, grapefruit, lemon, mandarin, and spearmint oils.
I use Citrus Fresh mainly for its purifying properties and “clean” scent.
Purification
Purification contains citronella, lemongrass, rosemary, tea tree, lavandin, and myrtle oils. It has strong antiseptic, antibacterial, insecticidal, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties, which makes it perfect for cleaning.
Purification has a fresh scent that’s perfect to use in vinegar based cleaners. I also use it to freshen the air (it’s especially good at removing that “musty basement” smell).
Thieves
Thieves is by far my favorite oil to add to my homemade cleaning products. It contains clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus radiata, and rosemary. Thieves was historically used by a band of 15th century thieves who rubbed oils on themselves to avoid contracting the plague. It is highly antiviral, antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti-infectious.
I regularly diffuse Thieves to boost immunity in our home, but I also add it to vinegar water, especially to clean the floors or disinfect the kids’ toys.
These eleven oils have quickly become favorites in my cleaning cabinet. I love the fact that I can easily add these oils to give my own cleaning products a boost, but they’re also great to use for other things, like scenting the air in your home or even putting on cuts and scrapes.