Ten Ideas With Essential Oils For Your Home

Choose essential oils to match your mood or need: lemon, tea tree, and eucalyptus are cleansing and purifying. Lavender, bergamot, and grapefruit are uplifting. Geranium, lavender, and frankincense will help you unwind and relax. Need to concentrate for hard work? Try basil, rosemary, and grapefruit. Ylang ylang, rose, and sandalwood will set the mood for a romantic evening. Discover some useful tips of how to use essential oils in your daily life and at home!

1. The simplest way to use essential oils in your home is with a spray bottle. Use 8 drops of essential oil per four-fifths cup (7 fl oz) of water in the following recipe: Put 2 teaspoons of vodka in a spray bottle. Add your chosen essential oil(s). Top up with cold water and shake well.

The vodka is not essential, but it will keep the oils smelling fresh for longer and will help them to disperse.

2. You can use white distilled vinegar in a similar way. Half fill a spray bottle with white vinegar. Add your chosen essential oil(s). Top up with cold water and shake well. The smell of vinegar will soon dissipate and you will be left with the beautiful and natural aromas of essential oils. Don’t spray near silk or velvet, as discoloration may occur.

3. If you prefer a gel air freshener, it’s easy and fun to make your own. Boil one-half cup (4 fl oz) of water and dissolve a packet of gelatin into it. Remove from the heat and add another one-half cup (4 fl oz) of cold water to the mix and stir until blended. Add a few drops of vodka (to act as a preservative) and one-half teaspoon of your chosen essential oil, and stir until well blended. Add a few drops of natural food coloring at this stage if you so wish. Pour the mix into pretty glass containers and allow to set. Dot the gel fresheners around the house but don’t place them in direct sunlight or near a source of heat as they may start to liquify! If this happens, simply place them in the fridge until solid again.

4. Buy an oil burner and create your own home moods. Fill the receptacle with warm water, add around 6 drops of your chosen essential oil, and light a tea light underneath.As the water warms, it evaporates to scent your home. Don’t let it burn dry; top it off with warm water as necessary.

5. Electric oil burners are small, flat “dishes” that come with an electric cord. Add a couple drops of your chosen essential oil to the plate (don’t add water to electric oil burners, just the essential oil). Plug in the device and switch on. It generates a small amount of heat to diffuse the fragrance into your home.

6. If you don’t have any essential oils, boil 4⅕ cups of water with half a dozen cloves, a couple of cinnamon sticks, the peel of two apples, and an unpeeled, sliced orange. Allow to simmer and soon your home will smell delicious!

7. During the winter, put 2 drops of your chosen essential oil on a cotton wool ball and tuck it behind the radiator to gently infuse your home with a delicate scent.

8. You can buy specially designed lightbulb rings for evaporating essential oils. Add a couple drops of your chosen oil to the ring, and as the light creates heat, it will diffuse the scent into the room.

9. Why not buy or make herbal sachets to scent your home? Lavender bags are a popular choice which can be easily made with scraps of fabric and filled with dried lavender flower heads. Other herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and lemon balm can be dried and used too.  

10. If you are fortunate enough to have a woodburning stove, you can place a small, heatproof bowl filled with warm water on top of the stove. Add 2 to 4 drops of your favorite essential oils to the water. As the water evaporates, your chosen scent will fill the air.