The application of essential oils around the home has been repeatedly debated and can often lead to all-out fights online. From pet safety to carrier oils, any of these questions can carry you to websites designed to rope you into selling them or spread dangerous misinformation from and to the uninformed. That isn’t to say there aren’t safe ways to use them around the house! Here we’ll detail a few safe and effective ways to use your essential oils around the home, however, before we jump in, there are a few safety rules:
Dilute, Dilute, Dilute!
When intending to apply essential oils to your skin they should always be mixed with a carrier oil such as jojoba, coconut, or almond oil in concentrations no greater than 5% for use on adults, and 2.5% for children. Topical uses should always follow a patch-test, to ensure no adverse reactions to the oils you chose. Oils should be diluted whenever they’re intended to touch the skin.
Near family, furry and otherwise
There’s a long list of oils that are toxic to animals, but that list changes depending on the animal. Tea tree oil should never be used around animals, as it’s toxic to birds, dogs, and cats, and oils like cinnamon, clove, and ylang-ylang are toxic to dogs and cats. Your pets aren’t the only ones! Children under 6 years shouldn’t have peppermint oils applied topically or diffused around them, and kids under 10 shouldn’t have eucalyptus oil near them either. Fennel, rosemary, and verbena oils have very strong scents or effects, and shouldn’t be in use around or on children, the elderly, and those with breathing difficulties ever.
So, what can you use them for?
Certain DIY recipes can call for the use of diluted essential oils in products both topical and for cleaning purposes. Food-grade essential oils make it possible to add them to your dishes and drinks safely, with the OK from your doctor or nutritionist. Here are a few ideas for safe and practical uses for essential oils around the house!
Fresh-Scented DIY Home Cleaning
There are plenty of essential oils well-suited to cleaning like lemon, spearmint, and orange! For an easy all-purpose cleaner, try this combining these ingredients in a glass spray bottle (as essential oils are powerful and break down plastics):
- 1 ¾ cups of water
- ¼ cups of white vinegar
- 15-30 drops total of your essential oil (or oils) of choice
Shake the bottle well before each use and follow behind the cleaner with a damp rag or paper towel.
Custom Body Wash
This recipe is quick, easy, and will leave your skin smooth. As this is a wash, rather than a lotion, the typically phototoxic oils like lemon verbena, grapefruit, and bitter orange can be used in this recipe due to the limited amount of time on your skin. In a glass pump bottle, combine:
- 1 cup of distilled water
- 1 cup of Castile soap
- 4 tbsp of sweet almond oil (or another carrier oil if you so choose)
- 2 tbsp of vitamin E oil
- Up to 25 drops total of your favorite essential oil
Shake the bottle and use it when desired!
Room Misters
Quick and easy, these misters can be used to freshen rooms if they need it! Be aware of the occupants of the room and give it an opportunity to air out after spraying. In a small glass mister, combine:
- 1 tsp of witch hazel
- 10 drops of your scent of choice
- Top it off with distilled water
As these don’t have a carrier oil, avoid spraying directly on bedding, clothing, or other soft surfaces frequently in contact with skin.