My obsession with essential oils is growing and I have had tons of fun making my own cleaning and baby products.
I recently ordered some glass spray bottles for $1.20 each from this website. Oils can lose their potency over time, and keeping them in cobalt or amber bottles helps prolong the life of the oils. I toyed around with buying plastic spray bottles from The Dollar Tree, but these were a similar price and much prettier! I love having these cute bottles around my house.
As soon as my bottles arrived I had a little essential oil cleaning DIY day. I made an all purpose cleaner, room deodorizer and baby wipes solution.
All of my spray bottles are 4 oz. This means that I am making smaller batches, if you want to make a bigger batch just double or triple my “recipe”.
All Purpose Cleaner
- 1/3 C. white vinegar
- 3 drops of tea tree oil (also known as melaleuca)
- 3-5 drops of lemon oil
I use melaleuca and lemon together because they both have antimicrobial and antiseptic properties. Check out this peer reviewed journal article about melaleuca, it discusses the health benefits and side effects. I would never use something without doing proper research. From the articles I’ve read I feel confident using the oil as an effective cleaner.
I love using it as an alternative to harsh cleaning chemicals. I’ve been using this cleaner for everything: wood, kitchen counters, sinks, showers, toilets, and anything else that doesn’t move. It is great to use on our high chair and tables since we tend to eat right off the tables now that we have a baby. I’m constantly putting a pile of Cheerios on our coffee table and now I don’t worry about chemical getting into Robert’s mouth.
Room Deodorizer
This is similar to one I made earlier in the year in this post.
- 2 TBSP Baking Soda
- fill bottle with water, leaving a bit of room for oil drops
- 2-5 drops of oil (I used orange and lemon to give my house a fresh smell)
You could add lavender for a nice sleepy smell in the bedroom
Baby Wipes Solution
I have gone all out hippy with my cloth diapering. I’ve decided to stop buying disposable wipes and make the transition to cloth. I received a bunch of cloth wipes for my baby shower and I figured now was the time to start using them and stop spending money on disposable wipes. Whole Food sells premade wipes solution if you don’t want to make your own. But I’m pretty sure it is cheaper for me to make it myself.
I got this recipe from Eco Crazy Mom. She has a ton of different ones to try, but this one was full of ingredients that I had on hand.
- 1 tablespoon apricot oil
- 1 tablespoon Dr Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap
- 2 drops tea tree oil
- 1 drop lavender oil
- 1 cup water (I used less water since I have smaller bottles)
I also “made” my own baby oil. I noticed that the main ingredient from Burt’s Bee’s Baby oil was apricot oil. Since I had some extra apricot oil from the baby wipes solution, I decided to refill my old baby oil bottle with apricot oil. You can’t even tell the difference! In fact, Robert’s skin has never been softer.
Another way we save money is to use coconut oil as diaper rash cream. I’m happy to report that we have yet to have a diaper rash! Of course, now that I have made it public we will probably get one. Isn’t that they way these things work?
What do you think of cleaning with essential oils? Silly or smart? I go back and forth a little bit because my toilets aren’t staying clean. I do find that I have to clean them much more often than I would have to if I were using bleach. I may switch back to using chemicals in my toilet, but I’m loving the all purpose spray for the main areas of my house.
When you have a baby cleaning becomes so much more important! Awesome post!