A few weeks ago I came home from the shop to find my husband made a fabulous flounder francaise dinner. The gorgeous garlicy aroma made my mouth water. Everyone enjoyed it…even the kids who normally turn their nose up to fish. What we didn’t love was the next day when the house still smelled like fish. That lovely fish dinner seemed to permeate every pillow and rug in the house. What started as a lovely aroma of dinner cooking had turned into a fishy nightmare. How to get rid of it??
Candles, although they may smell amazing, just mask the smell. After you put the candle out, the old unwanted smell returns. Room sprays also may smell great and deodorize the air but most contain chemicals and unpronounceable ingredients.
Wouldn’t it be nice to use something that really “cleans” the air and is natural? Essential oils do just that! Many essential oils have anti-microbial, antibacterial and deodorant properties. Wouldn’t it be great to take advantage of the amazing therapeutic benefits of essential oils while enjoying an amazing aroma? Well, good news! You can do just that…by pairing a few antimicrobial, antibacterial, deodorant oils together, not only will you achieve a happy clean scent in your home, you will actually be cleaning the air at the same time! Win/win! Here is a blend that will leave your home smelling clean long after you have turned the diffuser off.
Let’s Keep it Clean Blend:
2 drops Lavender
2 drops Lemongrass
1 drop Lemon Myrtle
1 drop Peppermint
1 drop Siberian Fir
You can also use any combination of the above oils that suits your fancy. Maybe you do not have all of the above listed essential oils. No problem, you can replace lemongrass or lemon myrtle lemon.. It won’t necessarily have quite the same deodorizing effect but it will still offer most of those therapeutic values while offering a lovely uplifting aroma. Here’s another blend using oils that most people already have in their home.
Happy Home Blend:
2 drops Lavender
2 drops Peppermint
3 drops Lemon
You can play around with the number of drops to suit your personal taste. The amount of drops you use depends on whether you are diffusing in a small or large room. Also, keep in mind any pets in the home. Cats have very sensitive olfactory glands and can be affected by diffusing essential oils. Make sure you are diffusing oils that are cat friendly. Dogs also have sensitive sniffers (just not as sensitive as our feline friends). Take note of how your pet behaves when you are diffusing. If your pet leaves the room consistently while you are diffusing then they are telling you they do not like the blend of oils you are using. Be respectful of their sensitive snouts and change your blend or look for an alternative way to dispense your essential oils. Note: you do not need to diffuse essential oils all day long. Fifteen minute intervals will leave your home smelling fresh while deodorizing the room.
So, I keep mentioning diffusers and diffusing. Diffusing essential oils puts the oils into the air. There are a few different kinds of diffusers. The type of diffuser I referenced earlier is an ultrasonic diffuser. Ultrasonic water diffusers work essentially as a waterfall pushing water filled with essential oils up into the air. This method is a really good way to “clean” your air while enjoying the happy uplifting aroma. Please note, that ultrasonic diffusers do need to be cleaned periodically so that they do not grow mold and bacteria. Other types of diffusers include, fan-style, heat, candle and terra cotta. There are lots of options out there to enjoy your essential oils.
What if you do not have a diffuser but want to enjoy the fresh aroma of essential oils? You can add a few drops of essential oils to a tissue or cotton ball and then place in your heating/cooling vents. The air will push the aroma out into the room. You will need to replace the cotton/tissue every few days after it has dried out. You can also make a room spray with your essential oils. Place an ounce of distilled water in a small spray bottle and then add 10 drops of any of the aforementioned oils. Shake well. Be mindful that essential oils and water really do not play well together and separate easily. Do not spray on furniture or countertops, spray into the air. You will need to change and clean the spray bottle every few days as it does not contain a preservative and will begin to grow mold and bacteria. If you do 50/50 water and grain alcohol you can maintain your spray longer.
These are just a few ways to enjoy the aromatic and therapeutic benefits of essential oils in your home. Happy diffusing!