Essential Oils for Cleaning the Kitchen

Essential oils are great for your physical health, well-being and personal care, but did you know they can also replace many of the harsh disinfectants you use to clean your kitchen?

 Many essential oils have antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial properties and are perfect for getting your kitchen spic and span without using nasty, toxic synthetic chemicals. 

What essential oils are the best for cleaning and disinfecting?

Here are some of the best essential oils for cleaning and disinfecting:

• Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) is an antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal oil with a fresh, pleasing scent.
• Lemon (Citrus limon) is one of the most popular aromatics used in cleaning as a disinfectant and deodorizer.
• Lime (Citrus aurantifolia) is lemon’s citrus sibling. This oil shares all the antiseptic properties of lemon, with a lighter, fruity aroma.
• Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), another citrus oil, has similar properties to lemon and lime, with a crisp, fresh scent.
• Tangerine (Citrus reticulata) oil is perfect for those looking for the cleaning power of citrus with a sweeter scent.
• Benchmark Thyme (Thymus zygis (Loefl L.) is a blend of oils. A powerful disinfectant, this oil has been shown to combat serious bacteria.
• Lemon Tea Tree (Leptospermum petersonii) combines the refreshing aroma and cleansing properties of lemon with the powerful antimicrobial properties of Tea Tree.
• Thyme ct thymol (Thymus vulgaris) is used as an anti-microbial, especially anti-fungal and anti-viral.
• May Chang (Litsea cubeba), Citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus), and Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) are all aldehydes, great for anti-fungal uses and with a fresh “lemony” scent.
• Cinnamon bark (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) not only fills your kitchen with a warm, holiday scent, but is effective against 98% of all pathogenic bacteria.
• Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) oil is a powerful antimicrobial disinfectant with a lovely, minty scent. It also pairs well with other oils, such as lavender.
• Engelmann Spruce (Picea engalmannii) fills the room with a piney, wild scent while disinfecting surfaces.
• Red Pine (Pinus resinosa), like spruce and other pine oils, has been used as a household cleaning agent and disinfectant for centuries.

How do you clean with essential oils?

There are many ways to use essential oils for cleaning. Add a few drops of an essential oil to a water and vinegar base in a spray bottle for a handy surface cleaner. Some essential oils, such as lemon and tea-tree, can be used neat on cutting boards as a disinfectant. You can also create a gentle, natural but effective scrubbing mixture with baking soda and a few drops of essential oil. Best of all, your kitchen will not only be clean but smell great, too!

Hydrosols and Cleaning

A hydrosol is the “water” part of steam or hydro-distillation of a botanical. They have the same properties of essential oils, but are far less potent. But still quite powerful! Hydrosols can be used as cleaning agents on their own, or can be used in place of water in any cleaning agent recipe. When using hydrosols in a recipe, you may want to leave out or lessen the quantity of essential oil drops.

We love to use them to refresh fabric on sofas and bedding. Choose an aroma you connect with energetically for a combination of deodorizing power and emotional support. Hydrosols make awesome window cleaners! Try using one… no streaks!