Make Your Home Smell Good... Naturally!

A big part or making your home clean is... lets face it... the smell.  I know when my kids were smaller and now being pregnant its harder to clean as often as I really need to.  But one thing I know I could always do, since I've had my diffuser, is to make my home smell nice.

There are so many uses for essential oils but the way they make my house smell is by FAR my favorite thing.  I always feel like I can turn a rainy day into a sunshiny day just by diffusing some Lemon and Joy essential oils.  That I can throw tea tree oil in my diffuser in the the bathroom and ward off the smell until I have a chance to clean.  Or, now that I'm pregnant, put some oil in the diffuser so I can stand the smell of the kitchen.  There's something about the kitchen when you're pregnant, even if it's clean, that is so unappealing.  Plus, I can do all that with only one or two drops of oil!

When I first purchased my kit, I figured that at the very least, I would have a wonderful smelling home!

Here are some diffusing ideas for your home.  Don't forget - a little oil goes a long way.  I like to start out with only 1-2 drops and move up from there.

Featuring the Home Diffuser

Tea Tree in the Bathroom
Sometimes I can't stand the smell of the bathroom.  Maybe you've got a little boy who dribbles on the floor.  Maybe you're pregnant and all smells bother you.  Maybe you just want to smell a refreshing smell while you shower.  Tea Tree essential oil is the one!!  Just add one or two drops in your diffuser!

Featuring the Bamboo Diffuser

Lavender for the Bedroom
Lavender always smells great for the bedroom.  It kinda sets the mood for a calm atmosphere, which is exactly what most people want in their bedroom.  Just add one to two drops into your diffuser.


Purification for the Kitchen

Featuring the Home Diffuser

Sometimes when you're cleaning up the kitchen it's nice to have a nice clean scent going through the kitchen as well.  I like diffuse 1-2 drops of Purification Essential Oil when I clean up our kitchen!

Featuring the Bamboo Diffuser

Joy and Lemon for Any Room
Joy and Lemon is a combo that really can't be beat.  When it rains here I like to add them to my diffuser.  It makes the house smell like sunshine!  I just add one drop of each in to my diffuser.





As you can see there are so many possibilities to make your home smell fresh and clean as well as like sunshine ;).  I have a lot more combos that I like to use but these ones are my favorite!  If you'd like your own wonderfully smelling home go to our Get Your Oils Here page!

So... What are your favorites?

Clean Your Sink

The first trimester (and beyond) has been pretty rough with these twins.  It's worse than the first two pregnancies I've had.  I've had a big gag reflex this time.  Just one little thing and there it is.  One day I was brushing my teeth, which funny enough made me gag too, and I dropped my toothbrush in the sink.  I looked in the sink.  YUCK.  My sink was so dirty from the lack of care - because when you're in the first trimester there's just no energy left to clean.  I threw my toothbrush away.  I couldn't handle the thought of my toothbrush touching that sink.  I just can't stand that film that builds up on the bathroom sink after a while.  It's so disgusting especially because I'm pregnant now.  Looking into that sink is just like make-me-gag-now.  I think it's also because I use a lot of coconut oil products.  And somehow it gets stuck in my sink?  Or maybe it's the toothpaste? Or Soap?  Probably all of those.  Anyway, it always needs a good cleaning - and I always wait too long.  I knew I waited long enough, I had to clean it.  But of course, I waited as long as I possibly could until I knew someone was coming to my house.   

That's when I had a brilliant idea.  I used a spray bottle,  mixed my Thieves household cleaner in as usual with water but this time I added baking soda.  (If you aren't familiar with Thieves household cleaner, it is a concentrated all natural cleaner that you dilute in a spray bottle.  There are instructions on how to dilute on the back of the bottle as well as usage suggestions.)

It worked perfectly.  All I had to do was spray it into the sink and scrub it out with a wash cloth.  I barely had to scrub, too, it was more of a wipe it out kinda thing.  It was hands down the best natural thing I've used to clean my sink.  Plus the Thieves household cleaner smell is my favorite. 

Recipe 

In about a 24oz container filled almost all the way full with water - add..

• two capfuls of Thieves Household Cleaner
• 1/4 cup of baking soda 

The only problem was that the spray bottle clogged a little with baking soda.  So now the only mission is that I need to find something that can handle the baking soda with the cleaner.  And I think I've got a pump dispenser that used to have some body wash in it that is going to work perfect.  But you can also mix it together and pour it in to the sink as needed.  Which is exactly what I am doing until I've used the last of the soap from the body wash and can transfer the baking soda sink cleaner over.   I just dump it in the sink or wash cloth straight from the spray bottle.  So pick out your favorite way to store the cleaner.  No matter how you store it, it works!!

If you want to get your own Thieves household cleaner with your own account see our Resources page.  Or, if you send us an email, we can ship you some cleaner and you can pay us through paypal.  Enjoy!

Cleaning BOMBS!

 Toilets are gross. They are even grosser when you live with four boys. Somehow I always end up cleaning it, and since the baby is crawling around and sticking his hand (read: mouth) on everything these days, I really hate using bleach cleaners he could accidentally ingest.



Previous attempts at homemade toilet cleaners resulted in a not so long lasting fresh toilet. In other words, it got moldy and gross again within days of cleaning. Enter essential oils, and ta-da! The toilet is super easy to clean, STAYS clean for as long (if not longer) than the bleach alternative, AND it's fun to clean the toilet. Yup. You heard me. Dropping a fizzy, floating cleaning bomb in the toilet makes a really disgusting job a bit more enjoyable! Not to mention how much more willing the boys are to help me when they get to drop something in the toilet!

The big boys LOVE helping make our cleaning products. They measure and pour and mix everything up for me, and even press it all into the molds. I make sure to have them stand back as we pour in the borax, as it can be an irritant when breathed. 

                                       

We picked Lemon and Orange for our oils this time. I have also done Thieves, Purification and Tea Tree with great success. I would say my favorite is Purification; however, the boys love Orange so they wanted to try it this time. :)

Cleaning Bombs

2 cups Baking Soda

1/4 cup Citric Acid

1 TB Liquid Soap (I like Dr. Bronners)

1/2 TB Vinegar

2 TB Hydrogen Peroxide

20 drops of Essential Oils (Lemon, Purification, Thieves or Tea Tree)

1. Combine first three ingredients in big bowl.

2. SLOWLY add vinegar while mixing, then add hydrogen peroxide the same way (if you add too fast the citric acid will fizz all the fun out before you can drop them in the toilet!).

3. Mix in oils last. If the mixture holds its shape when you press it together, you are done! If not, SLOWLY add drops of water until it does.

4. Press into molds and pop out onto a cookie sheet or counter to air dry over night. Once dry store in a closed jar until ready to use.

5. To use drop one "bomb" into toilet bowl and let sit 10 minutes, then scrub as usual!

NOTES:

~You can use ice cube trays for molds. The "mound" shaped bombs we made with half a large plastic Easter egg! The boys liked those ones the best! You can also use candy molds, a small cup such as a shot glass, or whatever small container you have. Once we even used a recycled egg carton!

Happy oiling, Mandy

Air Freshener

One of my favorite uses for my oils is a really simple one.  Air Freshener.  I used to buy regular air freshener but I always figured I could make something with a few less ingredients.

There are a lot of uses in my house for Air Freshener.  First one is my doggy.  She's usually pretty clean but when it rains she comes in smelling like, well, a wet dog.  I spray the air not the dog.  I also like having it in the bathroom for people for a poopoui and for that smell that comes along with little boys who miss the potty.  Sometimes we also use it before people come over to freshen up the couches and air.  

Air Freshener Spray

Recipe

• 2oz Amber Glass Bottle
• 5-7 drops of Purification Essential Oil
• water

(You can find the amber bottles on our Resources Page)

Fill up your amber bottle with water then add 5-7 drops of Purification Essential Oil to your bottle.  Screw on the lid.  Shake before use!

Purification Essential Oil

It almost feels like cheating to post this recipe because it's so easy.  But it's really nice and makes everything smell so yummy!  You can try it with different oils too.  Lemon Essential Oil would be another great one to try.  I might have to give Lemon a try next time.

You can also add your own label like Mandy did for my bottle.  I made the bottle shown in the picture above at Mandy's House.  She had a "Make and Take" where we made several different cleaning items.  She is going to post those on the blog soon!

Hope you enjoy your Air Freshener!  Leave a comment and tell us how you like it!