Sweet-smelling, musky, pungent, and fragrant scents have a history of tradition in our kitchens. Previous generations would pick real lavender, sage, and other herbs to help their kitchens smell fresh and clean.
Today there are a lot of synthetic fragrances one can buy to make their kitchen smell nice, but I find the feeling of using a chemically based fragrance not as deeply satisfying as using essential oils to achieve the same thing.
Here are a few recipes to use to have your kitchen smell heavenly and clean.
All-purpose Kitchen Cleaner Recipe
- 1 cup clear distilled vinegar
- 1 cup cold water (warm/hot water destroys oils)
- 9 drops of your favorite essential oil (tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus, thyme, pine, lemon, orange, grapefruit, oregano)
Put all ingredients into a glass spray bottle and shake. Use as a spray on surfaces such as counter tops, stove tops, table tops, and chairs. It’s good for window sills and refrigerator doors as well. Make yourself a cup of tea or coffee and let the cleaner settle for a few minutes then wipe off with a clean dry fabric cloth, not paper towels.
Do not use the mixture on granite or marble countertops as it may ruin the surface.
Floor Cleaner Recipe
- 1/4 cup clear distilled vinegar
- 1 bucket or sink-full of water
- 10 drops lemon essential oil
- 5 drops oregano essential oil
For more cleaning strength add a few drops of dishwashing detergent. Mop and rinse with clear water to prevent sliding on slick floors.
Storing Essential Oil Cleaner
If you make your own essential oil recipes and wish to store them for later use, only use glass bottles such as the cobalt blue or amber glass bottles. plastic containers may be degraded and eaten away by the essential oil.
The easiest and best way to store your mixtures that I’ve found is this best-selling 16-ounce bottle that comes in a set of 2 from Amazon.
For more on uses of essential oils, and different things they can be used for, please check out our complete list of essential oils and what they are used for here.
