PART TWO: 14 natural cleaning recipes using essential oils

Last week, I wrote about four of my favourite essential oils and why I think they should be part of your home cleaning kit. Today, I want to share some really simple recipes for using those oils to maintain a beautiful, clean home. Let’s go!

1. Floor cleaner Add 20 drops of lemon and 20 tea tree oil or eucalyptus oil to 10ml of natural dishwashing liquid. Mix and add to a mop bucket of water to leave floors bright and smelling divine.
2. Stainless steel cleaner Add a few drops of lemon to a little olive oil and use it to clean stainless steel around the kitchen – be it on the oven, the range or coffee machine! Also works with a few drops of eucalyptus on a moist cloth.
3. Natural disinfectant Add 20 drops lemon oil, 10 drops tea tree oil to 250ml distilled water and a dash of vinegar into a spray bottle. Mix and use to clean counter tops and mouldy shower recesses.
4. Post shower cleaner Mix ¼ cup white vinegar, 1 tbsp of natural dishwashing liquid, 20 drops of tea tree oil and 10 drops of lemon oil to spray after a shower to cut through soap scum and keep the tiles fresh and mildew free.
5. Window cleaner Mix 10 drops of lemon oil and a dash of vinegar to a small bucket of water. Use it on glass for the cleanest windows in town!
6. Sticky residue cleaner Kids stickers all over the furniture? Rub them with a bit of lemon oil or eucalyptus oil, leave for half a minute then peel off the sticker and its gooey residue, no sweat.
7. Cobweb cleaner + spider deterrent Add a couple of drops of lemon oil to a cloth, wrap around the broom head and sweep over corners to clean away cobwebs and deter spiders from coming back. Works a treat outside too, but with the weather you need to re-apply more often.
8. Mattress freshener Mattresses need more love than we give them, so try this great recipe to freshen up your sleeping quarters! Mix 10 drops of lavender oil and 1/2 cup baking soda. Sprinkle over your mattress and let it sit for at least half an hour before vacuuming the powder up.
9. All purpose kitchen cleaner Pour a cup of vinegar into a spray bottle and 6 drops of lavender for a quick, easy bench top and basin cleaner.
10. Scuff mark cleaner Add two capfuls of eucalyptus to the bucket water when mopping. Leaves the floors clean and the house smells fresh! 
11. Moth deterrant Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to a cotton ball and leave in your wardrobe for a fresh smell and to deter moths and silverfish.
12. Toilet bowl deodoriser For a quick freshen up of your toilet, add a couple of drops of eucalyptus oil to the bowl. The oil will stay there until the toilet is flushed, freshening the bathroom.
13. Kitchen bin cleaner. Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to the water when you wash out your rubbish bin, it removes stale smells and keeps the bin fresh. 
14. Silver cleaner. Put a few drops of lemon oil on an old toothbrush, sprinkle baking soda on top and brush the silver item until you remove the tarnish. Buff with a silver polishing cloth or just a cotton ball.

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