If you do even a minimal amount of research on what chemicals are in cleaning products, you’ll find ingredients that are harmful to you and your family.
Making your own cleaning supplies using essential oils gives you a natural way to keep your home healthy and clean. Not only that, some of these same essential oils will help with your spring allergies, such as hay fever, while you clean. Many spring allergies occur when a plant you’re allergic to blossoms. This can cause nasal congestion, runny and/or itchy nose, sneezing, coughing, and itchy, watery eyes.
The same properties in essential oils that help relieve these symptoms can be used for cleaning, too.
You could make a steam with essential oils by boiling water, adding the oil, and draping a towel over as you lean over the pan of water, breathing in the steam for 5 to 10 minutes. Don’t get to close to avoid burning yourself. After you’re done, use the pan of water with essential oils for cleaning.
To use a spray bottle for cleaning, get a 16 ounce bottle and pour in ¼ cup of white vinegar. Open your bottle of essential oil(s) and take a whiff before adding about 30 drops. Fill the bottle the rest of the way with water and start cleaning. You’ll breathe in the aroma as you get work done.
Here are five great oils to use for both cleaning and allergies:
1. Lemon–Antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial, antiseptic. We see store-bought cleaning products with lemon all the time—lemon-fresh. It’s great for grease and grime. For allergies, lemon helps clear your sinuses, reduce congestion, soothe respiratory inflammation and can reduce stuffiness.
2. Tea Tree—Antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral, fungicidal, insecticide. Tea tree is a good choice for heavy-duty cleaning, even garages. Works well as a disinfectant spray. The anti-inflammatory properties of tea tree can help with allergy symptoms.
3. Lavender–Antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial, insecticide. While lavender is often used for relaxing and before bedtime, it also makes a nice cleaning solution, leaving its beautiful fragrance wherever you clean. As you scrub, lavender soothes allergy symptoms and can assist in preventing inflammation from allergies.
4. Peppermint—Antibacterial, antimicrobial. Those properties make it a good choice to add to your DIY cleaning solution. It reduces inflammation so you’ll breathe easier, opening nasal passages and reducing headaches.
5. Eucalyptus Oil—Anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, anti-microbial. It’s an added bonus regardless of whether you use it to clean the bathroom, kitchen floor, or glass doors. For allergies, it helps with congestion and opens sinuses and lungs.
Try this recipe to clean your windows and mirrors, while relieving allergy symptoms:
Using a quart-sized spray bottle, combine 3 cups distilled water, ¼ cup of rubbing alcohol, ¼ cup of vinegar, and 20 drops peppermint. Shake and spray.
For sinks, stovetops, and allergies:
Mix these ingredients and make into a paste—1 cup of baking soda, ¼ cup of liquid castile soap, 10 drops each of lemon and orange essential oils.These are just some of the essential oils that make great cleaning solutions and help with spring allergies without all the chemicals—a positive in so many ways.