Essential Oils for a Clean and Healthy Home (Adams Media, 2016) by Kasey Schwartz is a full guide on using essential oils to help keep your home clean and healthy. Schwartz offers all of her favorite essential oil tips to use around the home, without having to worry about harmful chemicals. The following excerpt is a few of her favorite air freshener mixes.
Fresh Citrus Air Freshener
This DIY air freshener is a simple way to freshen the air and remove odors without chemicals. Citrus essential oils are known for their cleansing properties and are the perfect ingredients in this easy spray!
Yield: 1 cup
• 10 drops lemon essential oil
• 1 cup distilled water
To Make: Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake well.
To Use: Mist the air with this spray wherever you’d like to freshen up. Can be used in kitchens, bathrooms, closets, or drawers.
To Store: Store indefinitely in spray bottle in a cool, dark place.
Gel Air Freshener
Forget the chemical-filled gel air fresheners you can buy at the store. Instead, make your own Gel Air Freshener the natural way! Remove stinky odors and provide an uplifting atmosphere by using orange essential oil in this Gel Air Freshener.
Yield: 1 gel air freshener
• 1 (8-ounce) glass jar
• 1 (1-ounce) packet floral hydration aqua beads (can be found at any craft store)
• About 3/4 cup distilled water
• 20 drops orange essential oil
To Make: Fill the jar halfway with the floral hydration aqua beads. Add enough water to fill your jar to the top. Add orange essential oil to the jar and stir. Allow beads to soak up the water-oil mixture for several hours. Pour off extra water.
To Use: Place your Gel Air Freshener in a small space—the bathroom, a closet, your desk area—to enjoy its fragrance.
To Store: Store covered in a cool, dark place for approximately 30 days.
Wax Burner Melts
Instead of filling the air with chemical fragrance, make your own Wax Burner Melts and add essential oils to cleanly freshen the air and remove odors. Add your favorite essential oils for whatever mood hits!
Yield: 16 (1-ounce) Wax Burner Melts
• 1 (1-pound) block soy wax or beeswax, cut into small pieces (can be found at any craft store)
• 20 drops essential oils of choice
• 1-ounce silicone molds or ice cube trays
To Make: Make a double boiler by simmering approximately 1 cup of water in a pot on the stove. Place a metal bowl slightly smaller than the pot over the water, then add wax to the bowl, stirring often until melted. Remove from heat and let cool. While the wax is still melted, add your chosen essential oils and stir well. Pour into molds and let harden for approximately 1 hour. When hardened completely, remove from molds.
To Use: Add cubes to wax burner and use as normal.
To Store: Store wax cubes indefinitely in a covered container in a cool, dark place.
More from: Essential Oils for a Clean and Healthy Home
• Essential Oil Citronella Candles
• Tea Tree Oil Cell Phone Cleaner
Excerpted from Essential Oils for a Clean and Healthy Homeby Kasey Schwartz, AllThingsMamma.com. Copyright © 2016 Adams Media, a division of Simon and Schuster, Inc. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.