Using essential oils at home is a great way to infuse your family’s surroundings with fresh, uplifting scents that can boost moods and gently transform any room in your house.

Essential oils can also be used in many cleaning applications that swap out synthetic, toxic ingredients for natural, non-toxic ingredients that don’t pose a threat to you, your family or your pets.

So what, exactly, are essential oils? Essential oils are the “liquid gold” of the plant kingdom. They are the natural oils that have been extracted from plants like mint and eucalyptus, maintaining the concentrated natural fragrance of the source plant.

Aromatherapists use Mother Nature’s great bounty of natural scents to support the body’s natural ability to maintain balance throughout itself. It’s a practice that’s as old as time.

Of all the natural lifestyle habits, making use of essential oils in your home is one of the easiest.

You can plug in a vaporizer or use any diffuser to instantly create a more soothing, relaxing atmosphere. But don’t feel bad if you don’t quite know where to start—there are a lot of oils to choose from, and the application varies from room to room depending on your desired outcome.

There are also more creative ways to make use of the oils than the standard diffuser. So, let’s take a guided tour through your home, starting with the room that you probably spend the most time in.

Best Essential Oils Uses in the Master Bedroom

• Lavender is the go-to essential oil for the bedroom because of its natural calming effect. Use lavender in a plug-in diffuser that stays on throughout the day, or turn on your vaporizer 30 minutes before bedtime to infuse the air with lavender’s relaxing aroma.
• For a more direct application, mix up a spray bottle of water and a few drops of lavender and then spray your bed sheets with a few mists before going to bed. If you’d rather not spray down your whole bed, add a couple drops to your pillowcase (just don’t go overboard).
• As the bedroom is also the most intimate room of your house, you can use certain essential oils to “spice things up.” For a seductive aroma, put a few drops of exotic essential oils like ylang ylang, rose, jasmine or sandalwood onto a cotton ball and hide them inside your underwear drawer. Not only will they help freshen things up, they’ll infuse an intimate vibe into the bedroom.
• The cotton ball trick can be used in any dresser drawer or even in your closet. Pick your favorite scents and place the infused cotton balls to freshen up your entire wardrobe. You might even find you no longer need to use synthetic perfumes or colognes.

 

Best Essential Oil Uses in the Bathroom

• Aside from the hall closet full of shoes, the bathroom is usually the room most associated with unpleasant smells… which means air fresheners abound. Instead of synthetic fragrances, fill your bathroom up with natural air-fresheners by using essential oils. The natural aroma of pine, fir, lemon or grapefruit essential oils are all great picks.
• Use plug-in diffusers to keep the air fresh and sweet-smelling all day long. You can also add a few drops to each toilet paper roll, or freshen up a bouquet of dried flowers with essential oils for natural potpourri.
• Bathroom cabinets are also chock-full of some of the most toxic household cleaners. Ditch those and mix up your own bathroom surface cleaners with essential oils like tea tree oil and lemon oil, natural cleansing oils that leave a fresh smell in their wake.

 

Best Essential Oils to Use in the Kitchen

• Some meals tend to leave a lasting impression on your kitchen in the form of unwanted smells than can linger for days. You can neutralize cooking odors with the clever use of essential oils. Put an extra pan of water on the stove while you’re preparing supper. Let the water come to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add a couple drops of culinary-inspired essential oils to the simmering water, such as cinnamon or cardamom, and let the steam infuse your kitchen air.
• Like the bathroom, kitchens need to be cleaned well regularly . Use your same natural cleaners that you whipped up with tea tree and lemon oil to clean the surfaces throughout your kitchen. Your homemade cleaners are guaranteed to be food safe (and family safe).

 

Using Essential Oils in the Living Room/Family Room

• Spray air fresheners are a common item in many living rooms as a quick way to freshen stale air. But ditch the store-bought sprays and make your own with just water and essential oils. It’s super simple and ultra affordable…. a few drops go a long ways.
• Try mixing pine and silver fir oils to recreate the fresh mountain air enriched with natural forest scent. If that’s a bit too “outdoorsy” for you or your family, mix in a few drops of citrus oils to soften up the fragrance.
• Essential oils can also freshen up your carpet. Empty a new box of baking soda into a resealable bag and add 10-20 drops of your favorite scent. Mix it up and let the concoction sit for a few days, then shake it up again before sprinkling it on your carpet. Then let it sit for as long as you can afford to stay out of the living room before vacuuming it all up. This is also a great solution to managing pet odors in your living room!

 

Best Essential Oils Uses in the Laundry Room

• If you’re sensitive to chemically scented laundry detergents, essential oils are a natural way to add a fresh aroma to your clothing. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to unscented, powdered laundry detergent (store bought or homemade). A blend of lavender, lemon and grapefruit essential oils works well.
• Put a few drops of essential oils on a clean cloth and add it to the cool-down cycle when drying.

 

Using Essential Oils in the Garage

• Pest problems? Essential oils may help deter mice. Place a few drops of peppermint, eucalyptus or spearmint on cotton balls and put them where you suspect mice may be.

 

What are your favorite ways to use essential oils in your house?