Essential oils are great fun to use around the home and act as a creative solution to unsavory smells and the use of chemicals. Use an essential oil diffuser to spread spa-like scents throughout your home to promote relaxation and improve your mood. Read on to find out how to use essential oils in your living space.

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Using Essential Oils: The Basics

Essential Oils

Spend some time looking into the different kinds of essential oils you could use in your home. Consider which scents you like best and the purported benefits of each oil. Some of the most popular oils include lavender, lemon, lemongrass, sweet orange, bergamot, peppermint, rosemary and tea tree. If you don’t want to do extensive research before you get your oils, consider a starter kit that comes with more than one oil to let you experiment and figure out which scents are your favourites.

Essential Oil Diffusers

If you want to fill a room with the soothing scent of your favourite essential oil, an oil diffuser is the way to go. A diffuser disperses essential oil particles into the air through a few different methods – water vapor, pressurised air, electric charges, heat or a fan can all be used to release oil.

The most common diffuser is an ultrasonic diffuser which incorporates many of these methods. To use an ultrasonic diffuser, fill the tank with water up to the marked line and then add several drops of your chosen essential oil. The diffuser then uses electricity to break up essential oil particles, which are then released into the air in a fine mist. This method uses only a small amount of essential oil, helping you make each bottle last.

Tip: Make sure you clean your diffuser every few days or so when switching oils. This will prevent the growth of mould and allow your diffuser to disperse a pure form of your oil.

Cotton Balls

If you’d like to freshen up a specific drawer or small space with the scent of essential oils, consider buying cotton balls or pads. You can put a few drops of essential oil on a cotton ball and stick it in a drawer to fill the space with a lovely scent. Keep your cotton balls in a small, decorative storage jar while they’re not in use.

How to Use Essential Oils at Home

In The Bath

There’s nothing better than a lovely scent to accompany a relaxing bath. For a safer alternative, try using an essential oil diffuser instead of candles around your tub for some aromatherapy. It will lessen the risk of flames near your shower curtain – and near you. Place your diffuser on a stool or end table a foot away from your tub to keep wires safely out of the splash zone. Mix and match essential oils to create your perfect relaxing bath scent. You could even surround your tub with flameless / LED candles if you’d like some safe candlelight.

To Improve the Smell of Your Laundry

Give your laundry an extra refreshing scent by adding your favourite essential oils. You can mix essential oil into your detergent or directly into the water filling the washing machine as it starts its cycle. You can then add some essential oil to a wool dryer ball to set in the scent as your clothes dry. Lavender essential oil is popular for laundry because of its refreshing scent, and lemon essential oil can even help get out grease stains from food.

For Relaxation

Have an hour between picking up your kids from school and your next video call? Take some time to treat yourself. Set up your diffuser with your favourite scent, put on a face mask and make yourself some sparkling water. Giving yourself the spa treatment will prepare you to take on the rest of your day with renewed energy.

Inside the Rubbish Bins

If you hate getting within five feet of your rubbish bins, essential oils can help make the air next to your bins more breathable. Next time you take out the rubbish, soak a cotton ball in essential oil and drop it in the bottom of the bin. Put your new bin bag on top. The scent of your essential oil will fight the odours from the bin and make your home smell a little more pleasant.

As a Car Air Freshener

Replace your old air freshener with the cotton ball essential oil trick for a naturally good scent. Put a few drops of essential oil on a cotton ball and then stick it inside your car’s air vents. You could also place a few drops on a wooden clothespin and clip it to the air vent. The air vent will then spread the smell of your essential oil and leave your car smelling great, without chemicals.

As a Natural Cleaner

Make your own natural cleaners with essential oils to replace chemical-filled commercial oils. Make sure to dilute essential oils with plenty of water – the general rule is 3–5 drops per ounce of water. Put your essential oil cleaner in a spray bottle and get to cleaning.

Tip: Avoid using essential oil cleaners in the same space as pets or children. They can be more sensitive to the scents of essential oils and can experience irritation if the oils come into contact with their skin. Essential oils can be toxic if they are consumed in a high concentration, so make sure to keep yours out of reach of children and pets.

Enjoyed reading this article? Then why not also check our guides, The Only Way to Wash a Wool Blanket for that like-new feeling, and How to Bring Greenery Indoors.