Spring Cleaning With Essential Oils | Maple Holistics
Spring is in the air, and that means that the time for incorporating essential oils into our lives has arrived! Essential oils have a wonderful aroma, and they are a prime way to help spring-clean your mind, body and home. This is due to their aromatherapeutic benefits, as they promote feelings of restfulness and ease stress and anxiety. These oils are highly versatile, and can (and should) be used for both cleansing your home and yourself, for the ultimate self-care!
The sun is starting to shine, the seeds are sprouting and there are blossoms around every corner. Essential oils are just the thing you need to have a mind and body spring clean. This is because they are wonderful for detoxing you from the winter cold and making you ready for summer. What’s more, spring is a great time to get your home in order and do a thorough clean and declutter! There is no reason why your spring cleaning shouldn’t lift you to new heights in your wellness goals. There are many ways to go about this, specifically diffusing essential oils while you’re meditating or doing yoga, to increase your zen and relaxation. Otherwise, you can utilize their power while physically cleaning your home to provide you with both a clean house and aromatherapy.
Moreover, you can begin incorporating essential oils into your life through DIY projects as well as your beauty regimen. Using them in your soaps, moisturizers and serums is a great way to purify and refresh your mind and body. Not to mention, they are excellent to add to your DIY home-cleaning solutions. Below, we will detail all the ways you can achieve your personal spring cleaning, and house spring cleaning, through essential oils.
Essential Oil Detox
While you’re spring cleaning your home, why not give yourself at the same time the ultimate essential oil detox? We are bombarded every day with all sorts of toxins, be it fast food, pollution, smoking and/or alcohol. It’s common from time-to-time to feel that your body needs a detox. You might feel this need when your metabolism or digestion slows down, your skin is dull and you are constantly tired. These toxins attack us daily, and when we feel these symptoms it’s time for a detox. That is where essential oils come into it. They are a wonderfully purifying substance that aid in detoxifying both our bodies and our minds through their aromatherapeutic properties.
These oils aid our bodies in excreting toxins through their powerful chemical compounds and botanical aromas. Essential oils work by gently detoxing our bodies when diffused. This is because as droplets are released into the air from the diffuser, they are inhaled and work to a purifying effect. Thus, another way to diffuse essential oils is to add it to a bath. You can incorporate them by placing 5-6 drops of essential oil per ounce of carrier oil to allow the steam from the oils to detox your body.
Some of best essential oils to use for detoxing are rosemary, peppermint and lemon oil. Rosemary is so great as its antioxidant properties and botanical scent relieve your body of fatigue and detoxifies your liver. We also recommend peppermint oil due to its cooling and invigorating aroma. The menthol in the peppermint soothes your digestive system and lifts your mood. By doing so, it can help revive and refresh your mind, awaken your skin and relieve stress. Finally, lemon oil with its tart and citrusy aroma has the ability to cleanse your skin and body of toxins. It does this by purifying the skin with its mildly acidic compounds. It also works to stimulate your lymphatic system to drain it and helps in rejuvenating your energy through its scent.
Remember: these oils are a great addition to any self-care routine, and many of their properties can uplift the mind and body alike. That said, it’s also important to know when to seek help from a qualified healthcare professional.
Essential Oils For Meditation
Our busy lives demand so much of our attention. Therefore, while we’re doing our personal spring cleaning, it is the season to add essential oils to our meditation. Meditation itself is wonderful and quite beneficial to our health, as it’s a great way to declutter the mind. In particular, meditation promotes mental clarity, focus, cleansing and relaxation. After meditating, you may find that you can pay better attention, enjoy more quality sleep and see improvements in memory.
When paired with essential oils, with their naturally-derived botanical properties and aromas, the meditative experienced is exponentially enhanced. Essential oils during mediation have been shown to affect the meditation experience and aid in uplifting a sense of calm and relaxation. Depending on the essential oil you prefer, the scent of these oils will have various effects. However, they all serve to help with your personal spring cleaning and your quest to implement wellness into your life. Notably, their scent together with meditation can help reduce negative talk, promote feelings of positivity and amplify ease and calm.
The best essential oils are ones with a delicious and calming scent, that serves to amplify your restfulness and concentration. In particular, lavender essential oil is one of the best essential oils to diffuse while meditating. This is because it promotes relaxation, emotional and mental stability as well as inspires good quality sleep. Likewise, its floral scent helps to reduce anxiety and sadness, which in turn aids in easing feelings of restlessness. Another wonderful oil for meditation is ylang ylang, with its blissfully exotic scent that awakens your senses. Its aroma gives you the boost you didn’t know you needed, while increasing concentration and helping to clear your mind.
The Cleansing Properties Of Essential Oils
In addition to being wonderful for your overall health, essential oils are great to use in your self-cleansing routine. Spring cleaning doesn’t necessarily refer to just tidying your home, but also to your own physical appearance. Essential oils are incredibly cleansing and moisturizing which help to renew the appearance of beautiful skin and hair. There are many DIY projects that you can do with essential oils, be it soaps, hair serums, and skincare products.
Essential oils, specifically lavender, lemongrass, tea tree, peppermint and rosemary are all extremely effective. Specifically, these oils target oily hair and skin, ensuring they stay hydrated and simultaneously making them smell wonderful. Below we will detail some spring-inspired cleansing DIY products you can try to make this coming season!
Lavender Essential Oil DIY Soap And Body Wash
The healing and soothing springtime botanical scent of lavender essential oil is amplified when adding it to homemade soap. Skin is our largest organ, and during our spring clean it also deserves the utmost care and a thorough cleanse. Therefore, this lavender essential oil soap recipe can also be used as a body wash, with its wonderful properties to cleanse and amplify your wellness.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unscented castile soap
- 2 tbsp vegetable glycerin
- 2 tbsp vitamin E oil
- 20-25 drops of lavender essential oil
- 8 oz pump dispenser for soap
Method
Simply mix the ingredients together and add it to your container. It’s such an easy recipe and extremely versatile, which can be used for all your cleaning needs. Not to mention, it can work as both a hand wash as well as a body wash. Therefore, this spring, give your body the ultimate spring clean and revel in the aromatherapeutic power of this lavender soap.
Lemongrass Essential Oil DIY Hair Serum
Your hair desires all the nourishment and attention you can give it this spring. Cleansing your hair is crucial to maintaining healthy locks, especially if you deal with dandruff, dry scalp or damaged tresses. Our lemongrass hair serum has a fragrant lemony scent which has therapeutic benefits for your hair. This hair serum is wonderful for reducing flakes, moisturizing your strands and scalp, while also helping your hair to look and feel healthier.
Ingredients
- 3 drops lemongrass oil
- 1 tsp almond oil
- 1 tsp jojoba oil
Method
Combine the ingredients together, and apply a generous amount over your scalp and hair. Wrap your hair in a towel and let the mixture sit in your hair for up to 1 hour. After an hour rinse it off and condition your hair. You will notice that your hair will feel hydrated and cleansed, free from dirt, impurities and other flakes.
Non-Greasy Rosemary Oil Moisturizer
This spring you are going to want to ensure that you have revitalized and deeply hydrated skin. Our DIY rosemary oil moisturizer is the perfect thing for you to spring clean your body with! It not only nourishes your skin and keeps your pores clear for a fresh glow, but it’s also non-greasy! This recipe will increase the moisture in your skin and help provide smoother-looking and beautiful skin.
Ingredients
- ½ cup aloe vera gel
- ½ cup distilled water
- ½ cup grated beeswax
- ¼ cup fractionated coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
- 16 drops rosemary essential oil
Utensils
- 2 saucepans
- Food processor
- 16 oz glass jar
Method
Combine the aloe vera gel and distilled water in a saucepan and heat at a low level. At the same time, heat the beeswax and coconut oil on the stove until melted. Wait until the water mixture and the beeswax mixture are around the same temperature. Once that’s done, add the beeswax mixture to the food processor and slowly add the water and aloe while it’s mixing at a low intensity. You will notice the mixture begin to emulsify and you should stop and scrape down the sides occasionally.
Blend for up to 15 minutes or until you’re happy with the consistency of the mixture. Then add the vitamin E and rosemary essential oil and incorporate well. Transfer the mixture to your jar and use as you will. This lotion will be good for up to 3 months and will help make your skin feel like a dream.
Actual Spring Cleaning With Essential Oils
While essential oils are wonderful for spring cleaning your body, they are also beneficial for your home! Today the classic cleaning products you can find at the supermarket are full of unpronounceable chemicals. Opting for essential oils is a more natural way to go about your cleaning your home. Likewise, it will leave your home shinier and smelling of refreshing botanical extracts, and is a lovely way to incorporate aromatherapy into your surroundings.
There are several potent, invigorating and wonderful essential oils that really help to make your house gleam.
Lemon Essential Oil
This essential oil with its tart, refreshing and citrusy scent is one of the best essential oils to clean with. This is due to its antiviral and antibacterial properties that attack and dissolve any dirt it comes into contact with. Lemon oil is also a great deodorizer when sprayed to clean surfaces which leaves behind a lemony and botanical scent. We recommend that you add 5-6 drops of lemon oil to 1 ounce of distilled water to clean surfaces!
Tea Tree Essential Oil
Tea tree is a versatile essential oil to use in cleaning your home. With its incredible antibacterial and antifungal properties, it’s an ideal essential oil for homemade cleaning solutions. As one of the strongest essential oils, it fights germs, bugs and microbes to thoroughly disinfect your floors and surfaces. What’s more, tea tree is excellent at working against mold and mildew so that your walls look good as new.
Lavender Essential Oil
The beauty of lavender oil is found primarily in its botanical scent, which evokes feelings of springtime and flowers. Beyond its relaxing scent which is calming and helps to reduce stress, the antibacterial compounds of lavender mean that it’s great in household cleaning products.
Essential Oil Recipes For Home Cleaning
You can use these essential oils as either a cleansing spray or a floor disinfectant. For sprays, we recommend 3-5 drops of essential oil to 1 ounce of distilled water. Try these recipes and watch as it works wonders both as a cleanser but also as an air refresher.
Lemon Oil Spray For Surfaces
Ingredients
- 2 cups distilled water
- 3-5 drops lemon essential oil
- 1 cup white vinegar
Method
Mix all these ingredients together in a 24 oz spray bottle and its ready to use. This spray is perfect to clean up any variety of messes including greasy spots and spillages. Otherwise, simply use it as a spray to wipe down and disinfect surfaces. Moreover, it has a fresh and tart scent that is reminiscent of springtime for the ultimate aromatherapy.
Mold And Mildew Remover
Ingredients
- 5 drops eucalyptus oil
- 5 drops lavender essential oil
- 5 drops lemon essential oil
- 5 drops tea tree oil
- 1 tsp borax cleaning agent
- ⅔ cup white vinegar
- ¼ cup distilled water
Method
Combine these ingredients together in an 8 oz spray bottle. We recommend you use high-quality essential oils for this mixture. This is so you can really get rid of any mold or mildew on any damp place in your home. What’s more, after using this spray anywhere in your home, it will leave you with a beautifully calming scent. This mold and mildew remover provides you with a wonderful aroma, leaving your home clean and you feeling refreshed and clarified.
Purifying Air Freshener
Ingredients
- 1 cup distilled water
- 3 drops tea tree oil
- 3 drops eucalyptus oil
- 3 drops lemon oil
Method
Fill an 8oz spray bottle with all the ingredients, shake well before spraying and reveling in the wonderful aroma that fills the air. The aroma will refresh your space whenever the air becomes stale and will help you to feel purified and revived by its wonderful scent.
Conclusion
Spring cleaning with essential oils is one of the most beneficial and deliciously scented things you can do. It not only cleanses your mind, body and spirit, but it is wonderful to use in your home as well. The aromatherapeutic benefits of essential oils cannot be understated. There are so many essential oils, and the ones we’ve mentioned above are only a small sample.
Moreover, essential oils help provide you with a feeling of calm, leading to less stress and a calmer mind. This can be achieved through diffusing the oils, using them in cosmetics and beauty products, or otherwise just cleaning your house with them. The scent will linger and make your body and your home smell like a spring dream. Enjoy your spring cleaning this season and revel in the beauty of essential oils!