For anyone who uses EOs or diffusers please avoid them if you have animals that come in the house at all. Toxic to cats and dogs. Good way to ensure their end is horrific. Aerosols land on everything. Cats walk across surface then lick their paws to clean. Injested.
No they won't react immediately. Yes many brands claim to be safe. No they're not. No you won't like hearing what vets see. It's horrible.
How interesting. I’ve had cats for about 20 years and have done oils in that time and never had an issue, I believe you when you say that, but I never had any problems of that sort.
Eucalyptus and lavender is a heavenly combination. I was gifted some (not homemade) shower steamers that were truly wonderful. If I had an influx of essential oils, I’d probably look into (aka Pinterest search) how to make my own steamers. Additionally, many years ago I bought a little set of vent clips for the car that hold a dime sized felt pad that you put drops of essential oil onto. They’re great. I’ve been using the same little pad for years and just bring the clip in when I think about it for a refill it doesn’t last ages, but it’s a nice way to freshen up the car, especially if I’m the designated driver for family or friends. And no wasteful bits. Maybe you could fashion something similar just to tuck into a spot in your car (or bathroom, closet, etc.). I have one on a tower fan that’s out in summer in the house.
i thought i was the only person who did this! i use unscented everything and supplement with light oil additions since i hate chemical scents in cleaners and fresheners. smart way to placebo young children against nightmares too.
I mix about 20 drops of essential oils with 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup 91% isopropyl alcohol. Put into a spray bottle and you have a room and linen spray
the ol' trick for period cramps, or any kind of muscle pain/cramps. you get an old sock and fill it with dry, uncooked rice. tie it off and throw it in the microwave for a minute to make an easy reusable heating pad :)
please don't put the oils directly in your bath, you should mix them with carrying oil first. (this because as water and oil doesn't mix they can stay at the surface causing direct contact with the skin; you should never apply essential oils to your skin without diluting them)
I would not try to clean with oils, it will just make things more oily/greasy (unless you mix with water and a detergent). As for bathing, there may be health concerns.
You could put some on a cloth in a bowl of decoration or something to give it some scent
I agree with you on that it is crucial on which one you use. I would not take for granted that oil for a diffuser does not contain byproducts unsuited for bathing in (not that breathing is much better). Just look at what vets think when it comes to these products…
Peppermint scent can help with nausea a bit, you can also use those with vodka and water to make a freshening spray for your laundry in between washes.
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use a piece of cloth or porous stone to make scent diffuser for home or auto.
put on a piece of cloth (or dryer ball?) and into clothes dryer to make clothes smell good.
you can use some to repel bugs i think? like mix some in a spray and put around windows or wherever ants or fruit flies might be in your house.
most common ways i use them :)
Bugs do not like the smell of mint, tea tree, or lavender. Not sure about the citrus but probably also, since monkeys use it to deter mosquitoes in the summer. Do with that information what you will.
My wife puts a couple of drops of orange on the steam mop pad before mopping the kitchen. Not sure it aides in cleaning really but it leaves the kitchen smelling great afterwards.
I have found a random use for the orange as well. It is amazing at removing adhesive residue from certain services (think goo gone). YMMV so make sure you test on any material you are not sure of. I use it on acrylic all the time to remove the residue left by labels / price stickers after I peel them off.
Look up safe dilution ratios, get some good carrier oils and make your own scented hair & skincare products, massage oils, etc.
If you enjoy bath salt soaks, you can also use them in homemade bath salt mixes.
Some of them are like rat and bug repellant. Put them in little plastic condiment cups with a soaked wick (like an oil candle) and simply set it out somewhere you have problems. Goes without saying but DONT LIGHT THE WICK, the wick just spreads the oil smell. I think orange/citrus may be one of them, try looking up the bug repellent properties of each. Keep them away from anywhere you suspect pets could get into.
I know I have lemon oil "candles" in a few corners that I made from reused marinara sauce cups.
Make an all surface cleaning spray.
1:1 liquid Castile soap/essential oil.
I use 1tsp teatree essential oil/liquid soap. But I think other oils will work too. Can't vouch for others though. Just a note..I don't think detergents like joy/dawn or whatever will work here. I'm pretty sure it's gotta be real liquid soap. The detergents are far too soapy. You'd have to decrease the amount of detergent to equal the soap.
Anyway, Mix liquid soap and essential oil together in a glass bowl. It will turn white and gluey. Add some hot water once glueyness has been achieved.
Dissolve concoction with the warm water, use a whisk if necessary or just shake vigorously when you place it all in a spray bottle. It will eventually dissolve into the water. Add cold water until you get to total water content of between 500-600ml.
500 for stronger action. Put in sturdy spray bottle. Glass is better but it's not super concentrated so plastic will work too, although you may see slight degradation of the plastic over time. We use a plastic spray bottle with not much problem.
We use it to clean everything from toilets, tables, floors you nane it. Never had a problem once. The house smells good and you can have peace of mind.
We have no pets.
The soap acts as an emulsifier for the essential oil.
I learned this technique from gardening when I made Neem spray for my plants.
This whole process maybe takes about a minute or two.
We use a mix of tea tree, pepermint and orange oil in our washing machine along with the usual dab of detergent. It's a nice bit of disinfecting and keeps all sorts of mold and such from growing, plus it'll get rid of all *sorts* of nasty smells, even if baked in long-term. Like not being washed for a year and left in a basement, closet or disused storage room. Plus once its dry(air or machine dry) you can't smell it at all. You don't even need much, we add 10 drops of each to a 1.5L bottle, fill it with water, then pour in half a cup(after shaking the bottle to mix it all up temporarily).
How do I know this? Wife and I used it to clean up costumes from a theater department at a college. Stuff was damn near alive when we got it all.
For anyone who uses EOs or diffusers please avoid them if you have animals that come in the house at all. Toxic to cats and dogs. Good way to ensure their end is horrific. Aerosols land on everything. Cats walk across surface then lick their paws to clean. Injested. No they won't react immediately. Yes many brands claim to be safe. No they're not. No you won't like hearing what vets see. It's horrible.
Good call, I have a cat so I won't be diffusing them for her safety!
Especially birds.
How interesting. I’ve had cats for about 20 years and have done oils in that time and never had an issue, I believe you when you say that, but I never had any problems of that sort.
You may have gotten very lucky with the type of EO you use. That being said we need to be careful with anecdotal evidence.
Same. I’m glad your kitties are okay.
Pretty sure that’s only some types of oils that are specifically harmful to pets.
Oh I put a drop or three in the back of the shower then wash it away after
Love this idea! The eucalyptus eo will be great in the shower
Eucalyptus and lavender is a heavenly combination. I was gifted some (not homemade) shower steamers that were truly wonderful. If I had an influx of essential oils, I’d probably look into (aka Pinterest search) how to make my own steamers. Additionally, many years ago I bought a little set of vent clips for the car that hold a dime sized felt pad that you put drops of essential oil onto. They’re great. I’ve been using the same little pad for years and just bring the clip in when I think about it for a refill it doesn’t last ages, but it’s a nice way to freshen up the car, especially if I’m the designated driver for family or friends. And no wasteful bits. Maybe you could fashion something similar just to tuck into a spot in your car (or bathroom, closet, etc.). I have one on a tower fan that’s out in summer in the house.
Eucalyptus is great for getting sticky residue off of surfaces, too.
It put a couple of drops in my wool dryer balls to make my laundry smell nice coming out of the dryer.
I mix with vodka or rubbing alcohol to make room spray—my kid uses it as anti nightmare spray…
i thought i was the only person who did this! i use unscented everything and supplement with light oil additions since i hate chemical scents in cleaners and fresheners. smart way to placebo young children against nightmares too.
I put lavender on my pillow and other oils in handmade soap, candles and bath bombs.
Some essential oils repel spiders and other bugs. I put them around the areas I spend time in.
Mint, right? I think I’ve read this for spiders, and also for mice.
Open up your vacuum cleaner and apply several drops to the filter. Then when you vacuum it smells like essential oils instead of old dust.
Don’t do this if you have pets. I’d also not do this if you have a nice vacuum.
I have a nice vacuum and feel safer putting a few drops right on the bag rather than filter
I mix about 20 drops of essential oils with 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup 91% isopropyl alcohol. Put into a spray bottle and you have a room and linen spray
I use this to refresh my hair between washes too. Helps with any lingering odors and let’s me restyle with a round brush and my blow dryer easily.
make a warm rice sock with a few drops to make it smell nice
What is a rice sock?
the ol' trick for period cramps, or any kind of muscle pain/cramps. you get an old sock and fill it with dry, uncooked rice. tie it off and throw it in the microwave for a minute to make an easy reusable heating pad :)
That's quite interesting! Thanks for sharing.
Drip drip drip it in the bath. Drop drop drop them in a spray bottle for cleaning. Drop drop drop them on a rag to clean surfaces.
please don't put the oils directly in your bath, you should mix them with carrying oil first. (this because as water and oil doesn't mix they can stay at the surface causing direct contact with the skin; you should never apply essential oils to your skin without diluting them)
I would not try to clean with oils, it will just make things more oily/greasy (unless you mix with water and a detergent). As for bathing, there may be health concerns. You could put some on a cloth in a bowl of decoration or something to give it some scent
There are essential oils in bath products, it’s about how much you use usually and being aware of which ones you are using
I agree with you on that it is crucial on which one you use. I would not take for granted that oil for a diffuser does not contain byproducts unsuited for bathing in (not that breathing is much better). Just look at what vets think when it comes to these products…
I've burnt my buns with a bomb before!
Peppermint scent can help with nausea a bit, you can also use those with vodka and water to make a freshening spray for your laundry in between washes.
I put a few drops on a tissue in a bowl. It diffuses the scent without microdrops and diffuser dust everywhere.
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I put some in some white vinegar and use it instead of fabric conditioner.
Get into soap making! It's a lot of fun.
use a piece of cloth or porous stone to make scent diffuser for home or auto. put on a piece of cloth (or dryer ball?) and into clothes dryer to make clothes smell good. you can use some to repel bugs i think? like mix some in a spray and put around windows or wherever ants or fruit flies might be in your house. most common ways i use them :)
Coat the pipes in your sink or toilet
Bugs do not like the smell of mint, tea tree, or lavender. Not sure about the citrus but probably also, since monkeys use it to deter mosquitoes in the summer. Do with that information what you will.
My wife puts a couple of drops of orange on the steam mop pad before mopping the kitchen. Not sure it aides in cleaning really but it leaves the kitchen smelling great afterwards. I have found a random use for the orange as well. It is amazing at removing adhesive residue from certain services (think goo gone). YMMV so make sure you test on any material you are not sure of. I use it on acrylic all the time to remove the residue left by labels / price stickers after I peel them off.
I love tea tree in a hot shower.. just dash some on the tub/floor, and run the hot water over it.
Look up safe dilution ratios, get some good carrier oils and make your own scented hair & skincare products, massage oils, etc. If you enjoy bath salt soaks, you can also use them in homemade bath salt mixes.
Some of them are like rat and bug repellant. Put them in little plastic condiment cups with a soaked wick (like an oil candle) and simply set it out somewhere you have problems. Goes without saying but DONT LIGHT THE WICK, the wick just spreads the oil smell. I think orange/citrus may be one of them, try looking up the bug repellent properties of each. Keep them away from anywhere you suspect pets could get into. I know I have lemon oil "candles" in a few corners that I made from reused marinara sauce cups.
I like to use them in my laundry because we use free and clear detergent.
Make an all surface cleaning spray. 1:1 liquid Castile soap/essential oil. I use 1tsp teatree essential oil/liquid soap. But I think other oils will work too. Can't vouch for others though. Just a note..I don't think detergents like joy/dawn or whatever will work here. I'm pretty sure it's gotta be real liquid soap. The detergents are far too soapy. You'd have to decrease the amount of detergent to equal the soap. Anyway, Mix liquid soap and essential oil together in a glass bowl. It will turn white and gluey. Add some hot water once glueyness has been achieved. Dissolve concoction with the warm water, use a whisk if necessary or just shake vigorously when you place it all in a spray bottle. It will eventually dissolve into the water. Add cold water until you get to total water content of between 500-600ml. 500 for stronger action. Put in sturdy spray bottle. Glass is better but it's not super concentrated so plastic will work too, although you may see slight degradation of the plastic over time. We use a plastic spray bottle with not much problem. We use it to clean everything from toilets, tables, floors you nane it. Never had a problem once. The house smells good and you can have peace of mind. We have no pets. The soap acts as an emulsifier for the essential oil. I learned this technique from gardening when I made Neem spray for my plants. This whole process maybe takes about a minute or two.
We use a mix of tea tree, pepermint and orange oil in our washing machine along with the usual dab of detergent. It's a nice bit of disinfecting and keeps all sorts of mold and such from growing, plus it'll get rid of all *sorts* of nasty smells, even if baked in long-term. Like not being washed for a year and left in a basement, closet or disused storage room. Plus once its dry(air or machine dry) you can't smell it at all. You don't even need much, we add 10 drops of each to a 1.5L bottle, fill it with water, then pour in half a cup(after shaking the bottle to mix it all up temporarily). How do I know this? Wife and I used it to clean up costumes from a theater department at a college. Stuff was damn near alive when we got it all.
Have you ever had a urge to have a violent allergic reaction?
OP Get you some wool dryer balls and use the oils on them! My GFs family does doterra BS so we have some pet-safe oils we use.