How to Diffuse Essential Oils- Two Ways

So, if you have any interest in essential oils, I'm sure you've seen those nifty little, electric oil diffusers.  They're great and Amazon sells tons of different styles- ones that look like rocks, ones that have color changing lights, different shapes.  But, what if you're not sure you want to invest in a diffuser?

If you're just getting started playing around with essential oils, you can find soapstone oil diffusers that use candles  for under $10 at Walmart.  You use a tealight candle to heat your essential oil solution and provide yummy, clean smell wherever you need it.  Just, add water to your diffuser's basin, mix in oils of your choice and place a lighted tea candle inside your diffuser.  The heat will help the scent permeate the room.

For a little fancier way to get some natural scent into your living space, you can heat some herbs or fruits and essential oils on the stove top.

It's September so fall is coming.  That means it's time to put away flowery scents and switch to citruses and spice.  Bergamont is a great citrusy scent.  It's uplifting, and supposed to relieve anxiety.  It's one of my favorites.  Here's two ways to diffuse it.

Candle Diffuser
10 drops bergamont
5 drops clove
Mix with water in the diffuser, light your candle and enjoy the fresh fall scent.

Stovetop Diffuser
10 drops bergamont
1 sliced lemon (or orange)
1 cinnamon stick
Place in a kettle on the stovetop, simmer on low.

Regardless of which method you use, be sure to keep an eye on them.  If you end up letting all your water evaporate off, you could wreck your soapstone diffuser or end up with burnt lemon and cinnamon stick in your kettle.


I received this bottle of essential oils for free from Tomoson in exchange for an honest review, but all thoughts are my own.  If you are interested in purchasing your own bottle, you can find them on Amazon, currently for $14.50.

Using Essential Oils to Clean Naturally- Lavender

Alright, this is my last post for cleaning ideas with essential oils.  And I saved my favorite oil for last!  Lavender is good for so many things, but normally it's thought of as a perfumer for things like bath salts and bombs or sachets for in your lingerie drawer because of it's relaxing properties.  But, you can easily use it to give your laundry a light, natural scent.

Here's how:

When you go to put your laundry softener in, simply add some essential oils to the softener cup.  I use an unscented softener with about ten drops of lavender.  Sometimes I use a citrus scent, sometimes vanilla.  Depends what I'm feeling.  If you don't use a liquid softener, you can mix some baking soda or washing soda with your oil of choice and add it to the drum of you washer prior to filling.  I have a front load washer and when washing sweaty workout clothes, I often add about half a cup of washing soda to give my detergent a boost.

I was recently introduced to New York Biology's essential oil line.  If you're looking for a source for affordable essential oils, you should check them out.  Lavender smells great, they're pure oils, and bonus- they even come with a handy dropper which gives you much better control over how many drops get dispensed.  They're also very affordable.  Right now on Amazon, you can get one ounce of lavender for $10.50. 

I received a free sample of New York Biology's lavender oil in exchange for an honest review through Tomoson.  All opinions are my own. 
 

Using Essential Oils to Clean Naturally- Peppermint

I have two cats, and while I love them, they definitely make more work in the cleaning department.  There's all the cat hair that needs to be vacuumed up, litter box, cat toys scattered around the house, and food and water dishes.  Sometimes, I feel like they leave the house smelling a little less than fresh.  So, a lot of times when I vacuum I use baking soda to deodorize, and I add some essential oils to make it smell fresh.

It's super simple.  Just throw some baking soda in a bowl.  I usually use about a cup.  Add essential oils of your choice.  I usually prefer peppermint or grapefruit.  Stir in about 10 drops our so.  Then, you just sprinkle it over your carpeting.  I usually just use my hand but have used a flour sifter before to get it really evenly dispersed.  Then, you just let it sit for a little bit.  I usually wait fifteen minutes or so.  Then you just vacuum it up.  If you have a bag vacuum, you may not want to do it all the time, because then you're just filling your bags with scented baking soda, but if you have a canister, it works great!

I was recently introduced to New York Biology's.  If you're looking for a source for affordable essential oils, you should check them out.  Shipping was fast and I was very happy with the quality of the oils.  Smells just as it should, they're pure oils, and bonus- they even come with a handy dropper which gives you much better control over how many drops get dispensed.  They're also very affordable.  Right now on Amazon, you can get one ounce of peppermint for $14.50. 

I received a free sample of New York Biology's peppermint oil in exchange for an honest review through Tomoson.  All opinions are my own. 

Using Essential Oils to Clean Naturally- Tea Tree

I was first introduced to essential oils by a lady who had me babysit her son when I was in high school.  I thought they were kind of mythical and unreal but she gave me some lavender, and I did like how it smelled.  A few years later, we started selling them at the Hallmark store I worked at and then I really got hooked.  I've been using them ever since.

One of the easiest ways to get started using essential oils is in cleaning.  You gotta do it anyway, why not cut out some of the toxic chemicals and go with something natural that smells good.

One of the best oils to clean with is tea tree oil.  Personally, it's not one of my favorite scents, but tea tree is a great antibacterial and antimicrobial which makes it awesome for cleaning in areas where you need germ killing powers, like in the bathroom or on kitchen counters.

Here's the "recipe" I use:

Fill an empty spray bottle about 1/2 to 2/3 full with water.  Fill almost to the top with white vinegar.  Then add about 10 drops of tea tree oil.  Shake.  And then spray where needed.  You can also add another essential oil if you have a smell preference.

And that's all there is to it.  If you're looking for a source for essential oils, I was recently introduced to New York Biology's.  I like them because they are pure oils, and bonus- they even come with a handy dropper which gives you much better control over how many drops get dispensed.  They're also very affordable.  Right now on Amazon, you can get one ounce for $12.50.

I received a free sample of New York Biology's tea tree oil in exchange for an honest review through Tomoson..  All opinions are my own.