Essential Oils Blog

Wall washing may seem like a difficult task, but it's actually quite easy with the right tools. You will need a long rectangular tub or bucket for washing walls, as the rectangular swiffer mop or broom needs to fit in easily. I used a giant "outdoor" style broom for the exterior. Just wet the wall down with a hose, dunk in the soap recipe, and scrub with the stiff broom. Then rinse. As I had some leftover soap after finishing the exterior wall, I dumped it onto our cement patio and scrubbed it with the broom too. Rinsed. Came up a treat.

For the inside walls, a swiffer mop makes this job a breeze. Make sure walls are clean of cobwebs first, then soap up the swiffer mop and swiffer the walls. Yay for clean walls! Rinse if you want. I didn't bother as I didn't soap it up too much.  It's also helpful to have a little scrubbing brush for stubborn marks. Wipe over with a soft cloth to finish.

Here's the Wall Wash Recipe. You can modify and dilute to suit yourself. 

DIY SUGAR SOAP
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup Laundry Liquid              (you can find Thieves Essential Oil infused Laundry Liquid here, or Thieves Household Cleaner)
6-10 drops Essential Oil of choice  (optional- find our range here)
4 Litres Hot Water (flexible, depending on your desired strength of soap)

In your rectangular tub, add hot water and combined ingredients. Stir.

I like to use an essential oil blend for these types of large area cleaning jobs. My favourites for these are probably Thieves, or RC. The best part about adding essential oils to your cleaning is that it can deter pests as well! Win-win.

Enjoy your clean mould-free exterior walls or your sparkling fresh scented interior walls! Have you ever made a DIY wall wash? Are you going to be washing your walls soon?

Even so called "natural" products, or "organic" products are labelled as such sometimes just as a marketing ploy. So how can we know the difference? Check the ingredients, make it yourself, or find a natural community online who can steer you in the right direction. ​There are a lot of essential oils that I use for cleaning. Some are used for their fresh scent, some used to deter pests, and some used for their actual cleaning properties, and some do all three!  Fancy that!

Here is a list of my favourite essential oils for cleaning purposes to add to your DIY cleaning collection. I cannot list their powerful actions, (see my About Oils page for why) but a bit of online research will tell you all you need to know about their multi-purpose benefits.They can all be switched up and changed around, in window wash or dishes, it doesn't really matter too much, get creative and have some 'fun' with it! Thats the benefit of essential oils really, they can be used for a variety of uses!

EUCALYPTUS: Brilliant for removing sticky residues, such as sticky tape "leftovers",  using around bins or other "stinky" areas. Good in a hard floor cleaning recipe. Wonderful in the shower and bathroom, as the scent invigorates with the steam of your shower. Bonus!

THIEVES: A unique Cloves and Cinnamon blend, this is great diluted for spray and wipe cleaning of wet area ceilings, vents, and wherever mould might occur. Diluted CLOVES, ROSEMARY, or CINNAMON OIL will work for this purpose on their own if you don't have the blend. This Thieves blend is part of our core range of essential oil cleaning products. Find THIEVES Essential Oil Blend in our store.

LEMON: Lovely in DIY dish soap, mop bucket recipes, or DIY laundry powder, Lemon is one of our cheaper "under $25" range, so is a perfect starter bottle if you're new to essential oils. Find LEMON Essential Oil here.

PEPPERMINT Essential Oil : Fresh scent and cleaning properties, gives a boost of positivity as you clean! Again a great essential oil for DIY hand soap recipes, mop bucket additive, great for adding to your cobweb broom to deter spiders. 
SPEARMINT is a wonderful substitute.

CEDARWOOD: Wonderful warm-scented Cedarwood is good for putting in cupboards to deter "eaters". Make fabric pouches for your pantry or clothing drawers with Cedarwood essential oil. DIY "how to" to come in another post.

PURIFICATION: A great oil blend if you have pets. Dilute and use to clean up messes, or messy areas around food bowls or kitty litter. Wonderful if mixed with bicarb and sprinkled on carpets for a carpet deodoriser, let sit, then vacuum away.

​LIME: Lime is a favourite for dish soaps, spray and wipes, and hand soaps for its fresh scent, and bargain price at under $25. Diffuse after all your cleaning is done to let you know that you're a success, with its positive and clearing aroma.

If DIY cleaning is your jam, then this is the blog for you! I will be posting more on DIY cleaning recipes soon. You can also check out our other DIY posts to get you started. There's an easy DIY Foaming Hand Soap, DIY cleaning recipes with Thieves Household Cleaner, and a DIY Linen Spray.  See our Essential Oils List for more oils you might like to start making cleaning recipes with, and do some DIY creations of your own. Put on your favourite tunes and get creative!

If making your own DIY cleaning products is your worst nightmare, that's ok. The mess I make does seem a bit counter productive sometimes, so I get it. It's just easier to have the beautiful packaged product ready to go. Switching to a natural way of cleaning is still possible! Find our ready made, essential oil infused cleaning products with our Thieves Cleaning Range here. You can purchase all these essential oils for your DIY cleaning here at The Oil House. What tunes are you rocking out to as the vacuum cleaner hums? Do you make your own cleaning products? Have a favourite DIY cleaning recipe to share?

These 3 easy recipes will help you get started on switching to natural cleaning. They are each based on using Thieves Household Cleaner, which you can order through The Oil House in 426ml or a whopping 1.8L bottle. As this is a concentrate, it goes a LONG way. Wonderful to have in the cupboard as a bulk natural cleaner. Thieves is a unique blend of essential oils that have exceptional cleaning properties, even though they may be known for their other benefits!
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CLOVE: This essential oil contains the constituent eugenol, which dentists have used to numb gums in the past. It's warm scent creates a cosy atmosphere.
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CINNAMON BARK: Said to unlock feelings of abundance, cinnamon is a favourite of mine, especially ontop a hot fresh donut with sugar! 

ROSEMARY: Promoting feelings of clarity and an energising environment, Rosemary is a strongly scented herb, with it's familiar aroma. 

If you dont have Thieves Household Cleaner, you could use substitutes. You can use these recipes as a guide. Thieves Oil blend, with  your 'run of the mill' liquid castile soap should work as a close second. As Thieves is made up of essential oils of cloves, cinnamon, lemon, and rosemary, you could always mix up your own blend if you have these oils, it just won't be the same as the real deal!  Just remember to dilute heavily with the castile soap. I highly recommend just giving the Thieves Household Cleaner a try. You won't regret having plenty of natural cleaner on hand for making your own DIY products.


DIY SPRAY N WIPE
1 capful Thieves Household Cleaner and 2-3 cups of water in a spray bottle. That’s all! Liberally spray and wipe everywhere! Clean window sills, kitchen benchtop, tables, kids marks on walls, spaghetti sauce splatter. This is an all-purpose cleaner.
 
 
DIY SURFACE SCRUB
Bicarb Soda
Thieves Household Cleaner
 
Mix together a small amount of each ingredient to form a thick paste. Apply with a sponge to surface needing to be cleaned. Scrub surface and then rinse clean. Great for cook top, shower recess, grimy spots that need an extra boost of cleaning power.
 
 
DIY SPOT CLEANER/HEAVY DUTY
1 cup Thieves Household Cleaner
1 cup water

Apply solution with a cloth.

Don't forget to do some research on the other benefits of the essential oils in this amazing blend, Cloves, Cinnamon and Rosemary especially- they are powerful all on their own! Do you have a favourite natural cleaning recipe? What about a favourite oil for using in your DIY cleaning?

Switching to a more natural way of life does not have to be hard. It is a daily decision to take one more step away from past choices, and one more day towards making new ones that, over time, become life changing. Here are the ways I have “converted” my life, and the ways I am planning to change for a more natural existence.

1. LESS IS MORE. I choose to think twice before purchases, being less material-focused. Will I still buy the newest, latest, gadget? Yes, possibly, if I believe I will use it every day and it will help me on my way to being a better version of myself. Not if I think I will use it for three months and then be “over” the novelty. This also applies to my food, I am buying in bulk the items we regularly use, and skipping the ones that sit in the pantry for months on end. The benefit of living with less is that the house is staying a lot neater, and it is full of the things I love. Less materialistic, more minimalist.
2. CULL NEGATIVITY. I am choosing to speak positively. Think positively. Be positive. Surrounding myself with positivity! I am asking myself, "What makes you laugh? What makes you happy? What are you passionate about, that only you can bring to the world?" I am putting up positive quotes around my house, quotes that build me up and encourage my family.
3.  OPT OUT. I am “opting out” of the things in society that “bring me down,” or make me hurried, and therefore stressed. I don’t watch much TV, I avoid the news. I have stopped attending “everything, everywhere” and have chosen a more quiet existence. “Just say No” became my motto for a while. Now I can say “Yes” to the things I WANT in my life.
4.  EMBRACE THE MORNING. My next step to natural is to embrace the morning light. This was something I’ve done in the past, but I happen to live with a night owl. Trying to keep up with someone else’s time clock has sent me spinning. I have felt like I’m starting every day on the back foot. So I will begin with the morning light, and return to what works best for my body, with a boost of serotonin to boot! If you just can't face the morning, the afternoon setting sunlight is also good.
5. SWITCH THE FOOD. I love coffee, chocolate, and cake. These are my treats, and I keep them as such. Everything else has been up for discussion, negotiation, and replacement. We have switched our salt to a more natural pink salt full of minerals. I incorporate more natural ingredients into everything. Turmeric is my friend, and herbs and spices go into every meal. I boost cereals and smoothies with seeds- flaxseeds, chia seeds and healthy oils. Switching to healthier choices doesn’t have to be hard. 
6. WATCH THE WATER. After doing some research on what is in water from our taps, we bought a strong filter! Now we are trying to drink more than eight glasses of water, per person, per day. My next step will be a shower filter.
7.  NATURAL CLEANING. We have switched our chemical cleaning products for natural, plant-based ingredients. I feel happier knowing my family (pet included) are safe from chemical-based harsh cleaners. Bonus for me, they smell divine, so cleaning becomes happy, and my home smells sweet too.
8.  ESSENTIAL OILS. I use essential oils, natural supplements, and oil-based products a lot. They add support to my natural first aid kit. This is helping my family stay calm and relaxed. Natural supplements keep us in tip-top condition. Changing to whole food supplements that are bio-available is important for getting nutrients in your body.
9. NATURAL COOKWARE. I am ready to switch out my saucepans and chose a healthier alternative to "tradtional" non-stick pans. After doing some research, I'm convinced there are healthier alternatives, especially as I'm notorious at scratching the pan!
10. ESCAPE TO NATURE. When I get really overwhelmed, there's only one thing for it. Going barefoot on the grass, getting in the sun, walking amongst the trees, or swimming at the beach. Pack the bag and go! Get alone and explore.

Writing this, I realise there are plenty more ways we are switching to a healthier, more natural kind of life, but I guess that will have to wait for another post! Making the switch to a healthier life didn't happen overnight, but my motto of  "JUST ONE THING" has made it an easy transition. I chose to change just one thing about my life I didn't like, one step at a time, one day at a time, or one week at a time. Be kind to yourself, and then, one day, you will wake up and find your life has become something different, something magical.

What natural goals have you set for yourself? How are you choosing a more natural life?