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In this newsletter we will try to help you further
your knowledge and use of essential oils.
Around the House and Garden – Practical Ways to Use Essential oils Around the home.
It’s Time for Spring Cleaning! – Away with Winter and Get ready for Summer!
by Penny Keay
Spring is one of my four favorite seasons!
After a long cold winter where the house has been shut up so tight, it is a wonderful blessing to open the windows and let in the fresh air!
The Storage part:
But it also means time to get closets and storage boxes ready to put away all that winter clothing and keep it safe from ‘bugs’ and such for the summer.
To afford a Cedar lined closet or chest is every woman’s dream. A place to store
those handmade quilts or store away woolen clothing to keep it safe from moths and other insects.
But if you are like most of us, the best you can do is store it in a closet, in a bag or in a box and hope for the best.
There are a few essential oils you can use to deter these critters and so you may want to get
prepared now so you have it on hand. You never know when there will be a rainy day that is
perfect for the ‘clothing’ exchange! (Anyway, that is what I call it when you do a seasonal swap of clothing, bedding etc).
Now the best essential oils to help deter moths around your clothing include the following:
Cedarwood (of course),
Lavender,
Camphor,
Bay laurel ,
Patchouli and
Sage. Others that work for varying insect and furry critters include
Eucalyptus (any),
Peppermint,
Spearmint,
Pine needle ,
Spruce needle ,
Clove bud ,
Anise and
Orange.
Although you will want to use some of these in your closet or storage box blends
you can always create a blend that you will enjoy. How about adding some
Spearmint to
Amyris ? Or
Lemongrass to
Cedarwood ? Or how about
Cedarwood ,
Spearmint and
Rosewood?
Each of these suggestions has one of the well known insect repellent and deterrent essential oils but adds a little ‘pizazz’ to your storage bin!
Now you are wondering what is the best way to have these scents last for more than a few days?
There are a few options you can try.
The simplest is to use a
Lavender Sachets.
and add one of the above oils to it, store it in a glass jar for several days then tuck it in the box you are going to store away.
Although the scent may still dissapate too quickly and leave your storage closet or bin unprotected.
Another option is to use some of our unscented Aroma beads and add your essential oils you wish to use.
The unscented aroma beads are found by Clicking Here.
Simply let the essential oils soak into the aroma beads for a few days and then place about 1-2 tablespoons in an
Organza bag with drawstrings..
These bags can then be added to your storage box or easily hung in your closet.
The scent will last for months since the aroma beads will hold the scent much longer.
The Cleaning Part
Now is the next part of “Spring” that we all look forward to (Yeah right!), the cleaning part.
The easiest is to simply add several drops of any citrus essential oil to your bucket of soapy water.
Many of you use our
Liquid dish soap,
an unscented organic based cleaner and add your favorite essential oils.
Or there is the
All Purpose Cleaner
that can be used in the Cleaning bucket or in a Spray bottle. Again, add any of your essential oils you prefer.
Most common for household cleaning chores are the citrus scents like
Lemon and
Orange . But you might want to try a change this year and try some
Pine needle and
Spruce needle . Or any combination of both
Citrus Blend and the
Conifer Blend
blends. There are several of our Synergy blends that you can use to brighten your cleaning bucket.
Remember all essential oils have germicidal properties to varying degrees.
Just the act of cleaning and scrubbing away the dust, dirt and grime will help too.
Adding a fresh scent makes you feel like you have done a better job.
Now, if you have a problem with mildew or mold smells your cleaning can be a little more difficult.
You may want to add stronger oils such as
Cinnamon leaf,
Clove bud,
Thyme or
Oregano to your cleaning solutions.
These are strong oils that can help clean the odors and deter the growth of mold.
For more information on dealing with
Molds and Mildew please see our previous Newsletter article dealing specifically with those little nasties.
http://birchhillhappenings.com/v972007 .htmand our
Tip http://birchhillhappenings.com/aromatip/5809.pdf
Now once you are all done and worn out from all the cleaning, don’t forget to pamper yourself a little too.
Take a nice long soak in the hot tub. Or give your spouse a reciprocal back rub, leg or arm rub.
(Hint: Give your spouse the massage first that way after you are done with theirs, you can sit back and relax when you are getting yours!)
Or if you are going out to celebrate (and not dirty up the kitchen right away) your hard days accomplishments
take a shower with some revitalizing and energizing blends to give yourself a little ‘pick me up’ so you can enjoy the evening!
Ah yes, A nice clean and fresh home and a job well done! Enjoy those essential oils and don’t forget to try a few new blends.
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