Ways You Can Use Lavender Essential Oil In Your Home

Essential oils have certainly made their mark on the world of health and wellness in recent years, but you may be surprised to learn that they also have quite a few uses in your home. Lavender in particular is more useful than its amazing scent. It also boasts an abundance of ways you can put it to work for practical purposes.

Let's start with the basics, though: what is an essential oil? According to Doterra, these are natural solutions that are derived from plants. To attain an essential oil, the essence of a plant is taken from it, unleashing the potent chemical compounds that live within the plant itself.

Known for their wonderful and strong aroma, every different essential oil is made from a different plant, and they all have differing chemical makeup. That's what provides essential oils with different and distinct uses, both for wellness and for your home. Now, let's explore what the chemical makeup of lavender oil can do to improve your space!

Besides the fact that we need to clean our clothes of dirt, debris, and germs, we also do laundry to make our clothes smell fresh and clean. However, many detergents carry a load of chemicals that we don't necessarily want to wear on our skin every day. That's where lavender essential oil comes in. According to Jersey Lavender, you can use lavender oil in your next load of laundry to enjoy a heavenly scent the natural way. Even better, lavender has antibacterial and antifungal properties that will help eradicate your clothes of germs and dirt.

There are a few different ways you can add lavender oil to your laundry for the desired effect. First, take your regular liquid detergent and add a few drops of lavender oil to it before you add it to your load of laundry. It's as easy as that! If you'd rather use lavender oil while drying your clothes, you can make your own dryer sheets with lavender oil. This DIY is a sustainable measure, too, making it doubly alluring. Add a few drops of lavender oil to a fabric scrap and pop it in with your clothes as they dry. Beyond that, you can create your own laundry rinse with lavender oil, which will aid in eradicating detergent residue from your clean clothes. To do so, mix a teaspoon of lavender oil with about 15 ounces of distilled white vinegar. Add three ounces of this mix to the fabric softener drawer of your washing machine to use.

You can also get rid of unwanted smells in your home the natural way thanks to lavender oil. Most Lovely Things explains how you can create your own lavender room spray to spritz as a natural and effective air freshener. To create the spray, you'll need a glass spray bottle, 30 drops of lavender essential oil, a teaspoon of witch hazel, and distilled water. Simply combine all the ingredients in the bottle, topping off the essential oil and witch hazel with the water. Shake the bottle well before each use and then breathe in the delightful scent. You can also lightly spritz the spray on your pillow before you go to sleep each night to further enjoy the scent as you drift off to dreamland.

There are some compelling reasons to go natural when it comes to air fresheners. According to Daily Health Post, the presence of phthalates in many commonly used household air fresheners have a poor effect on our health, causing issues like irregular heartbeats and headaches. Phthalates are chemicals added to many air fresheners to help extend the amount of time a fragrance lasts in the air and are not always added to the ingredient list of these products, which can be cause for alarm. With that being said, going natural with a homemade air freshener is more of a safe bet!

Cleaning your floor has never been a fresher experience thanks to this DIY recipe using lavender oil! By Oily Design shares how you can make your own floor cleaner, also citing that going this DIY route not only is a greener and more natural option, but that it can also save you money on cleaning supplies! Talk about a triple threat.

For this floor-cleaning creation, you'll need lavender oil, water, rubbing alcohol, dish soap, and a spray bottle. You can also add other essential oils to the mix of this to create a more versatile scent, such as lemon oil, tea tree oil, peppermint oil, or eucalyptus oil. As another note, be careful about the dish soap you choose for this recipe. For the best results, avoid using dish soaps that contain moisturizers, oxygen bleach, or antibacterial ingredients.

Once you've gathered your ingredients, mix together a cup of distilled water, a half cup of white vinegar, three drops of liquid dish soap, and 15 to 20 drops of essential oil. You can choose to use all lavender or a mixture of oils depending on your personal preference. Shake up the spray bottle with all ingredients to mix well and shake it before each use. To use the solution, spray it onto the floor and wipe it clean with a microfiber cloth.

Another solution you can create yourself using lavender oil is a natural body wash. Nurtured Homes provides a recipe you can follow to do so. This is another DIY project that can save you money, and you'll smell amazing to boot once you start using this body wash! To make it, combine a half cup of liquid Castile soap, a quarter cup of melted coconut oil, a quarter cup of raw honey, and 30 drops of lavender essential oil. Add the solution to a bottle and shake it well before using it.

Lavender is known for its calming properties, and in recent years, it's been tested extensively to determine if lavender can actually quell anxiety. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience published a study that indicated that mice exposed to the aroma of lavender exhibited lessened anxiety. For that reason, homemade lavender body wash could be a great way to not only get clean but also to relax at the beginning of the day or after a long day before bed.

An out of the box way to use lavender in your home is to use it to refresh your mattress from time to time. According to Fresh Mommy Blog, this is a great thing to do whenever you change your sheets to keep your mattress odor free. This simple step can pack a big punch, as it not only will make your mattress smell incredible, but many essential oils can repel dust mites, which are a pest you want to eradicate from your mattress however possible.

To create a deodorizing powder, combine a cup of baking soda and between 15 and 20 drops of lavender oil in a jar. You can also choose to use clove, peppermint, lemon, or eucalyptus essential oil if any of those options strike your fancy. Once you've added all the ingredients, put the lid on the jar and shake vigorously. Then, use a sifter and decant the mix over your mattress (with the sheets off). Let the mix sit on the mattress for a minimum of an hour, then vacuum it off before you make the bed. Just like that, you'll enjoy an amazing scent and a cleaner mattress!

Use lavender to get rid of unwanted odors in your carpet, particularly if you struggle with pet odors in your home. Life-N-Reflection shares a recipe for a deodorizer that features lavender oil. A great asset to this deodorizer is that you can use it quickly to refresh your entire home, spreading a fresh and clean scent in what feels like no time at all! To make this DIY lavender oil carpet powder, combine a half cup of baking soda and a half teaspoon of lavender essential oil in a mason jar or container. Shake it well to completely combine the ingredients, ensuring that no clumps exist. To use the powder, sprinkle it generously over your carpets and allow it to stand for five to ten minutes. Then, vacuum up the powder and enjoy the fresh scent of lavender all around your home!

Cleaning your carpets regularly is of vital importance. According to Protech Carpet Care, carpets have the capability to hold up to 200,000 bacteria per square inch, which is even more than a toilet seat. This is a result of carpets holding up to four times their weight in dirt and from people walking across them with their dirty shoes on, pet dander getting into the fibers, and so on. Remember that the sprinkle of your lavender mix can go a long way in not only creating a wonderful scent, but in killing germs, too!

Bugs are certainly unwanted visitors in your home, but luckily you can repel them naturally thanks to lavender essential oil. Appalachian Botanical Co. shares a recipe for a natural yet effective insect repellent. Combine a teaspoon of carrier oil – almond or avocado oil are great options for this – with 15 to 25 drops of lavender essential oil. Also, add a teaspoon of witch hazel or vodka and one and a half tablespoons of distilled water to the mix. Mix or shake to combine well, then you can use this mixture either directly on your skin or you can leave it in a bowl in an insect-prone space as a natural repellent.

According to Get Green Be Well, lavender is a great way to repel mosquitoes in particular because the fragrance overwhelms them, naturally keeping them at bay. That's the same way that DEET works in traditional insect repellents, but lavender is a much greener way of achieving the same goal.

Candles are a fabulous way to both decorate your space and make it smell delightful! But, they can get pricey and some candles contain chemicals that you might not want released into your airspace. That's where a DIY lavender candle comes in! You can easily make your own using lavender essential oil, saving yourself some cash and adding a chemical-free accent to your home.

Chicago Parent shares how you can participate in this fun DIY project. You'll need to use a double-boiler or the microwave to melt soy flakes. To create a 16-ounce candle, use four cups of soy flakes. You'll also need a jar or ceramic container for your candle as well as a free-floating candle wick. Add the wick to the container you're using, using a clothespin to ensure the metal base of the wick touches the bottom of the container. Pour your melted soy flakes into the container, taking care to ensure that the wick stays in place. Stir between 20 to 30 lavender oil drops into the melted soy flakes. The more drops you use, the more fragrant your candle will be! Allow the candle wax to set for at least 24 hours, then remove the clothespin and trim your wick. Light your candle and enjoy the toxin-free scent in your home!

Linen closets or clothes drawers have a tendency to develop a musty smell over time, but lavender oil can help not only get rid of this problem, but also to make these storage areas smell fresh and clean! Lemons Lavender and Laundry shares a solution to this problem. Even if you don't feel as though your drawers or closet smell musty, you can still use this method of making the contents of these spaces smell extra fresh.

To take advantage of this tip, use lavender essential oil, a piece of scrap cardstock or cardboard, paper towel, contact paper, a hole punch, and twine. To create a freshener for a drawer, start by cutting a piece of contact paper to place under the cardstock or cardboard in the drawer to ensure oil doesn't spread to your furniture, as it could leave a stain. Then take your piece of paper towel and fold it so it's the same size as the cardstock or cardboard, resting it on top of the contact paper. Put your cardstock or cardboard scrap onto the prepared area and carefully add a few drops of lavender oil to it. The more oil, the more scent you'll get! Do this once weekly to refresh the scent.

To freshen up your closet, it's best to use a piece of cardstock instead of cardboard. Use the hole puncher to add a hole in the top corner of the cardstock. With the twine, create a loop through the hole and hang it on a hanger, adding a few drops of lavender oil to it before you hang it. If the closet is large, you may want to make a few of these refreshers for maximum effect.

Getting good sleep is important, but sometimes it can be hard to do! To make your bedroom a sound sleep oasis, enlist in the help of lavender oil. According to a study published on Hindawi, research shows that lavender is scientifically shown to aid in calming the nervous system thanks to some of its chemical components. These include linalool, linalyl acetate, and camphor. When your nervous system is calmer, it's easier to drift off to sleep.

Lavender by the Bay shares a few ways that you can use lavender oil to harness these benefits to enhance your night of restful Z's. First, add a few drops of lavender essential oil to a tissue or handkerchief, then place it inside of your pillowcase. The fresh and clean aroma will help nudge you off to a restful sleep. Alternatively, you can use an electronic mist diffuser with a few drops of lavender oil in it to create a calming environment before you go to bed.

Potpourri is a fun way to accent your space and add an amazing scent to the area, too. Terrebleu has useful instructions as to how you can make your own potpourri with a lovely lavender scent thanks to the addition of lavender essential oil. You'll need four cups of water, ten springs of dried lavender, ten drops of lavender essential oil, five sprigs of rosemary, one sliced lemon, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a handful of star anise for this DIY project. Add the water to a pot over medium heat on the stove, then add all the ingredients to the water. Allow the mixture to simmer, adding more water as the liquid in the pot evaporates. 

This all-natural mixture presents a wide scent profile, featuring not only the freshness of lavender and lemon but also the woodsy scent of rosemary and star anise. Feel free to mix the recipe up as you see fit – there's no wrong way to go about it!

Your vacuum takes in a lot of debris and dirt, but many times you may not think about doing some simple maintenance to this appliance to ensure it stays as fresh as possible. Lavender essential oil presents an easy way to keep your vacuum in its optimal condition. Rebooted Mom offers a tutorial on how you can do this in just a few minutes, making a world of difference for your vacuum. This works best on vacuums that use a bag. Remove the cover around the bag area of the vacuum. Then, take the foam filter beneath the bag out of the vacuum and wash it thoroughly, then wring it out and allow it to dry completely. Once it's dried, add it back to its spot on the appliance. Add eight to ten drops of lavender essential oil (or the oil of your choosing) to the now clean pad, then place the cover back on the appliance. Just like that, your vacuum will be refreshed and ready to clean your floors and furniture!

First aid kits are a home necessity, but your first instinct may not be to have lavender essential oil – or any essential oil at all – inside it. However, this is a useful addition when it comes to staying healthy and helping cure certain ailments. According to Santa Ynez Lavender, lavender is a wonderful natural remedy to have on hand. Thanks to the medicinal properties of lavender, you can use this oil to alleviate symptoms of a headache, rashes, burns, and clogged sinuses. The site suggests rubbing a few drops of lavender oil directly onto your skin to help cure eczema, a sunburn, or dry and flaky skin. It's also useful in relieving sore muscles, general swelling, or poor circulation. Known to relieve respiratory congestion and naturally boost the immune system, there are seemingly countless ways that lavender can contribute to one's overall health and wellness, whether it be from a preventative standpoint or in reaction to an ailment. In short, lavender essential oil is a no-brainer item to have on hand in a first aid kit or medicine cabinet.