Why Lavender Essential Oil Is Great For Cleaning (& Easy Ways To Use It)

You know you've done a good clean when the place looks spotless and smells fresh. This is the main appeal of cleaning with lavender-based products: the fresh smell that lavender is known for always adds to the effect of cleanliness. DIY Cleaning Influencer Alissa Schow (@home.and.chaos) spoke exclusively to House Digest about the scent and calming benefits of lavender essential oil when used in cleaning. She also explained how to use it as a spray to wipe down surfaces, in a diffuser to freshen the air, and with homemade wipes and toilet bombs.

There are several ways you can use lavender essential oil in your home, including dropping it into your laundry detergent, making it into carpet powder, and turning it into insect repellent. When it comes to everyday cleaning, lavender oil is a 2-in-1 ingredient because its powerful scent is useful for reinvigorating spaces and covering up foul odors, but it also has strong antibacterial and disinfectant properties.

Essential oils, as a whole, are a great alternative to chemical products because they are natural and, therefore, have gentler effects on humans, animals, and the environment. Lavender is a popular choice for cleaning, and Alissa Schow likes it, especially because of this natural component. "I love using essential oils when I make DIY cleaners around my home. I don't love store-bought cleaner products because of the harsh chemicals and smells, and oils are a great way to get a pure, clean scent that's not too overpowering," she says.

In her exclusive with House Digest, she shared how she utilizes this oil in her home. "I love to use lavender in my bedrooms because it's so calming. I have a travel cleaning kit, and one of the items is a bedbug spray solution that I spritz the mattress, sheets, and pillow with," said Schow. "It smells amazing and has a calming effect." Lavender essential oil comes in handy for parts of the home where you need to create a serene environment. In addition to the bedroom, this can be the bathroom or home office.

Two techniques Alissa Schow has for cleaning with lavender oil are to make it into a spray or put it in a diffuser. "To a travel spray bottle, add equal parts rubbing alcohol and water with about [five] to [seven] drops of lavender essential oils," she says. Use this mix to wipe dirty surfaces. Lavender essential oil spray can also be used to banish bad smells from your upholstery. Just mix about six to 12 drops of lavender oil to equal parts vinegar and water, spray a little on the sofa, let it dry, and vacuum.

"I also love to add various oil combinations to diffusers around my home. I have one in my nightstand and in my kitchen. It's soothing, calming, and they make your home smell yummy without the heavy smells." Some other essential oils to add to your DIY cleaning products to make your home smell amazing are eucalyptus, peppermint, and tea tree. These, combined with lavender, will work well in a diffuser and spray but also with other homemade cleaning mixes. "I use oils in my DIY cleaning wipes – for this one, I love using Thieves® [essential oil blend], or any citrus (grapefruit, lemon, or orange)," says Schow in her exclusive interview with House Digest. "I also have my own version of a toilet bomb that I add lemon essential oil to for a fresh, clean smell." For Schow, lavender is a must-have ingredient in a DIY cleaner.