Essential oils are often used in aromatherapy to help your home or office smell like a particular fragrance and cleaning products. Since the current crisis started, many people turn to essential oils so they can make their own soap, disinfectant wipes, and cleaning supplies. When doing this, people have turned to different essential oils, such as orange and lavender, to improve the aroma of the products.
Many people think these oils are new, but they have been a part of the world for decades to help in healing. When you properly apply them to your body or let them diffuse into the air, they can relieve pain, aid in emotional therapy, provide antibacterial protection, and even clean wood. By using certain essential oils along with vinegar and water, they can clean wood without damaging it. Furthermore, you will receive the healing effects of the oil, but this depends on which ones you use. For instance, using lavender can help you relieve stress while Jasmine can help ease anxiety. To learn more about how essential oils can help clean your wood and heal you emotionally, physically, and mentally, keep reading.
Make Your Own Wood Polish
One of the biggest questions you might have is why should you worry about making your wood polish when there are so many types for you to purchase at the store. There are even more environmentally friendly kinds, also if they are a bit more expensive. After all, isn’t it easier to buy in the store than gather up a bunch of supplies to make your own?
While it might be more accessible, this idea doesn’t mean that you’ll find the best solution to protect and keep your wood. Making your own polish and cleaning can help keep your home smelling fresh while making your furniture look new. Plus, it’s easier and cheaper than you think because you only need ¼ cup of vinegar, ¼ cup of water (¼ cup of olive oil if making polish over cleaning solution), and ten drops of your favorite essential oil.
Each Essential Oil Means Something Different
There are several essential oils you can choose from, but it’s crucial to ensure that you pick the best one for you and your home. They each mean something different, but not just from each other. For instance, while orange and lavender have various reasons for use, you can also use lavender for different applications. This notion means that you can choose to help it relax you or help improve your allergies.
Many people believe that if you want the oil to perform a specific function, you need to have this in mind or say it out loud as you pour the oil into the mixture. Other people feel that this isn’t necessary as the oil will always do what it’s supposed to do – it depends on what your body and mind need.
Lemon
When people think of lemon, they often imagine Mediterranean type foods or adding a splash of this flavor to water. You can do this with a bit of lemon essential oil because it is extracted similar to orange, through the lemon by cold pressing. However, it’s more commonly diluted, inhaled, or added to cleaning solutions for its aroma and health benefits.
Some of the significant health benefits include reducing depression and anxiety, improving skin, relieving pain, improving cold symptoms, healing wounds, and easing morning sickness. It can also help you remove sticky residue from surfaces, which is why it’s an excellent ingredient for wood cleaner.
Lavender
For many people, lavender, known more professionally as Lavendula angustifolia, is one of the best essential oils. They use it for everything because it’s one of the few types that can help with nearly anything wrong. However, like all other oils, you need to ensure you’re using it correctly or your skin can become irritated, you can feel nauseous, vomit, or get the chills.
Not only will lavender help with allergies (which is one of the main reasons it’s used in cleaning solutions), it will reduce anxiety and depression and help treat fungal infections, eczema, and other skin diseases. It’s also known to help women with menstrual cramping.
Rosemary
Rosemary or Rosmarinus officinalis has a few more warnings than other essential oils. For instance, if you’re pregnant, you don’t want to use this essential oil. You also want to keep it away if you have epilepsy. Besides adding the oil into a wood polish, you can also diffuse and even take some orally.
When it comes to rosemary health benefits, you will use it if you suffer from headaches often as it can help relieve the pain. It can also improve your brain function and help with your memory. Other reasons to use it include easing stress, reducing joint inflammation, stimulating hair growth, and increasing circulation.
Orange
Orange essential oil is one popular pick when it comes to making your wood polish. It’s sometimes referred to as Citrus sinensis and is one of the few that can not only be diffused, mixed into solutions, and taken internally (don’t consume too much). This oil is extracted from the rind of the sweet orange through a process called cold pressing.
There are many health benefits to this oil, including relieving an upset stomach, reducing stress and lifting your mood, treating various skin conditions like acne, and reducing inflammation. It can also give extra flavor to many foods, along with making your home smell citrus-y fresh.
Tea Tree
Tea tree oil is found in many items, from shampoos to soaps. Many people use it to help get rid of bugs in their home. It’s an essential oil that’s considered an all-purpose cleaner, so one of the most popular to put in homemade cleaning products like wood polish. It’s popular because it’s deemed to be antimicrobial, anti-fungal, antiseptic, bactericidal, and insecticidal. Like with many cleaning solutions and essential oils, you don’t want to keep the product in the son or any place with high heat because the tea tree oil can change and make people sensitive to it.
Other than known as an insect repellent, it can also be used as a natural deodorant, fight acne, boost wound healing, great for hand sanitizer, chemical-free mouthwash, and get rid of nail fungus. Many people also use it to ease the itch of a bug bite or get rid of and keep lice away.
Geranium
Also known as Aceite de Geranio Rosa, the Geranium essential oil is not only added to cleaning solutions but also diffused, and tiny amounts can be ingested orally, such as through foods to help improve the taste. Many people will take this step to help decrease their nerve pain.
Other health benefits that you receive from Geranium include easing symptoms of anxiety and depression, easing other pain, whether it’s a headache or random aches, and aiding in weight loss. When you rub a little on your skin, it can help heal or ease symptoms of rashes. However, it can also cause a rash if your skin becomes sensitive to it.
Jasmine
No, not the Jasmine you might remember from “Aladdin.” This Jasmine is known as a beautiful white flower with a pleasant aroma and can help boost your health in many ways. As an essential oil, it can be diffused or topically used. Many people will use it when they feel they’re becoming sick or find themselves in pain.
Jasmine is often used in its oil form because it doesn’t seem to have adverse side effects, many other essential oils have. However, this doesn’t mean that your skin can’t become sensitive after too much contact. You should also not ingest large amounts or get it anywhere near your eyes because it can burn. It’s useful to help enhance relaxation, relieve pain from headaches, and ease symptoms of depression.
Peppermint
Like most essential oils, it can be ingested orally, but you don’t want to take it in large amounts. You also want to use it sparingly if you rub it on your skin because it can become an irritant by creating a rash, red spot, or giving you a burning sensation due to skin sensitivity.
Peppermint is a marvelous oil to use when you’re having different stomach or digestive issues, from nausea to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Other health benefits it includes are relieving itching, aches, and pains. It can also help you fight off the common cold and relieve headaches by gently rubbing a bit on your forehead or using a diffuser in your area.
Frankincense
Frankincense is another popular essential oil that many people use in cleaning products like wood polish because it helps carry oxygen to your brain, so your limbic systems become stimulated. It also has a strong smell that can help clean the air in your home or office. Because Frankincense helps with breathing, it can also help ease symptoms of asthma.
Other health benefits of this essential oil include reducing arthritis, improving the function of your gut, helps maintain oral health, and can even help fight or ease symptoms of certain cancers. If you have a toothache, rub some of it on your tooth as it will help take the pain away. However, it would help if you didn’t use this oil as a cure for toothaches – only as one that will help ease the pain until you can get to your dentist.
Cedarwood
Cedarwood is more professionally known as Cedrus atlantica. It’s an essential oil that can be applied topically or used in a diffuser. The key to understanding how to use it depends on what you want to use it for, such as taking away pains or easing emotional or mental tension.
Some people use cedarwood to help them treat their acne, while others will try to rub it on a rash to ease itching. Some clinical trials have shown that it can help children with ADHD by making them feel calmer when it’s diffused in their environment. Other health benefits include aiding in sleep and decreasing inflammation in your body.
Grapefruit
Grapefruit essential oil is not commonly used because most people don’t know of its great health benefits. The fact that it’s not used often means that studies haven’t created links between its use and any adverse side effects. However, a few people believe it has a possible link to the development of breast cancer, but there is no scientific proof.
The health benefits that are linked to grapefruit include preventing water retention, bloating, and is also known to help dissolve fat. It can suppress your appetite, which helps you lose weight, helps balance your mood, reduces stress, treats acne, and has antibacterial and antimicrobial effects.
Ylang Ylang
Cananga Odourata is another name for ylang ylang. You can diffuse this essential oil or rub it on your feet, wrists, back, and neck. Many people use this essential oil to get rid of bugs inside their homes as the aroma seems to repel them.
There are many health benefits when using this oil. For instance, it can help balance or boost your mood, whether you feel like you’re merely having a bad day or struggling with depression. It’s also used to alleviate anxiety, decrease your heart rate, lower your blood pressure, decrease stress, and give you a sense of calm. If you find that your scalp is oily, you can use ylang ylang to stimulate oil production.
Rose
Rose is more than just a beautiful flower that you can plant around your home to help brighten your environment and mood. Professionally known as Rosa damascena, its primary purpose is to help promote your sense of well-being.
Many people turn to rose essential oil for their wood polish mixture because it can help you in so many areas of your life, from your mental to emotional well-being. Another reason is that it’s good to include with other oils, which can help give you a clearer balance. You can apply it to your skin, but you only want to use a little dab. It can help treat acne, skin rashes, and pains.
Tangerine
Tangerine can be used in many ways, whether through a diffuser or applied directly to the body. You can also ingest it orally, but you don’t want to use too much. There are no known side effects of this essential oil, but you always want to make sure that you don’t cause your skin to become red or develop a rash on its use.
There are many health benefits of tangerine. For instance, it’s known to help people relieve symptoms of anxiety. It can also help you get some sleep when you’re struggling with insomnia, aid in your digestive problems, and help balance your mood – especially when you’re feeling irritable. If you have dandruff, you can add it to your shampoo or make your own shampoo as it will help heal your scalp and take away the flakes.
Sandalwood
Sandalwood is a popular incense that many people will burn when they want to clear the air in their environment and help relieve their minds. If you’re not into incense, you can also get sandalwood in essential oil form and diffuse it into the air.
Sandalwood is a wonderful essential oil because it will help you balance your immune system and your mood at the same time. It’s a good oil to help you relieve symptoms of anxiety and help ease symptoms of colds, urinary tract infections, and other illnesses. It’s possible to show signs of an allergic reaction to the essential oil. Professionals state it’s best for women who are pregnant to stay away from sandalwood.
Basil
Many people use basil while cooking as it helps increase the taste of food and even works as a decoration when serving dinner to make it look fancier. Another reason to use basil is by improving your overall well-being. Ocimum basilcum is another name used for the oil. One caution is for people who have epilepsy. They shouldn’t use basil in their home or food as it can cause more problems than help them.
Basil can help aid in digestion, especially with stomach pain or irritable bowel syndrome. It’s also known as an antispasmodic, antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory essential oil, so it has many other health benefits, such as relaxing muscles and increasing alertness.
Clary Sage
Clary sage is more professionally known as Esalarea. It’s not a conventional essential oil because most people don’t know about it, but it carries many great uses. It can be used directly on the skin or diffused into the air. There is little to no information on side effects, but it’s always important to watch your skin for signs of an allergic reaction if you use it directly.
This essential oil has many health benefits, including reducing menstrual cramps and aiding in various stomach issues, such as irritable bowel syndrome and an upset stomach. It has antibacterial properties, is known as a natural antidepressant, and helps reduce stress.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is an essential oil that has antiseptic and antimicrobial properties. It’s known to help decrease inflammation in your body, whether it’s from arthritis or illness. When using it in your diffuser, this oil can help in seasonal allergies and many diseases, including influenza and pneumonia. Many people will mix this essential oil up in a solution to help fight any mold or mildew they have growing around their homes.
It’s a popular essential oil for all-purpose cleaners, including wood polish. Other health benefits with eucalyptus include helping to decrease or silence coughing, breathing easier, controlling blood sugar, repelling insects, soothing cold sores, freshens breath, and disinfects wounds.
Lemongrass
Lemongrass is extracted from the leaves and stalks of the lemongrass plant. Many people compare it to orange because of its citrus scent that’s used for cooking and aromatherapy. It has antibacterial properties that help aid in skin and blood infections. It’s also known to help prevent gastric ulcers and relieve nausea.
Other people use lemongrass because it helps them control their cholesterol, regulate blood sugar, and acts as a pain reliever. It’s known to help ease tension, anxiety, and headaches. Besides diffusing it in the air, you can also rub it on your skin, such as where you feel any pain.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is an ingredient that’s been used for centuries when it comes to cleaning and polishing furniture and floors around your home. It’s also a great spice that aids in flavoring your food, making it easy and safe to ingest. You can also use the essential oil to rub on your skin or diffuse it into the air.
There are many health benefits of cinnamon, such as improving digestion, stimulating blood circulation, relieving pain, and reducing stress. It can also help to fight off infections and repel insects. Many people turn to cinnamon because it has a great smell that will help freshen up your home and fight against mold and mildew.
Thyme
There are many health benefits that thyme helps in aiding. For instance, it can help aid symptoms of a yeast infection and antibacterial properties. One clinical study shows that this essential oil can help people in treating bacterial infections, especially staphylococcus strains.
If you’re struggling with the common cold, pneumonia, or often find yourself coughing, you can add thyme essential oil into your diffuser; it should ease your symptoms. Another benefit is that you can add it to your shampoo and condition to aid in any hair loss.
Sources:
“Wood Polish.” The Blog.
“5 Best Essential Oils for Green Cleaning.” Karen Peltier, The Spruce. April 2020.
“Homemade Wood Cleaner (it’s wood polish, too!)” Scratch Mommy. March 2020.
“What Are Essential Oils, and Do They Work?” Helen West, Healthline. September 2019.
“Essential Oils 101: Finding the Right One for You.” Emily Rekstis, Healthline. July 2018.
“16 Essential Oils to Use When Cleaning Wood.” Bunny Brinkman, Ranker. May 2019.
“9 Essential Oils For Cleaning.” Allison Hess, Home Revolution. August 2018.
“Everything you Need to Know About Cleaning with Essential Oils!” Melissa Maker, Clean my space.