Disinfectant Essential Oil Blends can be used in a combination of home cleaning products. For a great list (that’s growing) of homemade cleaning recipes, see my Cleaning Page.
I love using essential oils in homemade cleaning products. But which ones are the best to use?
Our skin is the largest organ in our bodies and can easily absorb harmful molecules sprayed into the air and chemicals that we touch.
I was just at a popular chain store the other day looking at what they offered in their cleaning products section. It bothered me that a number of products labeled as “Green”, “Natural”, or “Healthy” were not.
A quick look at the label showed that there were a number of chemicals that I would never use in my house! They can get away with a lot on labels these days in America. You really have to educate yourself to long elaborate or Latin names in order to even know what you are putting in or around your body.
Well, some of us have completely moved away from trying to decipher those ingredients, or even buying those products. Instead, we make our own using disinfectant essential oil blends.
The Best Disinfectant Essential Oils
***Note, if you are looking for cold and flu blends and herbal remedies CLICK HERE.
**If you’d like to purchase a blend from my shop click here.
A study by BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine studied 21 essential oils, of which 19 oils showed antibacterial properties.(1)
The best of these 19 oils were:
While all of these seem to be great at killing germs, some of the above oils needed higher concentrations, or only killed certain strains of bacteria.
Cinnamon, clove, and lime were the best against multiple strains and just highly effective overall. (1) Cinnamon oil can burn like 5 wasps stinging you in the same spot (can you tell I have experienced this), and cloves stimulates your hypothalmus, thus messing with your hormones. So Lime it is!! 🙂
Oils they said did not perform well: aniseed, eucalyptus, and camphor. Though you cannot discount these oils, because even if they aren’t great germ killers, they do other amazing things. Camphor, for example, is a great anti-inflammatory.
Another study found in the Journal of Antibicrobial Chemotherapy examined 14 essential oils and their use against major illnesses like the Flu and E. coli. They found that the following were most effective: (2)
- cinnamon bark (not leaf – do not touch to skin)
- lemongrass
- thyme (red, wild, and geraniol)
- peppermint
- tea tree
- coriander
- lavender
Once again, eucalyptus (one of my favorite smelling oils) was least effective, along with citron. Those of the above especially effective on E. coli were tea tree and coriander.
Great Blends:
Overall this is a great list! Peppermint and now Tea Tree I’ve found rather inexpensive, so they make a great combination. Lemongrass and Lavender also make an amazing combination. Here are some more to try:
Great Disinfectant Essential Oil Blends:
- peppermint and tea tree
- lemongrass and lavender
- lavender and rosemary
- geranium and lime
- grapefruit, lemon, and lavender
- tea tree and orange
What’s your favorite combo?
