The best essential oils for cleaning and disinfecting

In your laundry

Eucalyptus, lemon, lemongrass essential oil, lavender, peppermint and tea tree are good choices for your laundry because of their fresh scent. These are just guides, however, since you can use whatever oil you desire, according to its aroma and your particular preferences.

Put a few drops of your chosen essential oil in your washer when you’ve added your clothing, or create a blend using several oils to enjoy maximum benefits, and add this to your detergent dispenser before you start the laundry.

If you use fabric dryer balls, you could also add several drops of your chosen essential oils to the dryer balls before turning on the dryer. This is a great alternative to chemically scented dryer sheets.

For cleaning

When you’re using the best essential oils for cleaning, you’ll need to stock up on a few other products too. You’ll need to add bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar to your shopping list. The exact solution you create will depend on what surface you’re dealing with:

Clove 

Clove oil is a remarkably effective antibacterial agent. It’s composed of between 80% and 95% eugenol, a phenol that kills bacteria by disrupting their cell membranes. It is effective against germs like Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi and Staphylococcus aureus, to name a few.

Cleaning your kitchen with clove oil will make it smell like fresh baking while cleaning away food-borne germs.

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus essential oil is an excellent essential oil for cleaning. Its active chemical components (primarily eucalyptol aka 1,8-cineol) are well known for their clarifying, cleansing and purifying properties that eliminate bacteria from the air and surfaces.

Its clean, earthy, minty scent will soothe and refresh you and leave the room it's used in smelling wonderful to boot.

Lemongrass

With a bright, uplifting aroma that has many antibacterial properties, lemongrass essential oil is an excellent option.

Lemongrass not only helps kill bacteria but also breaks through the biofilm that some of the tougher bacteria produce. And it will leave your home smelling like a tropical paradise while putting you in a bright mood too.

Lavender

Put lavender essential oil on your list of the best essential oils for cleaning. It has antibacterial and anti-odor properties as well as calming ones. This makes it a good choice for use in and around the home. It’s a particularly good idea to use it in bedrooms because it works to reduce stress and can induce sleep, all while keeping this area fresh and free of bacterial build-up.

Lemon

Famous for its invigorating, refreshing scent, lemon essential oil boasts antifungal, antiseptic and disinfectant properties. One of the most highly recommended essential oils for fresh air, using it will freshen up your home while helping to eliminate germs.

Peppermint

A popular ingredient in a range of different products, you will find peppermint in cosmetics, food, mouthwashes, soaps and toothpaste. Peppermint essential oil is not just awakening and stimulating, either. It is one of the best essential oils for cleaning and disinfecting because it prevents the growth of potentially harmful bacteria.

Tea Tree

Because it contains several compounds that kill bacteria, fungi and viruses, tea tree oil has been used as a natural disinfectant for hundreds of years. It is one of the best essential oils for cleaning and disinfecting particularly because of the terpinen-4-ol compound which works powerfully against bacteria. 

Eucalyptus essential oil’s antibacterial properties

Eucalyptus essential oil is capable of antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus bacteria, as revealed in this 2012 study. This makes it ideal for use in both the kitchen and in the bathroom.

Essential oils for cleaning in the hospital setting

Interestingly, even diffusing essential oils can help you keep your home cleaner. A study looked at the effect of the vapors of a 1:1 blend of orange and bergamot essential oils on the growth of two bacteria on stainless steel surfaces. After 24 hours of exposure, colony and biofilm growth were largely reduced.

In a study that isolated virulent and drug-resistant Acinetobacter bacteria from common surfaces in the hospital setting, they discovered that cinnamon, geranium and lavender essential oils were the most potent in killing this bacteria that can form biofilms and cause hospital-acquired infections.

Thyme oil was also shown in another study to be effective against Acinetobacter bacteria isolated from hospital patients. And because oil of oregano is similar to thyme but often more potent, we can assume that oregano essential oil would be similarly effective.

A commonly used chlorhexidine solution in hospital setting showed little effectiveness against drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, multi-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. However, eucalyptus, lemongrass and tea tree essential oils have shown effectiveness in killing all three, with lemongrass being more effective against gram-positive bacteria and tea tree oil being more effective against gram-negative bacteria.

The antimicrobial properties of essential oils

It was revealed in a 2016 review that cinnamon, clove, rosemary essential oil, sandalwood and vetiver, to name a few, were powerful tools against a range of pathogens. The component alpha-caryophyllene is considered to be the best antiviral agent found in essential oils, with oregano and clove oil being top antiviral oils. Carvacrol and thymol, compounds found in oregano and thyme oil, are among the best antifungal agents. Clove oil is considered the most effective antibacterial oil, and active compounds carvacrol, thymol, cinnamic aldehyde, eugenol and p-cymene are the best antibacterial agents according to this review.

 Various essential oils, including cajuput (in the tea tree family but rich in eucalyptol), eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, cinnamon, clove, sage and thyme, demonstrated potential in terms of their antimicrobial properties in this study. The main active compounds seem to be phenolic, aromatic or alcohol groups, and Gram-positive bacteria seem more susceptible than Gram-negative bacteria. Some oils also demonstrate antifungal and antiviral activity. Finding ways to prolong their presence before they evaporate and thus prolong their effectiveness would be useful.

Using essential oils to clean your home safely

It’s becoming more common than ever for people to limit the amount of commercial, chemically-based products they're using in their homes. With more attention being paid to the practice of using essential oils for cleaning and disinfecting, it’s come to light that there are some factors that you should always keep in mind:

• Stick to using pure essential oils. You’ll need to use less of the product and the results will be more predictable.
• Store your blends in glass containers. Not only does plastic potentially leach into and contaminate the oils, but it also makes them less effective. Dark glass is recommended because sunlight can speed up oils’ expiration. Store them in a dark, cool space.
• Make small batches of cleaning solutions unless you intend to use a preservative such as vinegar.
• Be careful when using essential oils. They're very powerful organic substances and should always be diluted before they come into contact with your skin. Not doing so properly could lead to skin irritation.

The herbal mint blend

Combine 4 drops of eucalyptus oil with three drops each of tea tree and spearmint oils. The spearmint essential oil in this recipe sweetens the herbal, medicinal scents of the eucalyptus and tea tree.

The kid-friendly blend

This combination is safe to use around children and combines the best essential oils for cleaning to create a charming aroma reminiscent of springtime. Simply mix 7 drops of lavender with 3 drops of lemon oil and you’re good to go.

Spicy citrus

This blend’s bright, warm scent is a go-to recipe all year round but will come in particularly useful over the Christmas season because of the clove it contains. Combine 4 drops of sweet orange essential oil with 2 drops of lemon oil and 2 drops of clove oil.

Volant’s Clean Air

The Clean Air Blend by Volant Aroma will leave whatever room it’s used in smelling sweet and fresh. A combination of tangerine, myrrh and lemon, you can put this blend in your diffuser or add it as necessary to your cleaning routine to reap these oils’ particular benefits.

Myrrh also clears bacteria while stimulating the immune system. The limonene in tangerine essential oil, present in Volant’s Clean Air Blend and Ocean Blend, is also an excellent deterrent for insects and helps purify the air. Volant’s Clean Air Blend is also found in our Energising Set.

Is using essential oils for fresh air and cleaning safe?

As long as you’re doing so responsibly, using essential oils is 100% safe.

What are the best essential oils for cleaning and disinfecting?

Eucalyptus, grapefruit, lavender, lemon, sweet orange, peppermint, tea tree oil, geranium essential oil, clove and lemongrass are all excellent options.

What safety factors should I bear in mind when using essential oils for cleaning?

All essential oils require dilution to make them safe for contact with your skin. Use a maximum 5% concentration level of oil for your mix as a general rule.

How long do essential oils last on surfaces?

This depends on whether they're top, middle or bass notes. Bergamot essential oil is a top note and will last an hour or two. Roman chamomile essential oil is a middle note and will last between two and four hours. And cedarwood, a base note, can last for upwards of six hours.

How do I make a spray of essential oils for cleaning and disinfecting?

Mix a few drops of your chosen essential oil/s with equal parts white vinegar and water.