To thoroughly clean the kitchen you don't need aggressive detergents - some essential oils are all you need!
The kitchen is one of the rooms in the home that most easily gets dirty and malodorous due to cooking fumes. Obviously, keep the kitchen clean is vital for proper hygiene standards: a perfectly clean (and perfumed) kitchen will greatly reduce the risk of foodstuffs being contaminated by mold, germs or bacteria.
Using natural products is always the best way to clean the kitchen, as these products are non-toxic and not very aggressive. As a result, they are much less harmful for our health and the environment, as well being non-damaging to furniture, utensils and kitchen appliances.
Essential oils, in particular, are a very effective and harmless product to use to clean and sanitize a kitchen. So, how is this done? Well, read on to find out more:
Cleaning kitchen surfaces with essential oils
Essential oils are a great alternative product for cleaning all the surfaces in your kitchen - from the oven, to the glass, to the refrigerator and more. Natural and eco-friendly, these oils have antibacterial and antiseptic properties and are non-toxic. Used correctly, they are also harmless for humans and pets.
You can prepare a multi-surface cleaner by putting 500 ml of water and 50 grams of bicarbonate (baking soda) in a spray bottle, being careful not to create lumps. The addition of 10 drops of an antibacterial essential oil will provide the cleaning and sanitizing actions. The most suitable oils for this purpose are lemon, eucalyptus, cinnamon, pine, tea tree and cloves.
The best essential oils for cleaning the kitchen
As already mentioned, essential oils are not completely risk-free. Although they are natural, non-toxic products, they are very powerful compounds and must be used with care. So, what are the most best essential oils to use for cleaning the kitchen, and which combine cleaning and sanitizing power with safety? Well, here's a list:
- Tea tree: this oil is the most suitable for cleaning and disinfecting. Tea tree oil has a pungent odor that can be overpowering, but this oil has a high antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. It can be used in combination with other essential oils to reduce its odor;
- Lemon: this is an excellent degreaser oil, suitable for cleaning greasy and sticky surfaces, as well as having good antiviral properties. It can be replaced by orange essential oil to degrease surfaces, but if you also want a good sanitizing effect, orange oil must be used together with another oil, such as tea tree oil;
- Thyme: another oil known for its antibacterial properties, thyme is often included in many natural detergents;
- Sage: perfect for eliminating unpleasnat odors, especially frying smells, it can be used together with baking soda in a bowl placed near the oven;
- Eucalyptus: perfect for sanitizing and making surfaces shine again, this oil is highly flammable and should not be used around heat sources (the oven, for example). Furthermore, it can be harmful ingested by children and pets.
- Lavender: in addition to having relaxing properties, lavender is also perfect for preventing the proliferation of mold and fungi.
Do you already have a favorite essential oil?