Ideas for Using Inessential Oils?

April 9, 2024 8:33 AM

I have a collection of bottles of essential oils that I got as freebies: one of eucalyptus with coconut, one of lemongrass with coconut, one of peppermint, one of wild orange, two of lavender. What are some non-woo, tried and true ways to use essential oils for housekeeping or personal care that will not require the purchase of other expensive ingredients and/or equipment?
posted by orange swan to Grab Bag (18 answers total)

Best answer: I shake a few drops onto the floor of the shower before I turn in the hot water and then you get some nice fragrance when the steam hits. I like this since it’s transitory and doesn’t require any equipment or fuss. Be careful not to overdo it and create a slipping hazard!
posted by chocotaco at 8:40 AM on April 9 [5 favorites]

Old-fashioned generic ceramic oil burner like this. You light a tealight in the lower chamber and put a few drops of oil in the top dish to warm and evaporate, giving off the scent. (Might have misunderstood; wasn’t clear if you wanted no equipment, or no expensive equipment!)
posted by lokta at 8:40 AM on April 9

Are they edible?
posted by bq at 8:43 AM on April 9

Mice do not like the smell of peppermint so if there's somewhere mice could get in, soak a cotton ball in peppermint oil and wedge it in any gap that could fit a mouse.
posted by essexjan at 8:49 AM on April 9 [2 favorites]

Ye olde soak a cotton ball and put in underwear drawer (without touching anything, use a small dish like for soy sauce)

Add to mineral oil for after-shower body moisturizer.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 8:50 AM on April 9

if you use wool dryer balls, you can put a couple drops on them to give the clothes a nice scent when they come out. If you don't already have wool dryer balls, they're relatively simple to make if you have access to a washing machine and dryer, and a pair of pantyhose. DIY instructions are easy to find online.

I make my own 'poo-pourri' toilet spray: re-use a small spray bottle and fill almost-half with water, almost-half with standard rubbing alcohol. then add a small squirt of glycerin and however many drops of essential oil until the shaken mix has the scent you like.

lavender is supposed to be a relaxing scent so you can make a bed linen/pillowcase spray out of rubbing alcohol + however many drops you like of lavender essential oil.

I make my own bug spray with lemongrass oil & peppermint oil with a rubbing alcohol base. There's also inexpensive reed diffusers that can be used with essential oils on front porches/back patios etc. to keep some bugs away. Mine don't work perfectly but they definitely don't seem to hurt.
posted by leemleem at 9:06 AM on April 9 [1 favorite]

Before I had a steam mop I would make my own floor cleaner out of hot water, vinegar, and some essential oil to take away the vinegar stink. You can also make your own all-purpose cleaner out of 2 cups of water, a teaspoon of dish soap, and 10 drops of some essential oil in a spray bottle. Any of those would work for that (just shake it up good before using to mix).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:12 AM on April 9 [1 favorite]

I like to wear essential oils right out of the shower. My favorite is sandalwood but of your list, I would try lavender. Shake it right on your nice warm damp skin and rub it in a bit.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 9:44 AM on April 9

A friend who has a sideline teaching yoga and leading meditations puts a few drops of a client's preferred oil on a washcloth and drapes it over their face so that they can inhale the scent. I've tried it and it is very pleasant.
posted by mmascolino at 10:28 AM on April 9 [1 favorite]

I sometimes make my own hand lotion and have added lavender to it. I like a mix of coconut and olive oils with shea butter and a touch of beeswax. The shea butter can be harder to source and you can skip it. I melt them in a regular household pot, use a silicone spatula to mix over low heat, then pour it carefully into little glass jelly jars. Nice hands, nice smell! With more beeswax, you can make lip cream, but you'd want to make sure these were food safe for anything you'd put on your mouth. You can play around with mixing the scents, too.
posted by carrioncomfort at 10:56 AM on April 9

Never consume essential oils--they are poisonous when ingested.
posted by epj at 12:18 PM on April 9 [5 favorites]

I work from home. Sometimes when I am stressed and/or lacking focus I will use a smell trigger to refocus my mind and bring me back to the present moment. I put a few drops onto a tissue and inhale, then leave the tissue on my desk. I like woodsy or tree scents that smell like the spa. I would try 3 drops eucalyptus and 1 drop peppermint on a tissue and see how you like it.
posted by shock muppet at 12:35 PM on April 9 [4 favorites]

They are usually not very useful in pure form. Usually the products of distillation, they can be used as solvents for adhesives and such. Basically like turpentine. It's kind of expensive to use essential oils this way, but it can be done. Essential oils are generally not miscible in water. Be aware they can attack some plastics, rubbers and wood finishes.

Essential oils are good for adding a scent to something else. Very little is needed. I've used them before to not only make oil based emollients smell nice, they'll also help keep plant and animal based oils more shelf stable, and retard microbe growth.
posted by 2N2222 at 3:39 PM on April 9

Shake a few drops onto a cotton ball or a square of toilet paper, and drop it into the garbage bag in your house and car. Make sure there's a bag in the trash can, because essential oils get sticky eventually and the scents go a bit rancid over time, so you don't want it seeping into plastic or wicker.

Put a few drops on the paper bag of your vacuum cleaner so its exhaust smells better.

Put a few drops in the mop water. Peppermint floors in summer are very nice!
posted by nouvelle-personne at 4:06 PM on April 9

Lavender mist is great for curly hair and general fabric refreshing.
posted by oceano at 12:01 AM on April 10 [1 favorite]

Put a drop on a very thin/unobtrusive tissue and put it on the back of a fan, the fan will help spread the smell rather than it just being in one tiny spot. No diffuser needed!
posted by Eyelash at 3:41 AM on April 10

As above, I make sprays (I just use water and alcohol or witch hazel, no glycerin), put a few drops in the bath, put a few drops in the toilet, and add a few drops to an unscented dryer sheet/dryer ball. Peppermint oil is also good against mice and ants (I have found).
posted by Isingthebodyelectric at 6:40 AM on April 10

Response by poster: A lot of really good ideas here, thanks! I've been using the shower idea as it's so simple and requires nothing more than a few seconds of effort, and I am really enjoying the resulting nice fragrant shower.
posted by orange swan at 5:09 PM on May 23