Favorite Household and First Aid Tips
Avoiding the use of chemicals during household cleaning has many benefits, between creating a healthier space for your family and not contributing pollutants to the environment - essential oils are an excellent option for those seeking a more natural lifestyle.
Helping people in first aid circumstances is serious business and one should know their capabilities as they get involved. One should wholeheartedly hone their skills, know how and when to ask for help and to take time to study with knowledgeable persons.
Using natural essential oil remedies and household cleaning formula's has been practiced for thousands of years by humans - here are some favorite tips.
Homemade Soft Scrub
- 2 cups baking soda
- 1/4 cup Thieves Household Cleaner
- 1/4 cup water
Mix ingredients well in your standing mixer (or with electric egg beaters). This versitile scrub can be used in sinks, bathrooms, counter tops, stove tops and ovens, and to remove scuff marks from the floor. To view a video of how to make this scrub, click here.
Decrease Time Cleaning the Bathroom
Over the years since I started using Young Living's essential oil based personal care products (especially the bath products) I've noticed that I don't have clean the bathtub or shower nearly as often as I used to. I have also noticed that the build up mold or mildew is almost non-existent on shower curtains. The bath and shower gels, bar soaps, shampoos and conditioners leave no noticeable scum build-up and the essential oils, not only keep the bathroom smelling fresh naturally but they also help to kill the mold and mildew that you normally find in the high humidity of of the bathroom.
What To Do With Empty Essential Oil Bottles
1. When you use up the last of an essential oil, save the bottles (with lids on tight).
2. Once you have 10 or so bottles, pour a few ounces of 105 proof (or better) vodka into a wide mouth jar (emove the lids and stoppers from your bottles of essential oil and put them in the alcohol too).
3. Put them into the jar, put the lid on tight and shake.
4. Remove the lids and stoppers from the alcohol.
5. Place the essential oil bottles into the alcohol. VERY GENTLY shake the bottle taking great care not to break the little jars inside.
6. Remove the Jars (you can now recycle them).
7. Dilute the alcohol with half water (i.e. if you have 2oz alcohol, add 2oz water).
You now have non-toxic, naturally scented alcohol! Simply place this liquid into a fine mist spray bottle and use to deodorize your home, car, or what ever else you want to use it for!
Aromatherapy Air Spray Mist
1 oz. distilled water
1 oz. 105 proof (or better) vodka
10-20 drops therapeutic grade essential oil
Place all ingredients into a 2 ounce spray bottle-just make sure it is the fine mist type. Label the bottle, and spray away!
Some of my favorite combination's and blends include
- Bergamot and coriander
- Ylang ylang and rose
- Grapefruit and Spearmint
- Frankincense and Lavender
- Citrus Fresh
- Joy
- Christmas Spirit
- Evergreen Essence
- Transformation
Have a Headache?
Rub a drop of PanAway oil on the temples, forehead and back of the neck to relieve a headache.
Air Freshener
Use 6 drops of Lemon oil and 6 drops of Purification oil in a squirt bottle with distilled water to use in the bathroom as an air freshener.
Lavender Oil for Boils
Not long back I noticed I had a large boil on the back of my leg. I put a dab of lavender oil on it that evening before I went to bed. When I woke up the next morning it had improved more than 50%. The following day it was completely gone!
Don't Like Drinking Water?
We're told we should drink half our body weight in ounces daily. I don't know about you but I'm not crazy about the taste of plain water. Try adding a drop of Lemon Essential Oil to your glass of water. It offsets the bland taste of regular water. The taste of lemon oil is simply divine. When our foster son first came to live with us it was difficult to get him to drink water. We tried lemon oil and it's helped immensely.
Preventing Colds and Flu
I have used essential oils for 20 years to clean my house, I immediately noticed that we weren't getting colds or flu. As a matter of fact we didn't even so much as get the sniffles for 13 years! This I attribute solely to essential oils. This is what I do: in a 14 oz. spray bottle filled 7/8 of the way full I add my Young Living essential oils: 12 drops Thyme, 10 drops Spearmint, 10 drops Orange or Tangerine, 4 drops Rosemary, and sometimes 1-2 drops of Patchouli. This makes a terrific surface spary and air freshener. I even lightly spritz door knobs, light switches, phones, and spritz my bathroom surfaces and air - and just let it air dry. It smells fantastic!
Thieves Household Cleaner as a Laundry Detergent
I have not bought any type of laundry detergent or laundry products for 6 or 7 years now. I use Thieves Household Cleaner in place of laundry detergent. I love it so much that I haven't used anything else since. Here's how I use it: In my front loading washer, I put into the detergent dispensor one capful (Tablespoon) of Thieves Household Cleaner - and that's it! I never use bleach or fabric softener - I don't have to! Beacuse Thieves cleaner is not a soap it doesn't make clothes feel stiff or scratchy. My clothes smell really good too. I save a lot of money on laundry products by only needing this one product. Thieves cleaner is an excellent option for those whowant to minimize their exposure to cancer-causing household products and want to have a Green lifestyle. Thieves Household Cleaner is all-purpose - I even wash my car with it! ~ Evelyn Vincent
Diffuse, Diffuse, Diffuse!
Want to rid the air of unwanted microbes and super bugs? Then try diffusing Thieves, Purification, and Lemon essential oils! Learn More...
Natural Sink and Bathtub Cleaner Recipe
This recipe is so simple and you won't have to worry about being exposed to nasty chemicals that make you feel sick. The Young Living essential oils in this recipe are what give it superb bacteria fighting power. 1 cup Baking Soda 20-30 drops Thieves Essential Oil In a small mixing bowl place baking soda, then add essential oil. Stir well until mixed thoroughly. Pour mixture into a 6 or 8 oz. glass jar with lid or plastic container with lid. Sprinkle mixture into sinks or bathtubs, scrub, rinse.
Home Diffuser Aromatherapy Blend for Thanksgiving
Diffusing essential oils during the winter not only fill the home with a beautiful scent but also helps kill germs - so you feel good emotionally and physically. This warm spicy blend is excellent for diffusing during your Thanksgiving gatherings. 2 drops Cinnamon Bark essential oil 1 drop Clove essential oil 3 drops Orange essential oil This recipe works very nicely in either the Ultrasonic Diffuser or the Home Diffuser (also an ultrasonic type). If you're using the Cold-air Nebulizer Diffuser simply add more drops of the specified essential oils. More on diffusers and diffusing.
Forest Air Freshener Blend to Diffuse
This is a nice blend to make for diffusing during winter months. Mix together in the well of a cold-air nebulizer diffuser: Spruce - 25 drops Lavender - 12 drops Eucalyptus - 12 drops Cedarwood - 10 drops Add blend to diffuser and diffuse for a forest fresh scent!
Habanero Heat Help
If you like peppers like I do - more for the flavor than the heat - you find yourself seeding them to help reduce the heat and bring out the flavor. My girlfriend and I were doing this the other weekend with some cayennes and habaneros when she got some of the capsaicin in a very small cut. She cried out, we looked at each other trying to figure out what to do. So, I thought, what about Lavender since it is great for physical burns and capsaicin affects the nerves the same way as heat. We tried one drop and it was instantly gone.
Lavender and Burns
We have found that even bad burns cannot stand up to Lavender essential oil. After two to three applications about 5-10 minutes apart the pain always goes away, it has never failed us yet!
Peace and Calming Bed Linen Mist
Pour about one ounce of pure grain alcohol and and ounce of water in a two ounce mister bottle, and add 10-20 drops of Peace and Calming Essential Oil Blend. Use to mist down sheets and pillows. The alcohol helps the oils to mix in the solution better, and causes the moisture to dry quicker then water alone would.
Scalding Hot Water on Arm
I was pouring hot corn water into the sink and poured some on my wrist. I immediately got my LavaDerm Spray and felt relief. It was very soothing and relieved the ache. It has blistered up a bit, so I have been applying Copaiba essential oil. It is looking good and is not irritating or painful!!
First Aid Spray all Natural Ingredients
First Aid Spray 3 drops lavender, 3 drops Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), 2 drops cypress, add to 8 oz of pure water in spray bottle. Spray whenever needed
Canker Sores and Natural Remedies
Canker Sores Try these oils by applying directly to the cancer sores; Lavender, Melissa or Thieves blend. If you feel sensitivity from the Thieves blend, top off the canker sore with a pure vegetable oil.
Burns on the Skin
Burns Apply throughout the healing time, Melrose, Lavender oil or LavaDerm Spray over affected area. Keep the area uncovered during the healing process.
Bee Stings Relief
Bee Stings Apply 2-3 drops, 2 to 3 x a day of Melrose, Purification or Peppermint on sting.
Athletes Foot Essential Oil Blend
Athletes Foot Blend 8 drops tea tree (Melaleuca, 4 drops peppermint, 2 drops mountain savory, apply to affected areas.
Metabolism Boost
If you feel tired after a meal, like even feeling like you would like to take a nap, this means that your metabolism is out of wack. I have learned that if you put a few drops of Endo Flex under your tongue, and keep for a few seconds before swallowing, that you will feel a noticeable difference within a minute.
Cleaning & disinfecting counter tops and sinks
I keep a spray bottle that has diluted Thieves Household Cleaner, on my counters, in my kitchen and bathrooms. I use it to clean and disinfect my counters and sinks. I know that I have protected myself and others from germs and bacteria because my counters and sink are clean. When I am cleaning fruit I spray the fruit from the same bottle and then rinse the fruit off with water. This helps to remove the "unknown" that could be on my fruit. "Green cleaning", such a help, and the more people that make this change in their lives, the better for them and our Mother Earth.
Cinnamon oil for dry mouth especially at night or while sleeping.
Place one drop of cinnamon (Young Living Therapeutic Grade) on your fore finger. Rub this on the gums on all sides of teeth with your finger. Sleep without disruption from dry mouth.
Infected absessed tooth
I had an abscessed tooth that was quite painful. One day I was fine, the next morning I awoke with a painful mouth. I immediateley gargled with Thieves Fresh Essence Plus Mouthwash, which I added 2 drops of Thieves essential oil too. I dropped 2-3 drops of Thieves on a gauze and applied it to my tooth. I went about my day and later realized that the pain was completely gone. Even though the pain was gone, I continued to gargle and apply the gauze for 5 days to be reassured that an infection did not ensue. That was 6 months ago and no reoccurense of pain again.
Acid Reflex Relief
Apply 1-2 drops of Di-Gize or Peppermint (YLTGEO) to your abdomen. Or put 1-2 drops of either oil in ¼ cup of water, drink down and then drink more water.
Freshen carpet with Lavender essential oil
Mix baking soda and a few drops of an essential oil. (I have a glass jar that is meant to be used for red pepper for pizza's.) I love to use lavender essential oil as it's one of my favorites. I sprinkle it around the carpet and let it sit for a few minutes and then vacuum it right up. My carpet is fresh and the room smells great and you may get the added benefit of "calming". If you are trying to get rid of odors, another great oil to use is our blend called Purification. I am reassured that my cats and visiting grandchildren are not exposed to any harsh chemicals either by walking on the carpet or breathing in the aroma.
Natural Shower with Thieves
I dislike the chemicals in the shower sprays available in most stores. I dilute Thieves Household cleaner, in a spray bottle and saturate my wet shower and tub with the solution without having to hold my breath and quickly leaving the bathroom after spraying. It really works and I know I am not breathing in or touching toxic chemicals and I am safely and naturally cleaning away bacteria's and germs and using a "green" product.
ADHD, ADD
Diffuse Lavender, Brain Power or Peace & Calming. Apply Valor or Vetiver to temples, upper back & the bottoms of the feet. Remove from the diet, sugar, artificial sweeteners (Aspartame!!), processed foods, high fructose corn syrup.
Arthritic Pain Try PanAway Oil Blend
Apply PanAway oil blend to the arthritic area. Example 2-3 drops with Olive oil massages onto arthritic hands. Also rub onto the bottoms of your feet and cup your hands over your nose. (Be sure to not touch your skin as the oil blend can be sensitive to your skin. However if you do feel any sensitivity, apply some Olive or pure vegetable oil. This will "diffuse" the sensitivity feeling.
Vertigo and Ginger Oil
Put 6-8 drops of Ginger oil in a 00 capsule. Take with a glass of water and rub oil behind ears
Nail Fungus
Using Young Living's Melrose essential oil blend, apply a couple drops to the location of the nail fungus. Re-apply two to three times a day until fungus is gone.
Aromatherapy Dryer Sheets
Take a dampened washcloth and put 3-5 drops of your favorite Young Living oil on it. Toss washcloth in dryer with laundry - presto - great smelling laundry without harmful chemicals! Good for you, good for the environment and your "Green" home. YL Essential Oil Suggestions: Lavender Citrus Fresh Thieves Purification
