Properties Of Essential Oils In Homemade Cleaners

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 150 chemicals found in household products are known to promote allergies, birth defects, central nervous system disorders and cancer. Aside from the risks these chemicals pose to human health, they also have a negative environmental impact. This is why many consumers are opting to use natural, homemade cleaners instead. In addition to vegetable based soaps and surfactants, botanical essential oils lend various properties to homemade cleaners.

Antimicrobial Properties

Essential oils offer a variety of benefits when used on different pathogens, which is why they are so effective in homemade cleaners, either singularly or in combination. For example, the “Physicians’ Desk Reference for Herbal Medicines” lists the properties of rosemary essential oil as antiviral and antimicrobial due to the presence of bitter terpene compounds, such as carnosolic acid and rosmadial. Sage essential oil, on the other hand, is classified as antibacterial, antifungal and virostatic—meaning that it prevents viral cell replication so that viruses can’t spread. Citrus essential oils, such as sweet orange and lemon, effectively dissolve grease because they have a high acidic pH. In fact, citrus essential oils are considered the “work horse” ingredients in homemade cleaners intended for use in the kitchen and bath. Eucalyptus essential oil is antibacterial, antifungal and is a natural antiseptic and deodorant largely due to the presence of an organic compound called 1,8-cineol, also known as eucalyptol. This compound is found in many other botanical essential oils as well, including basil, tea tree, mugwort, wormwood, rosemary, bay and sage.

Fragrance

Commercial household cleaners usually have a strong smell that can be irritating to the nose, eyes and lungs. For that matter, some commercial cleaners contain chemicals that can be dangerous to inhale. For instance, disinfectants often contain sodium sulfites, which can be deadly to asthmatics. Other common ingredients found in such products include benzalkonium chloride and various phenols. The former damages mucous membranes, while the latter deadens nerve endings in airway passages and is linked to liver and kidney damage.

In contrast, essential oils provide the same disinfecting properties without harming mucous membranes. In addition, many people find the scent of essential oils far more pleasant, perhaps even therapeutic. It should be noted, however, that people with chemical sensitivities might also object to the fragrance of essential oils. Fortunately, one benefit to making your own homemade cleaners is that you can control the selection and concentration of essential oils.

Additional Properties

As an added bonus, many essential oils are natural insect deterrents, especially those that contain 1,8-cineol, or eucalyptol. In fact, this agent is used as a commercial insecticide. However, be careful about using cleaners with essential oils that contain eucalyptol around doorways and other entrance points. According to a paper published in the Journal of Chemical Ecology, this substance is highly attractive to orchid bees, which collect the chemical to produce their own brand of pheromones.