Our beautiful planet Earth is a living, breathing, precious environment. I’m sure we can all agree that whatever little individual steps we can each take to keep her safe and healthy is worth doing. Everyday things we can do, like recycle, carpool to work, turn off lights when you’re not using them (and so much more!), all contribute to a happier, healthier planet. And using essential oils—can that help, too? You betcha! Let’s take a quick look at a few ways essential oils help support green, non-toxic living.
But first, if you don’t know much about Plant Therapy’s commitment to sustainability, make sure to head on over to this blog, which explains our company’s practices when it comes to environmental ethics and accountability.
Using EOs reduces the use of toxic cleaners.
Cleaning and essential oils go together like peanut butter and jelly! There are so many ways to incorporate essential oils into your cleaning habits. You’re probably already doing it without even realizing it! Are you diffusing instead of spraying aerosols to freshen the air in your home? Have you tried our simple all-purpose spray and will never go back? The fact is, you can replace just about every store-bought chemical-laden cleaning product you have with some essential oils, vinegar, and baking soda. This helps reduce the amount of harsh chemicals you are using throughout your home, which not only benefits your family but is great for our environment as well!
Not sure where to start? Check out our blog Spring Cleaning with Essential Oils: A Complete Guide. It’s packed with wonderful recipes for everything from cleaning your carpets to polishing your furniture using the amazing powers of essential oils!
Using EOs reduces waste.
If you start regularly using DIY cleaning recipes for your home, you’re probably going to notice something else: a little less trash. Think about how many times in the last year you’ve run out of your cleaning products. Disinfectants, toilet cleaners, bottles of glass spray…and just tossed all those bottles in the trash. Well, making your own cleaning products leads to having to buy less at the store. As you get more comfortable with your green cleaning, you’ll find yourself relying less and less on what the cleaning section at your grocery store offers.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you’ll completely rid yourself of garbage. But even just one less plastic bottle finding its way to a landfill makes a difference. Using glass spray bottles that you can continuously reuse with your homemade cleaners is just one more little change you can make to support a “greener” lifestyle!
Using EOs outdoors is friendlier on the outdoor environment around you.
It’s almost gardening season! Time to bust out the gloves, spade, and pruning shears and turn your backyard into your own personal oasis. But doesn’t that also mean it’s time to bring out the bug spray and pest repellents so that you and your beautiful plants don’t get eaten alive? Well thankfully, this is another spot where essential oils can make a world of difference when it comes to using natural ingredients to get the job done.
To keep your outdoor area clear of those outdoor annoyances, there are plenty of essential oils you can diffuse or use topically. Citronella, Lime, Cedarwood, Peppermint, and Lavender, to name a few. Check out our Essential Oil Outdoor Wipes for an easy, natural solution to keep you and your family clear of annoyances while you’re outside. Or, to help get rid of weeds without soaking the ground in chemicals, try using Clove Essential Oil! Combine 20 drops of Clove, 20 ounces of vinegar, and a pinch of salt into a spray bottle. Shake it up before using and spray directly on the weeds you want to get rid of.
Using EOs can encourage an overall greater sense of awareness when it comes to the products you are using.
Any small step we take toward greater awareness and appreciation of our amazing environment is always a positive thing. Maybe when you first started using essential oils, you didn’t know too much about them; you just knew they smelled great and all your friends were getting into them. Then, as your oily journey progressed, you may have begun to take the time to learn about the botanicals, their unique locations all over the world, and what exactly makes them so special.
As essential oil knowledge increases, so does our recognition of what kinds of products we use every single day around our house and even on our own bodies. Suddenly, spraying name-brand disinfectants over every surface in our house seems a little less desirable. And one seemingly insignificant mindset change about the chemicals you are using can lead to more and more changes down the road.
Just remember that every little change matters. When enough individuals all make little changes, big differences can happen. This is how essential oils can support green, non-toxic living!
Don’t forget to head on over to our Safe Essential Oil Recipes Facebook group. Get in touch with more like-minded essential oil enthusiasts to learn more ways to use your oils!
