Cleaning with vinegar...essential oils?

[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

I have been cleaning with vinegar and baking soda for a while now. It works great and I love that I don't have to use chemicals, as well as save money! Anyway, my family hates the smell, so I am looking into using some essential oils to mask the smell. Can anyone recommend their favorites and/or where they like to purchase them?
Thanks

 

[Arabelle]

I have been cleaning with vinegar and baking soda for a while now. It works great and I love that I don't have to use chemicals, as well as save money! Anyway, my family hates the smell, so I am looking into using some essential oils to mask the smell. Can anyone recommend their favorites and/or where they like to purchase them?
Thanks

I get mine from eBay. I've not mixed them with vinegar though. Can you mask the smell?

 

[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

I get mine from eBay. I've not mixed them with vinegar though. Can you mask the smell?

I have read that you can on a few different homemade/green cleaning websites. They always mention pine as well as lemon, lavender or any other scent you like. I was just looking at random sites that came up in the search engine. Some mention just adding it to the vinegar/water mixture in your spray bottle,but some also say to add a squirt of dish detergent.

 

[Arabelle]

Interesting. Ive used them tor making soap and such, but never thought of the obvious. Figures. Thsnks

 

[Leshaface]

I mix lemon essential oils and I also use tea tree oil

 

[DisneyMomma81]

I recently purchased lemon, lemongrass, peppermint & orange off ebay - my kids don't care for the scent of vinegar either - I prefer it over bleach for sure but it's much better with the EO added.

 

[Colleen27]

I use lavender from a local farm, so I can't help on where to buy but it does really help with the vinegar smell. That was DH's only complaint when I switched to homemade cleaning products, that the house always "smelled like salad dressing", but adding lavender silenced his complaint without giving up the safety or the savings of the homemade products.

 

[Califgirl]

Be careful when cleaning with essential oils. They can strip the finish off of wood furniture if you get a drop of the pure (undiluted) essential oil on furniture. Do a test before using. It can also eat the rubber out of your sink guard for the garbage disposal. (Yes, I know from experience when I accidently got a drop on that and didn't realize it)

One nice way to use essential oils is to put some on a cotton ball and put it in your vaccuum cleaner bag. It makes the house smell nice while you are vaccuuming. However, if you have a bagless hard plastic receptical for your vaccuum, it can mar the plastic if you have so much essential oil on the cotton ball that it has moist spots. Only use a drop or two. Essential oils can be caustic when used 'neat', but are wonderful when properly diluted.

 

[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

Thanks for all of the info! I think I'm going to start by just adding a few drops to my vinegar spray. I will look on eBay, and I also saw somewhere online a site called mountain herbs or something like that was recommended for their organic oils.

I think sweet orange might be nice or maybe something minty. I read that lavender was the most gentle and safer around babies(I do have a son with asthma). I don't know what I will choose!

 

[williamson_ja]

Thanks for all of the info! I think I'm going to start by just adding a few drops to my vinegar spray. I will look on eBay, and I also saw somewhere online a site called mountain herbs or something like that was recommended for their organic oils.

I think sweet orange might be nice or maybe something minty. I read that lavender was the most gentle and safer around babies(I do have a son with asthma). I don't know what I will choose!

If you put peppermint in your spray, it will actually benefit your asthmatic son and smell good! Peppermint helps open up their airways. I also have an asthmatic and I use essential oils to help her out all the time. Lime essential oil rubbed on the child's chest will also help open airways and will be gentle to his skin. If you are talking about the essential oils from mountain rose herbs, they are a very good company and I would recommend them.
Good luck. I really love cleaning with vinegar- and using essential oils. They are both wonderful.

 

[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

If you put peppermint in your spray, it will actually benefit your asthmatic son and smell good! Peppermint helps open up their airways. I also have an asthmatic and I use essential oils to help her out all the time. Lime essential oil rubbed on the child's chest will also help open airways and will be gentle to his skin. If you are talking
about the essential oils from
mountain rose herbs, they are a
very good company and I would
recommend them.
Good luck. I really love cleaning
with vinegar- and using essential
oils. They are both wonderful.

I do love peppermint, and my kids would approve!
Also, yes that was mountain rose herbs. I think I'm gonna go check them out now! Thanks

 

[melliej]

I put a small squirt of Castile soap in my "all purpose" vinegar and water cleaner and it seems to cut the smell significantly. I do prefer the smell of vinegar though to the harsh chemical cleansers, they give me headaches!

 

[Fly4free]

Where can you buy essential oils? Are there any stores that carry them or do you have to send away for them?

 

[yanilat]

I put a small squirt of Castile soap in my "all purpose" vinegar and water cleaner and it seems to cut the smell significantly. I do prefer the smell of vinegar though to the harsh chemical cleansers, they give me headaches!

Was it Dr Bronner? I mixed it with vinegar and it coagulates..ie the soap did not mix well but became solid..the smell was great though ..I had to add Dawn liquid dishwasher, vinegar and Dr Bronner Castille liquid soap(lavender). Only then did it mix well...

my daughters too hated the smell of the vinegar..

 

[melliej]

Was it Dr Bronner? I mixed it with vinegar and it coagulates..ie the soap did not mix well but became solid..the smell was great though ..I had to add Dawn liquid dishwasher, vinegar and Dr Bronner Castille liquid soap(lavender). Only then did it mix well...

my daughters too hated the smell of the vinegar..

I use the Trader Joes version and is only a small squirt for my whole spray bottle. I shake it up every time I use it too. I find that if I add too much to my cleaning solution, it can make the surfaces a bit streaky.