With the weather turning warmer, you may be getting anxious to start your spring cleaning…or you may be dreading it. Either way, making all-natural cleaners can help you get started on the right foot! But rather than simply making the cleaners on your own, why not turn it into a Make & Take Essential Oil Class?
Start the class with a little lesson about the basics of essential oils and how they can help boost the effectiveness of your cleaning products. You can find information about these topics in Modern Essentials. Check out the “Introduction to Essential Oils” and “Kitchen and Bathroom Cleaning and Disinfecting” sections of the Science & Application section of Modern Essentials as well as the “Housecleaning” section in the Personal Usage Guide section for help in planning your lesson.
“Many essential oils have demonstrated the ability to inhibit or kill various types of bacteria, mold spores, and even viruses. These disinfectant properties of essential oils make them a natural substitute for the harsh chemicals used in many commercial cleaners. Essential oils can also work as natural deodorizers, without the artificial fragrances used in some products” (Modern Essentials, p. 60).
After presenting your short lesson about essential oils to your class, allow your students time to make their own cleaning spray, ask you questions, or look up conditions in a Modern Essentials book.
There are a few different ways you can approach the workshop portion of the class. First, figure out which recipes you want to use, and then gather the necessary items. You can use any of the following recipes, the recipes found in the “Kitchen and Bathroom Cleaning and Disinfecting” section found in Modern Essentials, or any recipes of your own. If using the recipes below, the only items you will need are 8 oz. glass spray bottles, essential oils, and a few household ingredients such as water, white vinegar, Castile Soap, rubbing alcohol, cornstarch, and measuring cups/spoons.
We have also designed some labels and recipe cards for the cleaning sprays in this post. Feel free to print these out and use them for your class:
Click here to download the labels. These labels will fit on this label sheet.
Click here to download the recipes.
The following are some ideas for doing this Make & Take Class:
When making these recipes, you can adjust the oils to your preferences or to the preferences of your class attendees. Modern Essentials recommends the following disinfecting oils: Protective Blend, lemon, Cleansing Blend, melaleuca, lime, cinnamon, thyme, and peppermint (p. 60).
Servings: Yield = 8 oz. | Time: 3 minutes | Difficulty: Easy
Pour Castile Soap and essential oils into the glass bottle. Swish mixture to combine. Fill the rest of the bottle with water. Screw on the spray top, and shake to combine. Shake before using. Use to clean; then spray on a vinegar-water solution after to clean away any soap scum.
Servings: Yield = 8 oz. | Time: 2 minutes | Difficulty: Easy
Drop essential oils into the glass bottle. Add vinegar, and then fill the rest of the bottle with water. Screw on the spray top, and shake to combine. Shake before using.
Servings: Yield = 8 oz. | Time: 3 minutes | Difficulty: Easy
Mix together all ingredients except water in a spray bottle. Screw on the spray top, and shake to combine. Unscrew the spray top, and fill the rest of the bottle with water. Screw on the spray top, and shake to combine.
Servings: Yield = 8 oz. | Time: 3 minutes | Difficulty: Easy
Mix all ingredients together except water in a spray bottle. Swish mixture to combine. Fill the rest of the bottle with water. Screw on the spray top, and shake to combine. Shake before using.
If you want to just use these for personal use, here is a sheet with just a couple of each label: Personal Use Labels
Source: Modern Essentials, Sixth Edition
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Spanish sage, also known as sage lavender (Salvia lavandulifolia), is steam distilled from the leaves and stems of the plant. It belongs to the Lamiaceae botanical family. The aroma is herbaceous and camphorous (with camphor as a primary chemical constituent), with a subtle lavender undertone.
Guaiacwood (Bulnesia sarmientoi)—pronounced GWHY-ack-wood—is steam distilled from the heartwood of the plant. It belongs to the Zygophyllaceae botanical family and is native to parts of South America. The aroma is woodsy with a subtle smoky-sweetness reminiscent of sandalwood. Its properties are...
The original and best ready EO reference is still Modern Essentials®! With the Modern Essentials® 14 family, you and your team are prepared to learn, teach, and share about essential oils with accessible, authoritative information.
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