15 Easy Essential Oil Tricks That You Should Actually Try

    Get rid of ants, odors, permanent marker, and more!

    Tom Vellner
    by Tom Vellner

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Ellie Sunakawa / BuzzFeed

    You've probably heard a lot of hype about essential oils lately, and you may be wondering how to actually use them in your everyday life.

    Zoe Burnett / Getty Images / BuzzFeed

    And while there are a lot of things essential oils can't do, there are still plenty of ways to use them around the house that are safe and handy! Here are some ideas:

    (BTW, a lot of essential oils can be toxic to cats, so cat owners, proceed with extreme caution, or not at all.)

    1. Add a couple drops of essential oil inside a toilet paper roll to freshen your bathroom.

    Tom Vellner / BuzzFeed

    I've done this in my own bathroom, and it releases a nice scent every time someone uses the TP, making everything smell lovely and clean. Just be sure to put it on the cardboard roll itself — not the TP — since some essential oils can irritate your skin (you don't want to hurt your bum when you wipe!).

    2. Tap a little cedarwood, lavender, or eucalyptus essential oil right into the wood shelves in your closet or the drawers in your dresser.

    Annie Spratt / Via unsplash.com

    This'll freshen your garments with basically zero effort on your part. Just be sure you don't get the oil directly on your clothes since it isn't diluted. (H/T Give a Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better. Save the Planet.)

    3. Fill a microwave-safe bowl with water and four drops of lemon essential oil, and "steam clean" your microwave.

    Gpflman / Getty Images

    Zap the bowl on high for five minutes (or longer if necessary), which will loosen any gunk in there, so you'll be able to easily wipe down the microwave with a damp cloth.

    4. Scrub off permanent marker stains with lemon essential oil.

    Sorinvidis / Getty Images

    If you (OK, let's be real, your child) accidentally got some marker or crayon on a desk, table, or wall, you can rub it off with a cloth that has a few drops of lemon essential oil on it.

    5. Use lemon essential oil to remove sticky stuff, too.

    Jimfeng / Getty Images

    From removing bottle labels to unsticking stickers to scraping off gum, rubbing a couple drops of lemon essential oil on the problem area will get rid of any goo.

    6. Save money on a diffuser, and instead put several drops of your favorite essential oil on a clothespin and clip it to an air vent.

    youtube.com

    It’s a cheap and easy way to disperse a fresh scent throughout your home. Get the tutorial.

    7. Or, clip the clothespin to a vent in your car for a simple DIY air freshener.

    BuzzFeed / Nifty / Via Facebook: buzzfeednifty

    Just hot-glue some cotton pompoms onto the pin, put a few drops of your chosen essential oil on them, and clip the pin to a vent. Any mustiness or takeout smells in your car will disappear! Here's the tutorial.

    8. Sprinkle baking soda and several drops of your favorite essential oil into smelly shoes.

    Spmemory / Getty Images

    Combine two tablespoons of baking soda with five drops of your chosen essential oil, and sprinkle the mixture inside any shoes that have gotten a lil' stinky. Let the shoes sit overnight (or however long they need), then shake out the baking soda. Good as new!

    9. Spray peppermint oil to keep spiders, ants, and other critters away.

    Johnsalzarulo / Getty Images

    They hate the smell of peppermint! So, you can keep them at bay by soaking cotton balls in peppermint essential oil and putting them in problem spots around your house, like kitchen cabinets. Or, add 10 to 15 drops to a water bottle and spray it in all of the corners, baseboards, and other places where those buggers love to hide.

    10. Soak a cotton ball in your favorite essential oil and place it at the bottom of your trash bin to eliminate gross odors.

    Pic_studio / Getty Images

    Go with tea tree or lemon essential oil to really freshen and disinfect the bin.

    11. Or, soak a few cotton balls in your favorite essential oil, and drop them in the vacuum bag before you start cleaning.

    Wavebreakmedia / Getty Images

    The cotton balls will fill the air released by the vacuum with the scent of the oil. It's such an easy trick to make vacuuming a little more pleasant, and to subtly freshen your home as you go. (H/T Lifehacker)

    12. Rewash that musty load of laundry you forgot to put in the dryer (it happens to the best of us!) with several drops of lavender or tea tree essential oil.

    Brizmaker / Getty Images

    Add 10 drops of the oil to your laundry detergent, rewash the load, and voilà: your clothes will come out smelling fresh and clean.

    13. And for a homemade fabric softener, add a drop of lavender or tea tree essential oil to a cup of white vinegar, and pour it into your load of laundry.

    Janine Lamontagne / Getty Images

    If you want to avoid the price and chemicals of store-bought fabric softeners, try this hack to get the job done. The vinegar dilutes the oil, making it safe to wash with your clothes.

    14. Put a couple drops of lavender essential oil on a tissue and tuck it inside your pillowcase.

    Tab1962 / Getty Images

    A friend recommended this lil' trick to me, and it's so soothing. People often use lavender essential oil to feel more relaxed or to get more restful sleep, so with the tissue inside your pillowcase, you breathe in that gentle scent as you drift off to ~dream land~.

    15. And clear your congestion by putting a few drops of eucalyptus or peppermint essential oil into a bowl of just-boiled water.

    Alexxx1981 / Getty Images

    Per Essential Oils: All-natural remedies and recipes for your mind, body and home, lean over the bowl and place a towel over your head, and with your eyes closed, breathe deeply for about 10 minutes. Goodbye, sinus pressure!

    If you're ready to test out some of these hacks, you can get this highly rated set of essential oils from Amazon for $22.97.

    amazon.com

    ✨ 🌿 ✨