Surface Freshener

In our kitchen, we've got a freestanding cupboard with a butcher block on top. We rarely cut things directly on it (besides bread), but it still gathers a lot of kitchen smells.

Every so often, after I've cleaned it thoroughly and it still smells like onions, I spray it down with my essential oil Fresh & Clean spray. I mix this stuff up in a little bottle that I bought at Vitamin Cottage. The essential oils in this mix are relatively cheap and great to have around for other stuff too (like burns- the tea tree and lavender, not the citrus).



And since I was making up a new batch of it today, I thought I'd share the recipe.

Just make sure you get real essential oils, not the synthetic crap. Over time, the synthetic stuff will actually start to smell funky itself. And the fake oils don't have any of the great properties of the real essential oils (Tea Tree and Lavender are both antiseptic).

Fresh & Clean Spray
3-6 drops Tea Tree Essentail Oil
3-6 drops Lavender Essential Oil
6-9 drops Orange, Lemon or Grapefruit Essential Oil (or a combination of these)
Water (enough to fill bottle)

-Mix all of the ingredients in clean bottle with spray top. Shake well before using and keep out of the reach of children.

I also use this stuff on the counters, in the sink, in trash cans and on my yoga mats. Everything just smells nice and fresh after this. And as for applying it to food prep surfaces… tea tree oil is in mouthwash and toothpaste and people cook with lavender, so I'm really not that worried about it. I'd rather use this than that scary antibacterial stuff out there. I suggest wiping the surface with a damp cloth after spraying if it worries you.

PRECAUTIONARY NOTE- Although our kids' pediatrician recommends tea tree oil for just about every scrape and scratch the kids have, I've heard that tea tree oil and lavender should be used sparingly (or not at all) on prepubescent boys because it may cause them to grow boobs (although not permanently). This caution is only for applying the oils directly to the body, but still, I thought I should mention it.

Crazy.

ADDED NOTE- If you're interested in the fun label, I made it myself using PhotoShop brushes downloaded from Designfruit. Wow, I had no idea that you could do that. I was up way too late last night playing with them. So, so fun.