Sometimes soap and water just can’t cut it. There is more to cleaning than removing dirt or other debris. There are many great disinfectants out there, but many are harsh on delicate surfaces, can’t get on your hands, give off dangerous fumes, aren’t good for the environment, or are simply too expensive. Fortunately, there is a natural solution that can be easily found online or in some stores. Tea tree oil. It may sound like something used in alternative medicine, but it’s actually a general disinfectant that can be used for laundry, dishwashing, added to spray bottles with water to remove odors from surfaces, and used instead of bleach or other chemicals to clean bathrooms.
Laundry detergent and dish soap can be expensive, and many people get skin irritation from scented soaps. So how can you make your clothes or dishes smell clean without breaking out? Tea tree oil can disinfect and makes things smell really clean. Which means you can use very mild soaps to help remove dirt while relying on oil to disinfect. For laundry, I tend to use soap nuts, which are a natural form of soap that can be purchased online. I toss some into a small drawstring bag and drop a couple of drops of tea tree oil into the bag before tossing it in the washing machine. Aside from having to occasionally use a bit of distilled vinegar, this is all I use for laundry. For the dishes, I fill a sink with hot water, a mild dish soap, and a few drops of oil. That is. No harsh chemicals, no dishwasher needed for most things.
One of the best disinfectants you can find is a few drops of bleach in a spray bottle of water. The problem is that this can be bad for colors and can easily irritate hands. Another solution that works almost as well without risking discoloration and is gentler on most hands is to replace the bleach with tea tree oil. It sanitizes well, makes sprayed surfaces smell clean, and is safer around food surfaces than bleach. Simply add a few drops and fill the bottle with water. Then clean exactly as you would with bleach water. Undiluted tea tree oil can be a bit harsh on some people’s hands, so be sure to wear gloves while mixing it. But diluted is fine. I have even used it in place of alcohol antibacterial sprays during flu season.
My favorite place to use tea tree oil is in the bathroom. Nothing smells like a bathroom that hasn’t been cleaned lately, especially when the cats litter box is in there. Use the spray regularly to maintain a clean smell, but for deep cleaning sessions, plug the sink, add water, a few drops of oil, grab a few rags, and rub dirty surfaces with it. It can be used to clean toilets, floors, walls, countertops, sinks, shower screens, etc. When you’re done, just unlock the sink and clean it last.
There may be times when something stronger than soap is needed. For those times, there are plenty of products for the job. But before you resort to bleach or other chemicals, try some tea tree oil. You’ll be amazed at how well it works in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, or as a spray.
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