The Scentual Life: Uses for sweet orange essential oil

If I told you how many essential oils I have in my collection, you probably wouldn't believe me. Suffice it to say, I've got a bunch, and I couldn't live without any of them. Probably you don't need -- or want! -- as many as I have, but having a basic collection can be useful.

There are a few essential oils that every home should have, and one of these is sweet orange oil. I've written in the past about uses for peppermint essential oil; now you'll know what unique things you can do with your sweet orange oil as well.

Pest control
The d-limonene in sweet orange oil repels insects, so it is a good essential oil to spray on your plants to keep away mealybugs and white flies. Science backs this one up!


You can also use it in your house to kill insects; there is even a product on the market, Orange Guard, based on the d-limonene bug-killing theory. We have used sweet orange essential oil on pantry moths and their creepy little worms and ants. Just wipe or spray it wherever pests come into your house: cracks, crevices, around windows and doors.

I soaked cotton balls in sweet orange essential oil and put them in the corners of my pantry, on all of the shelves, to discourage pantry moths from occupying my food.

Don't you feel better using something natural in your house and around your food? I know I do.

Cheer up your life

Sweet orange essential oil has anti-depressant properties, so if you find you need a little pick-me-up, you'll know which oil to sniff. You can diffuse it, use it in a blend, or just carry it around on a tissue in your purse. Sniff whenever you feel blue.

Try this blend for an instant mood enhancer:

• 3 drops sweet orange
• 2 drops lavender
• 1 drop rose otto
• 1 drop cedarwood

Clean and de-grease

Did you ever wonder why there are so many orange cleaners on the market today? It's because they work! What makes them so effective is sweet orange essential oil: it's that d-limonene again.

Because you've got your handy sweet orange essential oil in the house, you can make your own orange cleaner. Try this basic recipe:

• 1/2 cup water
• 2 TB baking soda
• 2 TB liquid castile soap
• 1 teaspoon sweet orange essential oil

You could also add other essential oils to make it a more effective disinfectant, as in this kitchen cleaner recipe, or check out Anna's posts on cleaning with baking soda and vinegar, and try adding some sweet orange essential oil to those recipes.

Polish and protect wood furniture

Now, what do we know about sweet orange essential oil? We know that pests don't like it, and that it is an effective cleaner. It stands to reason that it would do wonders protecting your wood furniture, doesn't it? Heck, even Howard's has caught on to that idea.

A basic furniture polish recipe you could try is:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 TB vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sweet orange oil

Sweet orange oil is one workhorse of an essential oil: cleaner, insecticide, furniture polish, and mood elevator just touch the surface. What's your favorite use for it?