Using Scent to Create a Scent-sational Home Environment

Just a few drops of essential oils can make life at home look, smell, and feel more pleasant!

Even though there is plenty to enjoy outdoors during the summer months, most of us will still be spending some time indoors (at home, in hotel rooms during summer travel, or perhaps a cabin on campouts).

Adding the fragrance of essential oils to your summer space is the perfect way to create an inviting atmosphere for friends and guests, while also creating an UN-inviting environment for pesky insects.

• Diffuse uplifting fragrances such as Citrus Bliss, Peppermint, and On Guard to purify the air and to create a fresh, clean smell.
• Take your essential oils along when you travel. When staying in hotels, add a few drops of essential oils to a tissue or washcloth, and place over the air vent or fan in the room. This will disperse the oils into the air and rid the room of any odors and airborn pathogens.
• If you're sending your child to camp, send him/her with a spray bottle and a bottle of Purify. By adding a few drops of Purify to water in the spray bottle, your child can spritz the air in the cabin or tent, as well as any mattresses or sleeping bags to rid them of insects or musty odors.

Here are additional tips on how to keep your home environment smelling fresh and staying free of insects by using all-natural essential oils. Simply add a few drops of the following essential oils on a cotton ball and place in corners or areas where insects are found; sprinkle a few drops of the essential oil directly from the bottle along baseboards; or add the essential oil to a water bottle, shake, and spritz the area to send bugs running away.

Ants- TerraShield, peppermint, rosemary
Aphids- peppermint
Beetles- TerraShield, peppermint, thyme
Chiggers*- TerraShield, lavender, lemongrass, thyme
Cutworm- thyme
Fleas*- TerraShield, Purify, lavender, lemongrass, peppermint
Flies- TerraShield, lavender, peppermint, rosemary
Gnats- TerraShield
Mosquitos*- TerraShield, lavender, lemongrass
Moths- TerraShield, Purify, lavender, peppermint
Plant lice- peppermint
Spiders*- TerraShield, Purify, peppermint
Ticks*- Purify, lavender, lemongrass, thyme

*In case the insects find you before you use your oils, the same oils that repel insects also relieve the effect of the bites. (Special thanks to IPC Jan Meredith from Oregon for compiling this list!)