Should You Use Eucalyptus To Clean Floors? What To Know Before Trying The Essential Oil

When it comes to a dirty home, you might be trying to avoid harsh chemicals and turn to natural cleaning solutions you can DIY for a sparkling clean space instead. Essential oils have made a huge impact in natural living spaces for their refreshing scents and reported benefits, making them a popular alternative to store-bought cleaners. Eucalyptus oil, in particular, is often recommended for its disinfectant capabilities, along with medicinal benefits and refreshing aroma. But is it the best choice for cleaning your floors?

In order to use eucalyptus for cleaning, you need to add about 20 drops of eucalyptus essential oil to a bucket of hot water and white vinegar to make an effective solution. That's quite a bit of oil for one cleaning session. So before you start spreading this potent oil all over your hardwood or tiled floors, you might want to consider a few things. While eucalyptus oil can effectively clean and deodorize your home, it's important to weigh the pros and cons. Although it offers cleaning power and a fresh scent, its strength can be a double-edged sword. For starters, it is unsafe for pets, and its potent scent could stick around longer than you'd like. That's why you should have all the information before you decide if it's a good fit to add to your deep cleaning checklist to make every room sparkle.

Eucalyptus oil has remained a popular essential oil for many years because it has widely known benefits as a powerful, natural disinfectant. In fact, many commercial cleaning products use eucalyptus for its proven efficacy. It also has a crisp and minty scent that naturally deodorizes and helps neutralize unpleasant odors without the use of artificial fragrances found in a lot of air fresheners and popular candle brands. When it comes to your floors, especially heavily trafficked areas where dirt and grime build up, these cleaning and deodorizing properties could be a real game-changer as a natural cleaning option.

In addition to its cleaning capabilities, eucalyptus oil is both eco-friendly and cost-effective. Since it's derived from the leaves of eucalyptus trees, it is a natural and renewable resource that offers a greener alternative to many store-bought floor cleaners currently on the market. And you can sleep well knowing that no toxic chemicals will leach into the environment when containers or towels are disposed of — making it a safe and sustainable choice for households. If all that isn't enough, eucalyptus oil can also be used on a variety of surfaces in your home, including counters, making it a versatile and budget-friendly way to simplify your overall cleaning routine and reduce the need for multiple products.

While eucalyptus oil offers a number of benefits, there are a few important downsides to keep in mind — some more serious than others. One of the most significant concerns with eucalyptus oil — especially when it comes to your furry friends — is its potential toxicity. Eucalyptus oil has compounds in it that, when ingested or absorbed through the skin, can be harmful to cats and dogs. Cleaning floors where your pets frequently roam and lie down puts them at a particularly high risk of exposure to toxic levels of eucalyptus. Pets exposed to this essential oil may experience drowsiness, confusion, seizures, or even coma.

Another con of eucalyptus oil is the potential damage to certain types of flooring if not used properly, most notably wood floors. It's important to dilute eucalyptus oil and avoid concentrated applications on sensitive flooring materials. You should also be aware of the possibility of allergic reactions when using eucalyptus oil in your home. Just like other essential oils, eucalyptus can cause skin irritation or rashes, as well as congestion, hives, or other reactions in people who are allergic. Particularly because of its strong odor, it can simply be overpowering for some individuals and leave behind an aroma that is too strong. To ensure it doesn't damage floors or pose a health issue, it's best to try it in an inconspicuous area first before going all in on this natural cleaner.