Renovating an old house sounds very much like an elbows rolled up, ‘put your back in it’ kind of task, doesn’t it?

Not quite the environment for relaxing with essential oils.

But essential oils turn out to be immensely helpful in such an environment.

And how would that be?

Primarily from three angles.

 One, old houses would have a musty, depressing atmosphere so a pick-me-up would be highly welcome.

 Two, there’s every chance of mold growing on walls which essential oils can help you deal with.

 Three, bugs which can be repelled by essential oils.

OK, how about some specifics?

As a general pick-me-up

Take 2 drops of Eucalyptus, 2 drops of Peppermint and 1 drop of Bergamot essential oils in a diffuser around wherever you’re working.

To deal with the musty, depressing atmosphere, you need….

Essential Oils that fight depression and energize.

So, in my opinion it would be a mistake to use essential oils like Lavender or Roman Chamomile. They do fight depression but their effective is more sedative than energizing.

The eucalyptol from the Eucalyptus EO will stimulate your nasal passageway (the musty and moldy atmosphere inside old houses often triggers stuffiness and blocks the nasal passageway).

The sharp scent of Peppermint will keep you alert. Peppermint essential oil increases oxygen saturation and blood pressure which means more oxygen goes to your brain. That enhances alertness and concentration.

Bergamot is a potent antidepressant and will come to your rescue if you’re feeling depressed (another possible consequence of a moldy environment).

Essential Oil to clean mold

 Get a spray bottle. Add one and a half cups of water, 10 drops each of Sage and Thyme and 5 drops of Tea Tree essential oils. Voila! 

If the mold growth is very thick, you may consider using half a cup of isopropyl alcohol instead of water.

Sage essential oil includes thujone (a monoterpene, if you find such details fascinating) which enables it to inhibit the growth of many kinds of mold, in some cases by almost 90%.

Thyme is widely used and researched for use in eradicating various kinds of mold. In fact, in 2003, an entire patent was filed for a thyme-based mold cleanser.

And Tea Tree Oil is known for suppressing allergies and allergy triggers.

Be careful to not get the spray on your skin because 10+10+5 or 25 drops of essential oil will sting and could trigger allergic reactions of their own. Topical applications of essential oil involve no more than 3-5 drops.

Essential Oil to repel bugs

 Mix 5 drops of Lemongrass, Eucalyptus, Basil and Citronella and 10 drops of Pineessential oils.

Why does Pine EO get an extra 5 drops? Because it has a nice outdoorsy fragrance that will keep you enervated through working inside a dark old house.

You can diffuse this.

Or you can put cotton balls in the mixture and leave them lying around.

In conclusion…

Essential oils are a treasure trove waiting to be explored by you.

They are a much safer natural alternative to chemical sprays and cleaners.

And there are endless combinations you can try out.

The recipes presented here are very effective but by no means are the only ones possible. You can have a lot of fun exploring various other options.

If you think you’ve got a better concoction, drop a comment.

Good suggestions may get a shout-out on Twitter and/or Facebook!