If you're looking to add a new cleaner to your house scrubbing arsenal, you might want to give pine oil a try. Not only do pine oil cleaners deodorize and disinfect, but they have a plethora of uses around the house. Get the facts on how to use pine oil cleaners in your home.
What Is Pine Oil?
When you think of pine oil, your mind might instantly go to Pine-Sol. This is probably one of the most widely known pine oil cleaners out there. Interestingly enough, Pine-Sol doesn't actually have pine oil in it. But what exactly is pine oil? Not surprisingly, pine oil is extracted from pine needles using steam distillation. While pine oil can be extracted from all different types of pine trees, common ones include Scotch and dwarf pines.
Types of Pine Oil
When it comes to pine oil, you can find huge commercial jugs of pine oil cleaners used only as a cleaning agent. However, you can also find pine oil essential oils. These are offered at much higher concentrations and feature other uses beyond just cleaning. The type you use is up to you. However, if you're cleaning a gymnasium, the commercial jug will definitely give you more bang for your buck. But, if you're using pine oil cleaners to freshen up your son's shoes, essential oils might be the way to go.
What to Use Pine Oil Cleaner On
Pine oil cleaners aren't just for mopping your floors. In fact, pine oil cleaners can be used on pretty much any surface of your home. Pine oil disinfectant is a great multi-purpose cleaning tool to use in your bathroom on countertops, fixtures, and floors. It's also effective for dirt and grime on kitchen surfaces, as well as walls.
Pine Oil Disinfectant in Laundry
You might not think of using pine oil cleaner in the laundry but it's a great laundry disinfectant. While you wouldn't want to use it on specialty fabrics, pine oil can work great for stubborn stains on work clothes. However, it's important to make sure you use a higher concentration of pine oil to make sure it's effective. Also remember, your laundry will have a strong pine smell.
Air Freshener
Pine oil not only works for cleaning but it's great for smells. You might find that you use it to wipe out your garbage cans. You can even use a few drops of pine essential oil to reduce odors in shoes.
How to Use Pine Oil Cleaner
Since pine oil cleaners come in all different concentrations and types, how you use it in your home is going to vary based on the surface.
Bucket Recipe
If you are mopping the floors or just creating a bucket for general household cleaning, mix ¼ cup of pine oil with about a gallon of water. You might want to add a bit more for lower pine oil disinfectant concentration, but this is a good starting point. You'll then just give everything a good wipe down and forgo the rinse.
DIY Pine Oil Spray
For a pine oil cleaner spray, you'll need to modify your formula.
- Fill a spray bottle with water.
- Add 20 of drops pine oil essential oil or a teaspoon of pine oil cleaner.
- Spray the surface to be cleaned and wipe.
Again, it will depend on the purity of your pine oil so always make sure to follow manufacturers' recommendations.
Is Pine Oil Cleaner Safe?
Pine oil is generally safe if used properly and according to the manufacturer's recommendations. While pine oil is considered to have a low toxicity level, it does irritate some people. Therefore, like any other cleaning agent, you will need to take precautions when using it like using rubber gloves and using it in a well-ventalated area. Additionally, creating the right mixture can help with any irritation.
Using Pine Oil Cleaner
A natural oil from the needles of pine trees, pine oil makes a great all-purpose disinfectant cleaner for your home. Now that you've got the facts, try adding pine oil cleaners to your cleaning routine.
