Reviewed By: Kacie La
Using natural products in your house is the way forward forthose who want to lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle– and essential oils are a great way of making your home more eco-friendly.
The growing trend towards eco-conscious living has steered many towards natural alternatives for home and personal care. Essential oils offer a sustainable solution thanks to their myriad benefits derived from nature.
Among these, clove leaf essential oil stands out, not just for its aromatic qualities but for its practical applications in household maintenance. Learn how clove leaf oil can potentially benefit your daily life.
Eco-Friendly Home and Essential Oils
Making sustainable choices isn't just about reducing our carbon footprint or conserving energy. It also involves the everyday products we bring into our homes. Synthetic chemicals, often found in conventional household cleaners and air fresheners, can have detrimental effects on our environment and personal well-being. Essential oils provide a green alternative, helping our homes remain safer with less possibly harmful chemicals.
What Is Clove Leaf Oil and How Is It Made?
Clove leaf essential oil – also known as Eugenia caryophyllata– is a member of the Myrtaceae family and is frequently referred to as ‘clove oil’. It typically grows best in fertile, well-drained soil and is most commonly found in tropical regions. It has gained popularity in a variety of uses, including cosmetics and aromatherapy.
The clove tree's leaves are used to make clove leaf essential oil through the steam distillation process. Its colour ranges from colourless to light yellow, and its consistency is considered ordinary. It also has a strong, spicy scent.
Clove is an evergreen tree which produces flower buds. The same plant can give us both clove leaf and clove bud oil. Clove leaf essential oil is obtained by the steam distillation of the leaves of the plant. The oil is a free-flowing liquid that is colourless to pale yellow.
Is Clove Leaf Oil the Same As Clove Bud Oil?
The main difference between clove oils is whether the oil is extracted from the plant or leaf bud. Both clove bud oil and clove leaf oil are essential oils from the clove plant.
The difference in smell between the two is that clove bud oil has a more pungent floral scent, while clove leaf oil has a spicier aroma. Their chemical composition also differs slightly. Apart from the differences in their origin, chemical makeup and smell, both oils share various benefits for you, including being components in household cleaning, gardening and more.
We provide the highest quality clove leaf essential oil and clove bud oils at N-Essentials.
What Is Clove Oil Used for?
Today, clove oil is still used for its benefits for your home. With its natural properties, clove oil is an excellent option for cleaning up around the house. In addition, clove oil is sometimes used as a massage oil– but this is primarily when it is part of an essential oil blend due to its pungency.
The Benefits of Clove Oil
There are a myriad of benefits to using clove oil, whether it’s for cleaning, DIY projects or more. This is because of the oil’s inherent properties, including:
Antibacterial and Antifungal
One of the things that clove oil contains is eugenol. Eugenol is a compound renowned for being both antibacterial and antifungal. This means it can be used across the board, from mould removal to homemade cleaning products.
Varying Strengths
When it comes to clove oil, you can find them in a variety of potencies for your desired use. The potency depends on the concentration of eugenol, which can range from 70% onwards. As clove oil is naturally quite viscous, this oil is quite strong – a little goes a long way with it. Its potency variance makes it versatile and useful.
Household Uses of Clove Oil
Clove oil has a wide range of household uses. It can be used as a disinfectant, an insect repellent, and an air freshener. In addition, clove oil can be used in massage oils, perfumes, haircare productsand more, depending on an individual’s preferences.
Clove Oil in a Diffuser and Air Freshener
Multiple things can cause bad smells in the house — anything from insufficient ventilation to dust, dirt or even your pets. But getting rid of bad smells is easier than ever with clove oil, as it can be used with diffusers and in air fresheners.
You can add a few drops of clove oil to water with a diffuser and let the fresh, spicy scent work its magic. It can eliminate unwanted odours and immediately alter the atmosphere in your home.
You can also find an air freshener with clove oil or make a homemade one by mixing two cups of distilled water with five to six drops of clove oil. To add a little kick to it, you can even mix a few drops of sandalwood or eucalyptusessential or fragrance oils.
The smell of clove oil can be overpowering, so make sure you don’t use more than a few drops in your diffuser or air freshener.
Clove Oil for Removing Mould
Are you looking for a natural approach to remove and kill mould in your house? Clove oil is a great choice! It kills the spores instead of just bleaching and hiding them.
When you use a regular bleach or cleaner to remove mould, you simply remove the spores. That is not enough since the mould will return as soon as the spores are still present, whether you can see them or not. All the health risks associated with mould, such as allergies and asthma troubles, will still be there with the spores, and it will likely begin to develop once more in a few days. Since clove oil can kill spores, it is a popular and safe method of removing mould.
Clove oil is a natural ingredient. With it, you don’t have to worry about the synthetic chemicals that come with bleach or normal cleaners. This is one of the main arguments in favour of utilising clove oil to treat mould. It is safe to use around children and pets. Mould can be a difficult problem to solve, and clove oil is one of the most effective mould killers. In most cases, clove oil can eradicate mould in 24 hours.
Clove Oil as an Insect Repellent
Spraying clove oil around the house is an easy, homemade insect repellent. Clove oil offers a natural and eco-friendly alternative to chemical insect repellents.
You can spray clove oil in your home and even in your garden to protect it from insects and pests. The strong smell of clove oil is a natural deterrent against insects, who are generally attracted to floral, sweet scents. The best part? The odour of clove oil is quite powerful and lasts a long time, so you will use it less often and can still see results.
Bonus Uses for Clove Oil
There are many ways you can use clove oil around the house and in your life. These include:
- Grease and stain removal: because clove oil is a natural solvent, it can remove more stubborn stains or spots from a selection of surfaces, including fabric, countertops and walls.
- Mildew control: like mould, mildew can also build up around your home, and clove oil can effectively control and subdue it in damper areas.
- Disinfection: credit to clove oil’s distinct scent and properties, it can be used as a disinfectant in the kitchen, bathroom and other areas that require wiping down.
Where Can You Buy Clove Oil?
N-Essentials is proudly Australian-owned. We stock pure and natural products, including pure clove leaf oil. Our products are of the highest quality. You can find a range of essential oils, carrier oils and DIY supplies for natural products. If you have any questions about our wide range of essential and carrier oils, don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.