Stinky Stuff

At a recent Happy Soul party I was asked alot of questions about stinky stuff...and here are some answers to a few of them.

Question #1 "What essential oils can you use for stinky feet?" Tea Tee, Lemon Lavender, Peppermint and Clove could all be helpful. You can make a good deodorizing foot wash by adding 7 drops of lemon and 3 drops of tea tree to 2 ounces of water, then wash your feet thoroughly. Peppermint and clove will also make a good foot bath. To help with shoe odor, especially tennis shoes, add 20 drops of tea tree, 10 drops of lemon, and 10 drops of lavender to 1/2 cup of baking soda, and sprinkle into your shoes. Several applications may reduce existing odor, but it is a great preventative measure to keep the "stink" from starting.

Question #2 "What essential oils can you use for a stinky dog?" Lavender and Geranium are great for dog odor. Add 20 drops of Lavender, 20 drops of Geranium, and 5 drops of Lemon to to 4 ounces of distilled water in a spray bottle. Hold it about 10 inches away from the dog and spray directly on him/her, but make sure you don't spray on the face and head. If the dog has a skin problem that is causing the odor, you can also add 5 drops each of geranium and lavender into 2 teaspoons of grapeseed oil and massage it on the afflicted area to help it heal.

Question #3 "What essential oils will help eliminate the smell of cigarette smoke?" Apparently citrus oils are the best for removing that nasty stale smoke odor. I think one of the best ways to combat it would be to create a nice room spray. I would start by adding 20 drops each of Bergamot and Tea Tree to 4 ounces of distilled water in a spray bottle (you can scale it down if you want to...10 drops of each in 2 ounces of water). Bergamot and either Pink Grapefruit or Sweet Orange could be another good combination. For the smoke that has absorbed into the carpets and furniture add some of the same oils to some baking soda, sprinkle it on and let it sit for a little while before vacuuming (be sure to test it on an inconspicuous spot to test for colorfastness, some citrus oils can have a "bleaching" effect...especially lemon).

Hope this helps to start getting rid of some of those really foul smells. Let me know what works best for you!