In the Kitchen with Aromatherapy

Question
I have just moved and I have a lovely kitchen. The cupboards are wood, and as this is the first time I've had wood finished cabinetry I don't know how to polish them. I usually use a lemon or orange based commercial polish on furniture, but really have a sense of these products not being healthy for kitchen use. What do you recommend I use to polish my kitchen cabinetry ... and how often? Thanks, New Home Owner, WA, USA

Answer
Congratulations on your status as new home owner! May your new space be a place for memories to be made and dreams to come true for many years to come!

Your desire to clean and care for your new surroundings with the infusion of aromatherapy is fantastic! For decades aromatherapists around the world have used the properties of quality essential oils for the cleaning, cleansing and enhancement of physical spaces. It is a big step toward achieving a healthy environment for you and your family, not to mention our planet!

I gather from your choice of lemon and orange-based furniture polish that you enjoy the mood-lifting citrus aromas that many of us have come to equate with clean and fresh. I have included a couple of citrus-scented recipes to clean and care for your kitchen cabinetry. I also encourage you to read my March 2010 Ask the Aromatherapist article, Aromatherapy and the Naturally Clean, Healthy Home. It contains a number of natural cleaning tips and recipes using essential oils. Why not extend your quest for a naturally clean and healthy kitchen to include the rest of your beautiful new home?

There is something to be said about the fresh, lively and dare I say happy aromas of orange, mandarin, lemon, lime and grapefruit! Manufacturers of cleaning products, perfumes, soaps, foods, chewing gum and beverages have been capturing the fragrance (and flavours) of these citrus gems for a number of years. Generally, aromatherapists use citrus and citrus-aroma essential oils for their refreshing, reviving, cleansing, uplifting, comforting, soothing and calming qualities. (i) For cleaning, cleansing or aromatically enhancing a space, we use them for their antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral, bactericide, disinfectant, stimulant, relaxant and anxiolytic properties. (ii)

It would be helpful to know the finish of your wood kitchen cabinets but since the 1930’s most kitchen cabinets - factory manufactured and custom made - have been finished with what is referred to as conversion finish or lacquer. This is just to say that they likely do not have an oil or hand-rubbed wax finish on them. (iii) Frequent washing of your cabinetry will require the application of protection however applying oils or waxes too frequently can result in an undesirable build up. Consider polishing your cabinetry once a month if you have a busy kitchen, every four to six months otherwise. (iv)

For everyday dusting and cleaning care, a barely-damp cloth gently wiped over the cabinetry in the direction of the wood grain is all that is needed. Microfiber cleaning cloths are great for this task! They work well damp or dry. If you like, add 1 to 2 drops of your favourite essential oil to your cloth before wiping, lemongrass is my fave. After using a damp cloth, finish the cabinetry with a soft dry cloth to ensure that it is free of moisture. It is critical to not to leave water on any type of wood finish. Following this simple task at least every other day will reduce the number of times a general cleaning is required, at least that is what many kitchen cabinetry experts will tell you.

I don’t know about you but my life can get pretty chaotic so that remembering to regularly wipe down of my cupboards becomes but a ‘wish upon a star’. And my kitchen is often occupied by others making their own messes, not to mention household pets of the canine and feline persuasion who have an affinity with the cupboard doors that hide their special treats! Thankfully there are some great options for the general cleaning of wood cabinetry.

You can simply use warm water with the addition of 1 tbsp (15 ml) of a vegetable-based soap like castile soap and 2 to 4 drops of an essential oil. Place ingredients into a small bucket, soak cleaning cloth to distribute soap and essential oil, wring cloth until damp and wipe cupboards in the direction of the wood grain. Thoroughly rinse your cleaning cloth with clear water, wring well and wipe cupboards to rid them of any soap residue. Wipe dry.

In her book, The Naturally Clean Home (Second Edition, 2008), author Karyn Siegel-Maier identifies citrus oils as the ‘work horses of the kitchen and bathroom’ (p 7). One of her favourite recipes for wood, including kitchen cabinetry is as follows:
1/2 cup (120 ml) oil soap (Murphy’s Oil Soap is suggested)
3/4 cup (180 ml) water
5 drops sweet orange essential oil
15-20 drops of cedarwood essential oil
Place all ingredients into a plastic spray bottle and shake well before each use. Lightly spray the wood to be cleaned and remove all traces of moisture with a soft dry cloth (p 105). Did you know that Murphy’s Oil Soap contains citronella essential oil?

It is not recommended that you wash wood cabinetry too often. Two to four times a year for a thorough cleaning of wood kitchen cabinetry is all that is required unless you have a particularly busy kitchen, cook with oils and fats or have a grill top. Think Spring and Fall cleaning!

While researching and reviewing various resources for this article, a recipe that uses strong black tea as its base was frequently mentioned. I decided to give it a try. I used the aromatic ‘brew’ on the old oak cupboards in my bathroom and it did clean them, but I wasn’t convinced that there was anything really special about this concoction. I then ventured to clean a couple of spots on my new strand-woven bamboo flooring which has a tighter grain and a low-lustre finish. Decidedly it was not good for that finish! So should you come upon the black tea recipe, be cautious and absolutely test, test, test! In fact, you should spot test ALL recipes!

Now ... where was I?

If your cabinetry has areas that are particularly grimy, like around the drawer pulls and upper cabinet edges, refrain from using harsh cleaners as it may harm the protective finish. Instead, try a paste of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and water. Test first on an inconspicuous spot. Apply the paste to the dirty areas and gently rub with a dry soft cloth or sponge to remove the grime. Rinse and dry thoroughly. Repeat if necessary.

Alternatively, make a simple blend of 2 tbsp (30 ml) white distilled vinegar, 2 tbsp (30 ml) vodka or methylated spirits (as an emulsifier) and 10 drops eucalyptus essential oil in a large spray bottle of water. Choose the essential oil Eucalyptus citriodora for its hint-of-lemon aroma! Shake the spray bottle before each use. This recipe calls for the mixture to be sprayed directly onto the surface but I think it best to spray it onto a cloth first and then gently rub the surface to be cleaned. Where grime is built up, spray the mixture onto the cloth and dab the cloth into a small amount of baking soda before rubbing the area. Rinse with a clean cloth and dry the area thoroughly. (v)

If you would like to clean and nourish your wood at the same time here are a few very simple recipes. Caution! Be careful when using any vinegar-based or citrus-juice based mixture on wood as it can affect the finish if not used properly. Always test the mixture on an inconspicuous spot first!

Mix 1 cup (240 ml) of quality olive oil and 1/4 cup (60ml) distilled white vinegar in a spray bottle or other container with a tight fitting lid. Add 5 to 10 drops of your favourite essential oil. The vinegar lifts the dirt, the olive oil nourishes the wood, the essential oil boosts your spirits! Spray or pour the homemade solution onto a soft cloth. Do not spray directly onto the cabinetry. Work the mixture into the wood, always wiping with the wood grain. Buff dry. If you put the mixture into a container with a screw cap lid and refrigerate for a few hours the olive oil will thicken to the consistency of a soft paste. Dab a soft, lint-free cloth into the ‘paste’ and work into the wood as above, and finish with a dry buffing.

Try 1/4 cup (60 ml) of food grade linseed oil (boiled linseed oil typically has additives) and 1/4 cup (60 ml) of white distilled vinegar mixed together with 2 drops of lemongrass, 5 drops of rosemary or 5 drops of a citrus essential oil. Apply a very light coat to the cabinetry with a soft cloth wiping with the wood grain. Buff with a soft lint free cloth. If you like the aroma of clove, consider adding a few drops of clove essential oil to the mixture.

Here is a tip to guide how much essential oil to add to a cleaning mixture with vinegar in it. To take advantage of essential oil properties and to achieve the aroma you are looking for, always start with the fewer number of drops and never exceed the recommended maximum number of drops. Apply the mixture to a small test area. Assess the aroma of the mixture while you are using it and assess the area cleaned after it is dry. As you can imagine, smelling the mixture directly from its container will not give you a true scent as the vinegar can be quite forward. However, the vinegar smell does dissipate when it dries leaving the aroma of the essential oil behind.

Ms. Ernestina Parziale offers a fabulous aromatic wood polish recipe that not only cares for the wood, it reduces the attraction of dust afterward. Her preference is that the polish be stored in a 4 oz (120 ml) plastic squirt-top bottle. Into 1/8 cup (30 ml) of quality olive oil, add 1 tbsp (15ml) of apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp (15 ml) of vodka (used as an emulsifier) and 10 drops of lavender essential oil. (vi) Squirt a small amount of polish onto a soft, lint free cloth and rub into cabinetry in the direction of the wood. Note, I have found that recipes containing apple cider vinegar can stain white wash or blonde woods so again, test, test, test!

This last recipe for a polishing cream is from the website of a custom cabinet maker in Washington State, USA. It does not use essential oils but it does have a nice aroma. In a double boiler over medium heat, melt 2.5 oz (75 ml) of olive or jojoba oil (jojoba oil is more stable) and 1.5 oz (45 ml) of coconut oil with 1 oz (28 grams) beeswax and 1 oz (28 grams) carnauba wax. Remove from the heat and add 4 oz (120 ml) of distilled water. Blend ingredients with a hand mixer until thick and creamy. Store the furniture cream in a sealed container in a cool dark place. Dab a soft lint free cloth into the mixture and rub polish into the cabinetry in the direction of the wood grain. This recipe has a shelf-life of 6 months to a year. (iv) Experiment! I’ll bet that the addition of up to 15 drops of orange or lavender essential oil would be very nice.

I hope that among these recipes you will find the perfect synergy between your quest for using natural cleaning and polishing alternatives and the aromatic, health promoting qualities and properties of essential oils. Do drop me a line to let me know which one really ‘shines’ for you and your cabinetry! bpower@schoolofct.com

Article Resources
(i) Julia Lawless, The Complete Illustrated Guide to Aromatherapy (2001), p184, 186-88, 190 and 192
(ii) Kurt Schnaubelt, Medical Aromatherapy (1999), p184-186; and, Salvatore Battaglia, The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy (Second Edition, 2003), p 76-7 and 573-74
(iii) kitchen-cabinets-and-hardware.com
(iv) florycabinets.com/cabinetcare
(v) Rachel Tsoumbakos at natural-products.suite101.com

1. earthnotes.tripod.com/clnrecipes

Common and Botanical Names of Essential Oils
Cedarwood - Cedrus atlantica or Juniperus virginiana; Clove - Eugenia caryophyllus; Eucalyptus - Eucalyptus citriodora; Grapefruit - Citrus paradisi; Lemon - Citrus limon;  Lemongrass - Cymbopogon flexuosus; Lime - Citrus medica; Mandarin - Citrus reticulata; Orange - Citrus sinensis; Rosemary - Rosmarinus officinalis ct. cineole.

The information contained herein is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or SCT. SCT and its associates do not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent is only to offer information to help you in your quest for a happy and healthy lifestyle. Accordingly SCT and its individual associates assume no responsibility for your actions.