Household Uses for Herbs and Spices

Use Herbs and Spices for More Than Cooking

Herbs and spices can serve many purposes around the house besides cooking and remedies. They can be great for natural cleaning solutions, warding off summer time bugs, freshen linens, give your home a fresh clean scent with chemical air fresheners, and in many other ways.

Does your garbage disposal smell funny?
Drop a few lemon, lime, or orange peels down there and turn it on. Your kitchen will fill with a fresh citrus scent. You can also sprinkle lavender blossoms in there; about 2 tablespoons should do it. A good way to keep your disposal clean is to regularly (about 1-2 times a week) pour lemon juice or vinegar and a small amount of baking soda down there. It will clean up some of the deposits while it foams and help keep bacteria and fungus from growing in there.

Does your garbage can have a slight odor in the summer?
Try this. Take 2 full lemon peels, chop finely, and add 5 tablespoons of lavender blossoms, Place in a bowl. Crush 3 whole bay leaves and 2 6" cinnamon sticks. Add to bowl. Smells good enough to eat, right? Set the bowl near your trashcan. Every time you throw something out, take a pinch of mixture from the bowl and sprinkle in the can. The mixture will over power the odor leaving you with a trashcan that smells like a garden instead of a compost pile! * If your kitchen easily gets fruit flies, you may want to avoid the lemon peels and try something else. Like fresh flower petals or basil sprigs from your garden.

Freshen up you linens and laundry
Add a few drops or lavender oil to your washer's rinse cycle, dab a few drops on a washcloth or towel and toss in the dryer with laundry, fill a muslin bag with lavender flowers and tightly tie shut and toss into your washer with your laundry, or just place the muslin bag directly in your dresser draw or hang it up in your closet with a string.

Naturally scent your bathrooms
Fill a muslin bag with lavender flowers and tie shut. Place bag near your toilet. You can also use cinnamon chips or any other herb or spice you like the scent of.

Chopping onions and can't get the smell off your hands?
Wash your hands with soap and lemon juice!