Why We Don’t Clean with Essential Oils (and What We Use Instead)

Just Because It’s Natural, Doesn’t Mean It’s “Good”

Believe it or not, even natural ingredients can be problematic. That’s why at Noble Spruce Cleaning, we’ve made an intentional choice to steer clear of synthetic, adulterated, or highly concentrated essential oils in our cleaning process.

We’re all about non-toxic living, a deep respect for nature, and creating spaces that feel calm, healthy, and safe for everyone. So it might surprise you to learn: we don’t clean with small-bottle essential oils, no diffuser blends, no homemade sprays, no drops in mop water.

Wait… aren’t essential oils the gold standard of natural cleaning?

Not quite. While we do love essential oils in the right context (I’ll happily add a few drops to my evening bath!), we don’t use pure or adulterated essential oils in our cleaning, because we care deeply about the safety, sensitivities, and comfort of the people (and pets!) in every home we serve.

But don’t some of your products below have essential oils?

Great question, and here’s the difference: Some of the carefully chosen products we use (like Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds) contain naturally derived essential oil components, like fir needle or spruce oil, in highly diluted, stable, and responsibly formulated amounts. These are not the same as dropping concentrated oils straight from a bottle onto a surface (or directly into the mop bucket).

We trust certain pre-formulated, plant-based products that use trace amounts of essential oils for their cleaning power, not for their scent. These ingredients are included safely and intentionally, backed by rigorous standards for human and pet safety.

Here’s Why We Avoid Using Essential Oils Directly:

1. Adulterated or Synthetic Oils Aren’t Safe for Pets or People

Essential oils are often marketed as pure, but many are adulterated with synthetic compounds, fillers, or chemical preservatives. Even “pure” oils can be toxic to cats and dogs, especially oils like tea tree, eucalyptus, peppermint, and citrus.

We follow this simple rule: if we wouldn’t use it around our own pets, we won’t use it in your home either. For humans, concentrated oils can trigger asthma, allergies, headaches, and skin irritation, especially in children or people with sensitivities. That’s not the kind of “natural” we stand behind.

2. Scent is Personal (and Often Overwhelming)

Ever been stuck in an elevator with someone’s overpowering cologne? That’s how many people feel about strong-smelling cleaners, even if they’re marketed as being “natural.”

Fragrance, including essential oil scent, lingers. And in homes where someone has allergies, migraines, or chemical sensitivities, that lingering smell can mean discomfort or health flare-ups. That’s why we use products that are unscented or fade quickly, like vinegar or mild plant-based soaps.

To us, a clean home should smell like…nothing. Really, nothing! For cleaning to truly be non-toxic, there should be little to no lingering residues.

3. Less is More

You don’t need fragrances or powerful smells to get a space truly clean. We use products that are effective, safe, and simple, chosen not for how they smell, but for how well they work and how gently they treat your home, your family, and the environment.

Here’s What We Use Instead:

Our core products are free from synthetic fragrance and concentrated essential oils. Here are a few of our go-tos:

• Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner – Our bread and butter. This is a concentrated hard-surface all-purpose cleaner. It is made with plant-based surfactants and natural fir needle and spruce essential oils (no cheap, harsh pine stump oil), without any synthetic dyes or fragrances. We use this on counters, bathtubs, toilets, floors, and pretty much every surface!

• White Vinegar + Water – our homemade glass cleaner: simple, effective, and scent-free

• Seventh Generation Toilet Bowl Cleaner - A plant-based, phosphate free toilet bowl cleaner designed to tackle tough stains without harsh chemicals. The mint scent is made from 100% essential oils and botanical ingredients. While we don’t add essential oils directly to our cleaning, we trust this product because the essential oils are safely diluted and part of a pre-formulated, responsibly made cleaner. This toilet cleaner is septic-safe and made with you, your family, and the planet in mind. We use it exclusively for cleaning toilets, leaving them smelling fresh, and truly non-toxic.

Need a Scent-Free Clean? That’s Standard for Us.

We’re here to provide transparent, trustworthy cleaning, not trends or greenwashing. Our approach avoids direct use of essential oils not because we’re against them, but because we believe in using the right product, in the right way, for the right reasons. Let us know if you have sensitivities, we’re happy to customize your clean.

To us, non-toxic means non-irritating, non-invasive, and honest. We skip essential oils in our cleaning because we value transparency, health, and peace of mind, for every client, every home, every time. If you ever have specific sensitivities or preferences, we’re always happy to talk through our products and process. Because your well-being matters.

Want to learn more about our non-toxic, pet-safe cleaning approach? We’d love to care for your space with intention.