Lemongrass & a Little Housework: How I Use Lemongrass Essential Oil for a Fresh, Clean Home

September 2, 2026

Lemongrass essential oil with Castile soap, vinegar and warm soapy water for natural household cleaning.

Lemongrass & a Little Housework

There are a handful of essential oils I reach for again and again when I'm cleaning, but lemongrass may be my favorite.

It just smells clean.

Fresh, bright, lemony—and somehow after I've wiped down the kitchen and mopped the floors with lemongrass, the whole house feels fresher.

As an herbalist, herbs find their way into so many parts of my everyday life. They're growing in the garden, drying in the herb shop, tucked into jars in the apothecary, steeping in tea—and quite often, they're in my cleaning bucket too.

Here are a few simple ways I use lemongrass essential oil around our home.

My Lemongrass All-Purpose Cleaner

This is one I use all the time.

I make a simple all-purpose cleaner with water, a little Castile soap, vinegar, and lemongrass essential oil. I keep it handy for all those little messes that need wiping up throughout the day.

I don't make homemade cleaners complicated. That's part of why I like them. A few basic ingredients and an essential oil I love are usually all I need for everyday cleaning.

And lemongrass makes this one smell so fresh.

If you already have a favorite homemade all-purpose cleaner, you can also simply try adding lemongrass essential oil to the recipe you already use.

A Sink Full of Lemongrass Cleaning Water

This is probably my favorite way to clean the kitchen.

When I'm ready to give everything a good wipe-down, I fill the kitchen sink with warm, soapy water and add a few drops of lemongrass essential oil.

Then I use that water to work my way around the kitchen—the countertops, stove, table, and whatever else needs attention.

Nothing fancy.

But that warm soapy water with the fresh scent of lemongrass makes the whole kitchen smell wonderful while I'm cleaning.

This is something I do regularly, whether I'm doing a quick everyday clean or spending a little more time on the kitchen that week.

Lemongrass in the Mop Water

I use lemongrass in my mop water too.

Just a few drops added to the soapy water gives the whole house that fresh scent as I work my way across the floors.

It's such a small thing, but it's one of my favorite parts of cleaning with essential oils. Instead of the house smelling like a commercial cleaning product when I'm finished, it smells fresh and herbal.

Cleaning the Kitchen Sink

The kitchen sink is another place where I love using lemongrass.

Once everything else is wiped down, I give the sink a good cleaning and add a little lemongrass. There's something about finishing the kitchen with a clean sink and that fresh scent that makes the whole room feel done.

Baking soda is another simple cleaning staple I keep around, and it works well when the sink needs a little scrubbing.

Homemade Lemongrass Carpet Powder

I also make my own carpet freshening powder, and it couldn't be much simpler.

Lemongrass Carpet Powder

You'll need:

Baking soda
Lemongrass essential oil

I add several drops of lemongrass essential oil to baking soda and mix it together really well. Then I sprinkle it over the carpet, let it sit for a bit, and vacuum it up.

That's it.

It leaves the carpet—and really the whole room—smelling fresh.

Lemongrass isn't the only essential oil I use for this, either. Orange, lemon, and grapefruit are some of my other favorites. Sometimes I just choose whichever one sounds good to me that day.

Making the Work a Little More Enjoyable

Housework is housework. There are dishes to wash, counters to wipe, floors to mop and kitchens that somehow need cleaning again almost as soon as you've finished them.

But I've found that little things can make the work more enjoyable.

For me, one of those things is scent. I love filling the sink with warm soapy water, adding a little lemongrass and letting that fresh smell fill the kitchen while I work.

And a little good music doesn't hurt either.

I recently created a new YouTube channel called A Quiet Life in Bloom, with peaceful instrumental music inspired by herbs, gardens, homemaking and the ordinary rhythms of life at home.

Lemongrass & a Little Housework is one of the first pieces I've created for those everyday moments. It's a peaceful but upbeat little waltz with piano, cello and strings—something lovely to put on while you're cleaning the kitchen, folding laundry, cooking supper or just puttering around the house getting things done.

So if you're about to fill the sink with soapy water and tackle the kitchen, turn it on and let it keep you company while you work.