I recently realized that I have a lot of empty essential oil bottles scattered around my home. I’m not even sure how it happened. It seems like every time I turn around, there’s another one. And don’t get me started on all of the different essential oil recipe containers… but don’t get me wrong, I love my oils & my recipes.
One day I was looking at all of these essential oil bottles and wondering what to do with them all. They were taking up space, but I didn’t want to just recycle them or toss them out. Then it hit me: why not clean and reuse them?
So that’s what I did! It took a little bit of effort, but I did all the research and hard work for you. So, today I will be teaching you how to clean and reuse those empty essential oil bottles! Let’s get started!
Note: As much as you love to repurpose all your bottles, some are just impossible to totally clean. Even deep, heavy cleaning does not always get rid of essential oil residues. Don’t risk reusing those bottles with residual scents or oil after cleaning as they can potentially contaminate your fresh oils.
How to Clean Essential Oil Bottles
Cleaning your bottles can take less than 15 minutes. Quick and easy, it’s a task you can knock out in no time.
1. Empty the Bottles
There are always still some drops left over in the bottom or neck area of a bottle. It may be tempting, but don’t throw away those precious oils just yet. Here are some ways to make every drop count:
- Fill your empty essential oil bottle to the top with water and simply pour this onto your diffuser!
- Epsom salt also works wonders in absorbing any excess oil. Fill your bottle with Epsom salt to make some scented salts.
2. Disassemble the Bottle
Remove the cap and orifice reducer, dropper top, or roller top using an essential oil bottle opener. It will make cleaning a lot easier.
3. Remove the Labels
There are two ways to get rid of the label and glue on your essential oil bottle.
- Soak it in warm soapy water with dishwashing liquid for 10-20 minutes, or until the labels come off completely.
- Peel off the label, then rub some Lemon Essential Oil onto whatever is still stuck on the bottle. This will help you remove all of the remaining glue residue.
4. Clean the Bottles
Water won’t do it! Yes, even warm, soapy water is not enough to remove residual oil and scents from essential oil bottles. The trick is to use a “solvent” that will dissolve all remaining oils and won’t leave any residue in the bottle.
Here are some solvents you can use to clean your used essential oil bottles:
High Proof Vodka
High-proof vodka will dissolve the oil and leave your bottles clean and residue-free. And, because vodka is a natural disinfectant, it will also help keep your bottles clean and free of bacteria.
Special Denatured Alcohol (SDA)
SDA, also known as perfumers alcohol, contains 100% ethanol and can also effectively remove residual oils in bottles. In many countries, it is most commonly known as Methylated Spirits.
Rubbing Alcohol
You can also use rubbing alcohol with a concentration of 70% or 99% isopropyl alcohol. The rubbing alcohol will dissolve any oil residue and leave your bottles sparkling clean. Plus, it’s a great way to disinfect the bottles so you can reuse them without worry.
Vinegar
If you’re looking for an easy-to-find, natural alternative, you can also use white vinegar. Vinegar is a natural disinfectant that will help remove any residue that may be on your bottle.
To clean the bottles, simply fill the bottles with the solution (no need to shake them) and let them sit for a period of time. You can even reuse the solution to clean additional bottles. For thick oils, use an appropriately sized bottle brush to loosen sticky essential oil residue or let it sit for a much longer time. Then, simply dump the contents out.
5. Clean the Caps, Orifice Reducers, & Droppers
For orifice reducers and caps, soak them in the solvent first before scrubbing off any remaining residue. For droppers, just let them suck up some solution repeatedly until the inside is clean!
6. Let Them Dry
You’ll want to make sure that each part of your essential oil bottle has completely dried before reusing it again. Let them air-dry for a few days, then wipe off the insides and crevices with cotton balls/swabs or paper towels so no residue sticks around!
Once your bottles are completely dry, you can start using them for all sorts of projects. Read on to learn the many ways to reuse them.
Ways to Reuse Essential Oil Bottles
Storing Blends
I like to keep my precious essential oils in their original containers. These extra, newly cleaned bottles are perfect for storing my favorite diffuser or roll-on blends, so I can easily access them when I need them.
Sharing Blends
It’s hard to keep the amazingness of essential oils all to yourself. I love sharing my newly created blends with family and friends so they too can enjoy the endless benefits of these oils! If you’re looking for blend or roll-on recipe ideas, we have tons you will love!
Storing and Sharing Carrier Oils
If you love essential oils, you know that carrier oils are just as important. Carrier oils are usually stored in bigger containers, so, if you want your carrier oils to be more easily accessible while on-the-go, storing them in smaller containers may be a great option.
Using as Travel-Sized Bottles
Do you travel a lot? Then these 5ml and 15ml bottles will definitely come in handy when going through airport security. Simply fill the bottles with your favorite personal/skincare products and you’re off. If you love all things natural, you will love our very own line of all-natural personal care products, too! Go check them out.
Using as Bud Vase
I’m all about these cute, teeny bud vases. You can upcycle your used essential oil bottles into cool homes for your plant babies; the end result is always SO cute.
Using for Reed Diffusers
Like a bud vase, these repurposed essential oil bottles also work great as reed diffuser containers. Here are some essential oil reed diffuser recipes you can follow:
Until Next Time, Happy Cleaning!
So there you have it! Essential oil bottle cleaning hacks you can follow. Not to mention, keeping your essential oils in clean bottles is important for preserving their therapeutic properties. If all else fails, you can always take your empty bottles to a local glass recycler.
Be sure to try out some of these methods the next time you need to clean your essential oil bottles. Do you have any favorite tips or tricks for keeping your bottles clean? We’d love to hear about it on social media with @fromsimplyearth and in the comments below!
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