Many cultures and religions worldwide burn sacred herbs and use the smoke to smudge — or to cleanse and purify — spaces and/or people.
However, there may be instances — like in hotel rooms or around people who are sensitive to smoke — where burning a smudge stick may not be appropriate.
In these cases, learning how to smudge a house using essential oils might be an alternative option.
How to Smudge a House Using Essential Oils
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What I like about using essential oils to smudge or purify a room is that you can use this smudge spray recipe in a diffuser or mixed with water and a little alcohol in a spray bottle
. Both methods are great options for situations — like the workplace or a college dorm — where a flame and smoke may be frowned upon.
Smudging materials for smudge spray recipe
What you will need:
- Palo Santo essential oil
- Lavender essential oil
- Sage essential oil
- Distilled water
- A diffuser
or spray bottle
- Alcohol/vodka (optional)
- A small crystal of your choice (optional)
Why palo santo, lavender and sage essential oils?
There are many different purifying herbs you could use but this is my favorite smudge spray recipe, especially in essential oil form.
Palo santo, which is Spanish for “holy wood,” is a sacred wood from South America that is known for its cleansing properties.
Lavender is a versatile essential oil known for its anti-bacterial properties.
Sage is well-known as an herb used for sacred cleansing in Native American and other cultures.
I tend not to be loyal to a particular brand of essential oil. I’ve used Young Living, Mountain Rose Herbs, Sage Goddess essential oils and other high-quality essential oils. You may even find a brand you like on Amazon.
My basic essential oil recipe for smudging
- 2 drops palo santo essential oil
- 1 drop lavender essential oil
- 1 drop sage essential oil
If you wish, you can make a blend of these oils ahead of time, or add them directly to the water from the bottles. I prefer the smell of palo santo essential oil over sage essential oil, but feel free to play around with this recipe and find a balance that you like!
Decide if you will use a diffuser or a room spray
I tend to use the diffuser method more than a spray bottle but the latter is an excellent choice if you are looking to smudge your entire house in a short amount of time, or you need a smudge spray that’s easy to travel with.
The spray method also can be a faster way to purify a home, especially if you are clearing more than one room.
If you choose to make a room spray, you may wish to use the optional alcohol/vodka ingredient, which will help the scent linger for awhile.
How to smudge a house using essential oils in a diffuser
- Choose a starting room. Find a safe location to place your diffuser that is out of the reach of children and/or pets.
- Fill the diffuser basin with the desired amount of water (for recommendations, check the user manual for your specific model).
- Add the essential oils to the water in the basin.
- Run the diffuser for at least 30 minutes.
- Repeat in each room you’d like to cleanse or purify, refilling the basin with water and essential oils as necessary.
How to smudge a house using essential oils in a spray bottle
- Gather your materials: chosen spray bottle, essential oils, alcohol and a water-friendly cleansing crystal like tumbled black tourmaline.
- Fill the spray bottle with 1 cup water, 1/2 cup alcohol and the essential oils (I would use 6 drops palo santo essential oil, 3 drops sage essential oil and 3 drops lavender essential oil in this case).
- Add a protective crystal (optional). I like to add a crystal known for its neutralizing properties, like tumbled black tourmaline, to the bottle but this is an optional step. (Adding the stone to the bottle helps to blend the oils with the water, too.) My favorite place to buy crystals online is Sage Goddess.
- Shake it up! Make sure the nozzle is securely fastened before shaking.
- Choose a starting room once the spray is thoroughly mixed. You may wish to open a window to help disperse the stagnant energy, but if that’s not possible, it’s OK.
- Give yourself a spritz first to smudge away any unfavorable energy you may have. Then walk around the room in a clockwise direction, spritzing the spray in the air. Don’t forget to spritz the corners of the room, behind doors and inside closets, too.
- Repeat in each room you’d like to cleanse or purify.
I tend to cleanse only one room at a time instead of my full house, so I prefer a smaller spray bottle like this one. But these larger bottles
are more practical for a thorough full-house smudging.
You could also recycle and reuse a glass bottle you already have on hand, which is a fantastic idea that’s featured in this blog post at BodyUnburdened.com. Using a glass bottle is especially useful if you plan to store the spray for any length of time.
Now that you know how to smudge a house using essential oils, I’d like to know… have you smudged using alternative methods like a diffuser or spray? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment or chat me up on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
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Love your guide! I think i will go with diffuser option, I have 3 diffuser and actually i dont want to put alcohol or crystal in it, so pure essential oils will work well with diffuser, right?
And do you think Peppermint could use, too? I personally love that smell!
Thanks, Susan. Yes, pure essential oils work well in a diffuser. The blend I suggested is just that — a suggestion! Feel free to experiment with other mixes that use peppermint if you love it. :)
Would clary sage work for the spray ?
Hi Nicole. Clary Sage is more widely associated with stress relief. I would use it in a diffuser to relieve anxiety and stress.
I love this idea! I’ve always used smudge sticks but don’t like the smoky smell as it makes me cough. I will definitely try this. Thank you so much for the great idea!