25 Uses for Peppermint Oil In and Around Your Home

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Have a jar of peppermint essential oil in your home but aren’t sure what to do with it? Here are some of my favorite uses for peppermint oil for your home.

Uses for Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil is one of the most versatile essential oils you can keep on hand. Peppermint essential oil has so many uses around your home. Today we’re going to talk about a few ways you can start using it in and around your home too. And remember, if you have any uses for peppermint oil that you don’t see listed here, make sure to share your tips in the comments!

Peppermint oil is an essential oil derived from the peppermint plant. It is commonly used in many home and personal care products, and it has many soothing properties. It’s also a pest repellant, so you can use it in your home and garden to get rid of the “unwanteds.”

**Note: Like with all essential oils, test first to make sure you are not allergic, do not use on young children, do not use if pregnant, do not use around pets, and do not use if you have certain medical conditions. Nothing here is meant to diagnose, treat, or prevent diseases, please ask your doctor for that kind of advice. These are simply tips to give ideas. Do not ingest oils and do not use them on skin without diluting. Also note that peppermint oil is different from spearmint oil or menthol.

Want to learn more uses for your essential oils or other basic items around your home? My book Little House Living: The Make Your Own Guide to a Frugal, Simple, Self Sufficient Life has a HUGE section in the back devoted to that exact topic!

Peppermint Oil for Cleaning

  • Mix peppermint oil with tea tree oil to make a disinfectant for things around your home. Add about 10-20 drops to a mixture of white vinegar and water to a 16oz spray bottle and shake well. Spray to clean and disinfect.
  • Add some peppermint oil to your Homemade Cleaners to give them a fresh scent.

Get Rid of Pests with Peppermint Oil

  • Keep ants and spiders out of your home by making a barrier of peppermint oil. Put some oil on a cotton ball and wipe around the areas they are entering your home such as doorways or windows. They won’t cross the barrier.
  • Place peppermint oil on cotton balls home to deter mice. Leave cottontails in strategic areas around your house to keep rodents at bay!
  • Make a homemade peppermint spray to get rid of fleas. Mix a few drops of peppermint oil with some epsom salts and warm water. Shake until salts are dissolved. Spray on dogs and carpets where fleas may lurk. Peppermint oil kills flea larvae.
  • Make an organic garden spray that kills aphids. Mix a few drops of peppermint oil with some water in a spray bottle and spray on plants with aphid infestations.
  • Place peppermint oil on the tip of a cotton swap and put around the head of a tick to remove it from skin.

Peppermint Oil Home Remedies

  • Help ease nausea or indigestion. Inhale peppermint oil to help stop nausea instantly. For indigestion, rub peppermint oil mixed with a carrier oil on your stomach in a circular pattern.
  • Add a few drops of peppermint oil to a humidifier to help with colds and congestion.
  • Create a natural chest rub by melting shea butter, beeswax, and coconut oil in equal amounts with a few drops of peppermint oil to help with congestion.
  • Relieve a headache by mixing peppermint oil with a carrier oil and rubbing on your sinus’ or temples. Help relieve a tension headache by also rubbing on the neck.
  • Add a few drops of peppermint oil into an Olive Oil Candle to help improve alertness and relieve stress.
  • Add a few drops of peppermint oil and lavender oil to a carrier oil to relieve itchy bug bites.
  • Add a few drops of peppermint oil into a foot bath with epsom salts to help relax tired, worn feet.
  • To help with the symptoms of motion sickness, rub a small amount that has been diluted with a carrier oil onto the insides of your wrists.
  • Create an invigorating bath by adding a few drops of peppermint oil to warm bath water.
  • Mix peppermint oil with a carrier oil and place on bumps and bruises to help with pain and reduce swelling.
  • Add a few drops of peppermint oil to Homemade Shampoo to help with dandruff.
  • Mix peppermint oil with a carrier oil to help relieve cramps and aches from other muscles and joints.
  • Inhale some peppermint oil while studying and then before a test to improve brain function and increase alertness.
  • To help relieve a rash, mix a few drops of peppermint oil with some coconut oil and rub into the affected area.
  • Peppermint oil can help with hot flashes. Just add a few drops to a spray bottle of cold water and spritz on your body as needed.
  • Moisturize and deodorize your feet by making your own Peppermint Foot Cream!

More Uses for Peppermint Oil

  • Add a few drops of peppermint oil to homemade potpourri to make an invigorating atmosphere in your home.
  • Add a few drops of oil to the bottom of your trash can or on a cotton ball placed in the bottom of your trash can to keep it smelling fresh.
  • Add a few drops of peppermint oil to shampoo to stimulate hair growth.

And there are even more uses for peppermint oil that we can’t possibly list here! My personal favorite use for peppermint oil is to keep away the spiders. These South Dakota Wolf Spiders are enough to give you nightmares!


FAQS About Peppermint Oil

Can I put peppermint oil on my skin?

Always dilute essential oils with a carrier oil before applying to skin. Never apply to broken skin and always test in a small area first to make sure that you are not allergic.

Who should not use peppermint oil?

Anyone using essential oils in any capacity should contact their health care provider first before using to make sure they are safe for you and don’t cause any interactions with your current medications.

Can you overuse peppermint oil?

Yes, you can overuse peppermint oil or any essential oil. All things in moderation.


Want to learn more about essential oils?

Learn more about the different uses for a few of the most commonly used essential oils:

Plus, make sure to check out my posts on Organizing Essential Oils and how to Make Your Own Essential Oil Diffuser in Minutes!

What are your favorite uses for peppermint oil? Do you have wolf spiders where you live? *Shudder!*

merissabio

This blog post about 25 Uses for Peppermint Oil was originally published on Little House Living in November 2013. It has been updated as of December 2022.

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85 Comments

  1. If you have a decent quality oil you don’t need to dilute it with a carrier oil. I use doTerra, a little spendy but I use mine everyday and after 6 months I still have half of a bottle!

      1. Hi Amanda, I accidentally put peppermint oil instead of a face oil on today. I tried getting it off with coconut oil.Any suggestions?

    1. I also like non-flavored coconut oil or your favorite lotion. I use natural vitamin e lotion or 100% pure aloe vera

  2. I’m also new to oils but have been seeing a lot of post about it. How would I begin to know how much strength I need when making it? Can you elaborate? I’d love to make some and use it but it scares me to think I might make it too strong and get the wrong affect.

    1. My family and I have used YoungLivingEssentialOils for our wellness for over 5 years. We love Peppermint for headaches and to layer with other oils. 1024761

  3. Definitely going to get some peppermint oil, but I thought I would mention that I have successfully used peppermint extract against ants in the past. Worked like a charms and no harsh chemicals around my kiddos. Plus it smelled great! Thanks for all the great info!

  4. Hi from the South Coast of England
    I love your blog & your very interesting articles. They are really informative, it keeps me amused for hours over these long dark winter nights we have over here. Thank you Merissa 🙂

  5. How do you use the peppermint to get rid of spiders I always have spiders and I am always afraid one of us will get but in our sleep. Not to mention we all hate them and the freak us out.

      1. You can also mix it with some tea tree oil and create a homemade bug spray. Then just spray as you would a normal bug spray (corners, nooks and crannies of your house, around the lining of your house, etc). You typically have to spray every 1-3 weeks, though.

        1. Does this spray repel or exterminate? I am moving to the country very soon and will be surrounded by woods which will probably be buggier than where I now live. Thanks for the information.

  6. Can I use this to spray on my dogs to keep ant away or relieve ant bites(one of my dogs is allergic to ant bites, gets them all the time.)

        1. Dog’s sense of smell is much stronger than ours. Whenever I get my peppermint oil out, my dog takes off. Personally, I would not put it on him. I feel It would be cruel.

          1. Well… I just used Castillo soap with peppermint oil on my dog and scrubbed him with a scrub brush before reading about it..he is doing great with it and he has not scratched from fleas in almost an hour which is a record here lately. So far, no terrible reactions…just a very happy healthy dog.

  7. Late fall until Spring, lady bugs enter the house. The entry sites seem to be sunny sides around windows. Will the peppermint oil work on these ladies or is there another remedy? Love the lady bugs, but not inside.

  8. I am really enjoying your site and will visit again and again! We live in an 1829 log house in the country. I just added a comment and a link to this article about uses for peppermint oil on our Long Time Ago Farm Facebook page. Also, have ‘Liked’ your Facebook page and hope some of our readers will see and ‘Like’ your page there.

  9. For those who live in rural areas (although mice are found everywhere) the field mouse problem can become huge very fast! It is true they hate pepermint oil! After one chewed up my favorite lounging pants, I placed a cotton ball soaked in pepermint oil and placed in an open snack bag in ALL of my drawers. That ended the drawer conventions! Keep in mind I had to freshen up each one every week, so if you do this, be sure to make a map as you go so you know where they are.
    BTW, this is an awesome place and I’ve already spent hours here. Thanks for such a well done site.

  10. I knew I saw somewhere a natural remedy for ants. We woke up this morning to tiny ants coming in around our sliding glass door. So I am trying the peppermint oil. Although, I didn’t have oil, but had extract, so we will see. Thanks for all your tips and tricks. And recipes too! We LOVE the zucchini brownies, and make those all the time. Just tried the oatmeal cream pies this weekend and LOVE those too!
    Thanks again!

  11. Hello 🙂 I look forward to reading your posts as I’ve become extremely interested in learning to live life in a more ‘natural’ way !

  12. I’ve been mixing a drop of peppermint oil with some coconut oil and placing it on the back of my neck, chest, and temples when I get a migraine. It has been extremely helpful because I don’t take prescriptions since they leave me feeling worse.

  13. I like adding peppermint oil to my homemade cleaners – gives it a nice refreshing scent. It also is great for opening up your sinuses. I have tried to use it for the ants but these black ants here in Texas must be immune to it. I have discovered they don’t like clove oil very well though.

  14. I love using peppermint oil for so many things…. another use I have found is for when I am struggling w/ dealing w/ the heat…. a drop of peppermint essential oil in a glass of water and then drinking it is cooling and helps much. 🙂

  15. Thanks so much for sharing all of this really amazing information about the uses of peppermint oil. You have made me a believer- I keep reading and hearing about these oils and I just may need to look into them.

    I am stopping by from the Tuesday blog hop- It’s lovely to meet you Merissa!

  16. Thanks for the great ideas – I am totally going to try the one for hot flashes 🙂 (just stopping by from #TurnItUpTuesday )

  17. Great tips! One of my favorite things about peppermint oil is using it for cleaning–it removes permanent marker!

  18. Hi just researching some of the uses for peppermint,tea tree and some other oil mixtures and found your uses and treatments very interesting now to find and purchase some of oils try for myself thanks again for all the info.

  19. Excited to try the peppermint oil spritz for my outside dog, hoping it will take care of those pesky dog flies. Has anyone tried it for biting flies or gnats?

  20. Thanks for the great tips. I have tried this by diluting peppermint oil in water and putting it in a spray bottle. I sprayed it around the kitchen, bathroom, windows, and doorways to repell spiders and ants. It has worked great. Hope you don’t mind if I site this post in my blog.
    Thanks again,
    Susanne

  21. I believe I have heard that placing a wet razor in a cup of peppermint oil will help the blade last longer and stay sharper longer ?

  22. Hmm, it looks like this is a really useful oil. 🙂 Now that spring is coming, a few ants started to appear in my house, so I’m going to try peppermint oil. I hope it will keep them out.

  23. I am a new user of essential oils. Peppermint is my favorite! I sprinkle it all over my bedding a few times a month. For some reason, the scent relaxes me and helps me sleep, especially when I’m dealing with bouts of insomnia.

  24. I am new to this and I heard that peppermint oil will help keep mice away! I sure pray that it works!

  25. A question….if I use this peppermint oil to spray around the outside of my windows, how much oil do I use!

  26. I use essential oils everyday! I make hand lotions and salves using EOs for topical & fragrance purposes. I make them for everyone at work and they love them. They’re great for room refreshers too.

  27. Awesome article! We LOVE peppermint essential oils. We have used it just about everyday since we found out about it. I’m a fellow blogger that’s just starting out and am trying to help share the knowledge of these amazing oils! Keep up the great blogging!

  28. THIS IS THE VERY BEST WEBSITE I HAVE EVER SEEN ON THE COMPUTER. IT HAS EVERY SUBJECT ON IT THAT I’M INTERESTED IN. YOU DIDN’T MISS ONE SUBJECT THAT EVERYONE WOULD ENJOY AND LEARN FROM.. I’M GLAD I FOUND IT. THANK YOU SINCERELY! MARY OLGA HARTMAN

  29. I LOVE peppermint oil! Such a great idea! Pinned this!

    I would love for you to share this with my Recipe and Crafts Facebook group.

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

  30. Wow who knew there were so many great uses for peppermint oil. Thanks

    Cooking and Crafting with J & J

    Angela

  31. Merrisa,
    Your blog is beautiful and welcoming. Thanks to you and other commenters for all information on peppermint oil. I’m adding this page to my favorites! A first for a blog 😉

  32. I have heard that peppermint oil is good for everything, but can I spray my chicken coop without harming my chickens?

  33. I have always heard sucking on a peppermint was good for upset stomachs and to help you concentrate. I never thought of just dabbing a little peppermint oil on the kids before a test. Thanks for the awesome idea!

  34. I’m a big fan of essential oils and have used peppermint oil in the past. Really love it. Thanks for putting this list together – it expands my repertoire of uses!

  35. I must say, so far I’ve used peppermint EO only in my homemade toothpaste and on my temples to sooth headaches – but there are so many other uses, wow! I have featured you at the Friday Favorites linky party this week. Come check it out!

  36. Hi i was reading on the diffrent uses of peppermint extract.I just wanted to comment that i had spiders really bad in my last house i had been bitten 10 times in one month but when i heard the oil work i tryed it and never had another problem.well i have since moved and going on my 7 th month im starting to see and kill 2 to three spiders a day so im going to put the oil all over.my dog was bitten by a wolf spider in a neighbors yard and within a day was so weak lost her front hair and almost died.i got her to the vet he gave her a shot and some other pills and she recovered quicly.so do you have any recommendations about pets and spiders?.thanks for the article. Love doing home remedys kinda believe i this than any doctor or drug store product.

  37. I used ppeppermint oil to relieve a bee sting. Worked amazing and since sting was om my head the oil helped keep me alert.

    I use for alot of things. My two favorite are adding few drops to spray bittle of water to spray on myself for mosquito repelant.

    I mix water peppermint oil and vinegar to keep bugs out of garden and lawn

  38. I never heard about mixing Epsom Salts into the water for Flea spray. Makes sense though, I guess. Would help the oils from separating out.
    Great tip. Thanks.

  39. There was a statement not to use around pets, but later indication that it could be used for flea treatment. Which is correct?

    Also, I bought lots of essential oils and used for diffusing and later read that some can cause issues with pets and should not be used. I’ve had three pets develop tumors, so I stopped using. I really liked the scents, but worried that I caused my pets to die and one lost her leg due to a tumor. Is there research on using essential oils that you know of?

  40. I read that peppermint oil is highly flammable. If you combine it with water/vinegar and spray it around your kitchen and under/near/on appliances (especially the stove/oven) as a cleaning solution, does that pose a big risk? Or is it not the case if it’s distilled?

  41. I add peppermint oil to Skin-So-Soft to give it’s insect repellent properties a big boost. It even helps to repel those awful yellow biting flies that swarm us on the Gulf Coast.

  42. I grow my own peppermint & spearmint, mostly for teas, so this is a great idea booster! Thank-you for sharing this info:)

  43. I use peppermint oil in my homemade toothpaste-coconut oil, baking soda and peppermint, with a few drops of stevia.

  44. MY SON JUST SPRAYED PEPPERMINT OIL ALL OVER THE HOUSE AND WE HAVE 4 PETS. AFTER READING ALL ABOUT PEPPERMINT OIL, I AM VERY SCARED. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

  45. Hi, thanks for your post. I too use peppermint oil from DoTerra! Small world. I am lucky to be able to use peppermint directly on my temples and neck for help with a headache.
    It works every time-I keep the oil in my purse.

  46. I heard someone using peppermint oil in a wax warmer, but was wondering would that work? Isnt peppermint oil flammable?

    1. You must use carrier oil. Recommended 5 drop peppermint to tablespoons carrier oil.
      Frankly Peppermint if very strong and lasting, it takes little amount to circulate in wax warmer.
      I do this often with different essential oils, But must watch! Regardless of oils used.
      Never leave unattended!

  47. I love my essential oils and mainly use them in a diffuser. Just a reminder that some essential oils are toxic to pets!

  48. You mentioned using this for fleas but please NEVER use this on or around pets! It’s TOXiC to them and can kill them.

  49. I also like non-flavored coconut oil or your favorite lotion. I use natural vitamin e lotion or 100% pure aloe vera