Pine oil comes from pine tree needles, including the dwarf pine, long leaf pine, Scotch pine and Norway pine. The pine oil is extracted through steam distillation of the fresh needles from these trees. Pine oil has been known for centuries for its many uses. It can be used as a cleaner, disinfectant, air freshener and insect repellent. Some of our customers in particular, say that it “works amazing for fly problems,” – knocking them right out of the air, and keeping them at bay because they hate the smell of it so much.
You may remember pure pine oil in your grandmother and great-grandmother’s cupboard for cleaning. Commercialization of pine oil over the years in different cleaning products has greatly reduced the understanding of the benefits of pure pine oil because of the multitude of products with different concentrations, and in some cases, artificial perfumes – that have no actual pine oil at all. Good, old-fashioned pine oil can still be used in a variety of applications more effectively than other cleaners, even in today’s world.
The history of pine oil speaks for itself. The development of pine oil cleaning products started as early as the 1920s. Commercialization of pine oil cleaning products started as early as the 1950s. Today, most commercial “pine” products contain about 3% pine oil or have no pine oil in them at all – only pine scented perfumes. Very few products on the market today include pine oil as an active ingredient, although they advertise “pine” in their logos.
Although no cleaning product is free of hazards; pine oil is generally safe if used properly. Like any other heavy-duty cleaner, precautions should be taken when using pine oil. Read the directions for each product carefully and follow the suggestions on how to use pine oil. Continue reading →