I was inspired by Oprah to re-do the bathroom about four years ago, when I put in a deep soaking tub. Since then, baths have become one of my favorite ways to relax.

I try to have one almost every day, and I highly recommend them as a way to have time to yourself. Of course, everybody who visits wants to soak in my tub –- it has windows around it and you can lie there and look out at the sky, or the night, or the weather – and with all its use I like to keep the tub clean.

The popular soft scrubber that was in my first book “Clean & Green” is one of my all-time favorite cleaning formulas, and it has evolved to include essential oils as I have become more experienced with them. When I add just the right essential oils to the formula, my day is enhanced, even if I am scrubbing out the tub. There is a slight reminder of the scent left in the tub, if I let it, and so this formula melds well with the spirit of the room, which is increasingly one of being a spa place, a place to rejuvenate.

Here is a new and updated soft scrubber formula; an aromatherapy version that will enhance your day if cleaning the most exotic spa or basic bathtub.

Aromatherapy Soft Scrubber Formula
1/2 cup baking soda
Enough liquid soap or detergent to make a frostinglike consistency

5 drops essential oil such as lavender, jasmine, or an essential oil that speaks to you. Just make sure that the brand is one that offers pure oils, not synthetic. Antibacterial essential oils include tea tree oil, rosemary, and lavender. Try tangerine for sensuality. Rose for connecting with your Higher Self.

Pour the baking soda in a bowl; slowly pour in the liquid soap or detergent, stirring all the while, until the consistency reaches that of frosting. Stir in the essential oils. Scoop the creamy mixture onto a sponge, wash the surface, and rinse