 |
Everyone wants to have pleasant smelling home. Commercial air fresheners are usually pretty expensive and they often only mask odors and don't eliminate them. Some commercial air fresheners even go as far as to dull your sense of smell so that you can't smell much of anything. The best air freshener is a clean house; especially in the bathroom and kitchen.
I am not willing to pay for those air fresheners and then again for the refills. So in the summer months, when we have the fans in the windows, I stick a dryer sheet in with the fan
Mix water, soda and ammonia, add extract and put into a clean spray bottle (one that sprays a fine mist). Bottle up the rest to save for later. Don't spray on furniture or pets.
Combine all in a spray bottle; shake well before each use. Mixture can be sprayed into the air.
Submitted by Jennifer R.
To achieve fresher air in the house without paying a fortune for canned spray, squeeze a few drops of fresh lemon into the bag of your vacuum.
By Randa from TX
By VMargret
I've done the cinnamon thing as well. I sprinkle some in the bottom of my coffee pot, then just run clean water through it. It heats up nicely and smells great.
By Nervarah
<h2Eucalyptus</h2>
I like to keep some eucalyptus around. I purchase it from the craft section. Not only does it have a wonderful aroma, but it lasts for months. The odor may be a little strong at first, but does settle down to a clean, pleasant smell. Also, I like to burn a candle before company arrives. I find the Cranberry scent is a great scent to burn.
By Carol
I put a little bottle of vanilla and water in the bathroom and use it as an air freshener. I add a little vanilla and water and shake. Keep adding vanilla until the smell is just as strong as you like.
By Racer
Last night I helped an 82-year-old woman deep clean her kitchen after she burned something in her microwave. The place was really bad. After we scrubbed everything in sight and out of sight with soapy water and I convinced her to ditch the offensive microwave, I put a fancy little bowl with a little water and some almond extract on her sparkly clean countertop. It made the place smell so beautiful and fresh. Thank you for this very inventive tip.
By Jayne
I am a huge clove fan, (in moderation). I placed the water and vanilla as racer suggested into a spray bottle, it smelled wonderful. I wanted a more vivid aroma. I decided to place the water in a saucepan, add vanilla (approx. 1 Tablespoon of (pure) vanilla extract) and approx. 8 Whole cloves. I brought the mixture to a boil. Removed from heat.
By Zoey Lee
By Henrietta
A small container of plain old white vinegar on the stove eliminates even fish odors like you never even prepared it.
By Diane
By Jackie
By mselp
I also have 3 small potpourri simmering pots. I place water, approx 6-10 shakes of cinnamon and 6 whole cloves (I like a strong essence) in the pot and plug it in. The aroma is awesome. My house feels very tranquil, warm and inviting. I have read a few articles regarding not to use cinnamon and or cloves to scent your home. I certainly do not agree. The result of this fragrance is almost like a friendship. Everlasting.
By Zoey Lee
For the kitchen, I put a lemon, lime or orange peels in the garbage disposal and turn on the hot water for a few seconds while the disposal is grinding up the peels and them the whole kitchen smells really good.
And for the microwave, I put a cut up lemon or lime in a bowl of water and set the microwave for 3 minutes. After the 3 minutes, the microwave smells good.
By Charity
The very best in essential oils can be found at the following web site: http://www.youngliving.us. Lavender oil, for example, which is also the best oil for everything (it will stop the pain and blisters from forming when you burn yourself and it works like aspirin to relieve all sorts of pain), costs about $25 for a bottle that will last for years. Essential oils rather than fragrance oils are best for Berger-type lamps because they mix with the 90% alcohol better and last longer. Also, when you inhale essential oils, their many healing properties work wonders.
By Kathryn M.
If you are looking for some great essential oils and fragrance oils go to The Body Shop they have a huge selection and they are not pricey. I use them mixed with 91% alcohol in my catalytic lamp and they work great. In fact right now they have the oils on sale for 3 for $16. If you don't have a Body Shop store go to the website bodyshop.com
By PC
A co-worker told me if you mix an entire bottle of 91% alcohol and one bottle of essential oil (like you use in fragrance rings), shake well, and voila. I tried it, it seems to be the same as you buy already prepared. Just make sure you shake the products every time you use.
By Kristen
You can also try at Hallmark. It is very effective.
By Kittybean
Drip the essential oil directly into the bottle of alcohol. A syringe works best. Shake and enjoy.
By Susie
For more discussion of Fragrance Lamps, follow this link: Making Lampe Berger Fragrance
What are your favorite homemade air fresheners? Submit them below.
Whenever I have citrus peels or apple cores leftover from something, I make a simmer pot. Just fill a saucepan with water, add the peels or cores and whatever else you might like (I usually put in cinnamon, cloves and allspice). Boil to release the oils, turn down to simmer and enjoy.
I prefer doing it on the stove to one of those little potpourri simmerers because I don't feel they disperse the scent enough. (01/14/2008)
By Lyss
Of the many different recipes for homemade fabric/air freshener I have tried in the past, this is what I have come up with as my own recipe. I don't use very much fabric softener because most commercial grade fabric softeners (Bounce, Snuggle, Downy, etc.) contain chemicals that have been found to cause cancer, nervous system disorders, and brain damage, as well as reduce the effectiveness of flame resistant materials. So, be safe and avoid exposure to harmful chemicals when possible.
NOTE: If you are concerned about chemicals from using fabric softener, you could leave fabric softener out of the recipe and use a little more white vinegar and scented oil/extract. There shouldn't be much of a vinegar smell at all and if there is it will be gone when dried. White vinegar works very well against odors by absorbing them and neutralizing them instead of just covering them up. It's also a safe and effective alternative to using fabric softener in your washing machine, helping to release wrinkles, clean and brighten clothes, as well as making your clothes last longer instead of chemically destroying them. Additionally, vinegar kills 82% of mold spores on contact. (11/14/2008)
By Die Hard
Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
