Winter is coming and with that the windows and doors will be closed up tight and odors trapped inside. Here are some ideas to sweeten the smell of your home without harmful chemicals:
Source: Things I've learned and done over the years.
By Deeli from Richland, WA
When mixing your spray bottle of air fresheners made with essential oils and water, if you add just a little bit of either rubbing alcohol or witch hazel it will assist with the blending and give you a more consistent strength for the life of the bottle. I personally use the 70% rubbing alcohol for this since I like to save my witch hazel for getting rid of bruises and tightening my skin everywhere.
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If you take a potpourri pot or a small jar and fill it with packing peanuts, then spray your favorite perfume on it, it will hold the scent and keep the room fresh. You can also use potpourri spray for this.
In the winter months the air inside our homes becomes very polluted. Putting vinegar in water and setting it on a woodburning stove puts vinegar in the air to kill bacteria floating in the air.
I was always uncomfortable using the bathroom fresheners knowing that they are chemical. I take a laundry spray bottle, fill it with water and about 20 drops of essential oil which I buy in the health food store.
Recently I wanted to freshen up my home and had no air freshener on hand. Instead I took a small pot and placed some water in it, added a few drops of vanilla and some ground ginger.
When someone is coming over to my home and I don't have time to air it out and I don't want that obvious smell of an air freshener spray, I just sprinkle a tiny dash of cinnamon on to my electric burner.
Whenever I want to freshen the air in my home I don't like to use anything that smells like any type of food or spice. Smelling foods or spices in the air turns on my hunger pangs! So I use nature smells.
After carving your pumpkins, sprinkle some cinnamon inside the pumpkin then light your candle. Your house will smell like you're baking!
I had several bottles of body splash and cologne that I didn't care for (gifts from well meaning friends). Instead of throwing them out, I use them as bathroom air freshener and stinky shoe deodorizer.
I love to use a little cinnamon in water boiling on the stove to make my house smell a little homey. Sometimes when someone calls for a unexpected visit to make my house smell like cookies are baking, I just put cinnamon in a pot with water and put it on the stove to boil.
To freshen the air in your kitchen, especially after cooking fish or cabbage, place a whole, unpeeled lemon in a 300 degree F oven for about 15 minutes, leaving the door slightly open.
One of the best room fresheners I have used is lemon essential oil. I bought a small bottle for under $5 at the health food store. It seems pricey but a very little bit goes a long way.
You can extend those Renuzit or Air Wick solid air fresheners by placing the scented part in a potpourri pot. I just add both the water and the chunk into a potpourri pot that plugs in.
Use a wash cloth and roll it in a roll. Sew side together and cut out fire flame and attach to the top with straight pins.
This homemade air freshener is really cheap to make at hime. I got tired of spending a lot of my money that i really didn't have on store bought air fresheners. Then I thought, "Why not make some myself?"
If you want a room to smell super duper fresh but don't want a big ugly air freshener hanging from your wall, just add a few drops of an essential oil into the bottom of a bottle or jar around your house.
If you want to freshen the air, just simmer a dozen or so sticks of cinnamon or some cloves in 2 cups of water in an uncovered saucepan on your stove!
The cheapest way to remove odors from a room is to place cups of white vinegar in the room. It works 24/7 and all you have to do is refill when it evaporates.
Heat 1 cup of water with 1/2 cup of liquid potpourri add 2 packages of gelatin. Heat until boil stirring constantly. Take away from heat and add the other 1/2 cup of potpourri.
In a small bowl, combine corn meal or flour, salt, and essential oil. Mix well and add boiling water. Add drops of any food coloring and mix well. When mixture has cooled enough to handle, roll mixture into 2-3 inch balls.
When you car auto freshener goes dead, revive it by putting a few drops of concentrated candy flavoring oil onto the freshener pad. Since it is the holiday season, I just put a couple of drops of peppermint oil on one today, and cinnamon oil on one in another vehicle.
Mix ingredients gently in a large glass jar. Cover with lid and store for six weeks until salt is well seasoned.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Is it safe to use Avon Skin So Soft bath oil instead of essential oils in a small crockpot intended for use as an air freshener? If so, what "recipe" would you use?
I don't see an issue, as long as the pot is not used for any food.
I have used so many different carpet/room deodorizers in canisters, shake ons, etc. to rid carpets, furniture, and floors, that the smell. It is just about overwhelming and I can't figure out how to get back to basic clean smell. It is getting worse and worse, hot weather with windows open, still bad. Please help. I need to deodorize and get a clean smell.
By PAT s.
I suggest sprinkling some baking soda on the carpet and then vacuuming it up. It is a natural deodorizer without smell. Hope this helps.
I am trying to find an air freshener recipe to make that smells like baby powder. Does anyone know of one?
By Ellen D.
I've used assorted fragrant lotions to make spray air freshener (that I also sometimes use as a body spray) and it's really easy. :-)
Be sure to use at least an 8 ounce bottle because you'll need the extra space for the lotion to blend with the water without any lumps. Place 1 ounce of lotion with 5 ounces of distilled water in a clean spray bottle and shake vigorously. If after mixing you want a bit stonger scent just add another 1/2 ounce or so of lotion and shake vigorously again.
My choice for the baby powder scent would be the good old fashioned wonderful smelling Johnson & Johnson Baby Lotion - Yum! As a matter of fact I have some on hand and you've prompted me to now use it for the next bottle of spray ;-)
I have your recipe for gel air freshener. Now I need your recipe for aromatic room fresheners, made with alcohol (vodka for one).
Thank you,
Essential oils in a diffuser work great!
I usually make the homemade fabreeze and spray around the house. In a spray bottle mix 1 cup frabric softener 1 cup of rubbing alcohol and then fill bottle with water and spray around the house. It smells great and you can use the fabric softener that you like best!
Does alcohol in a water based air freshener make its fragrance last longer?
I am looking for suggestions for homemade air fresheners.
By Bob Marlowe from Ogunquit, ME
I submitted this as a tip a little while ago but I don't think it's been posted yet and there's lots of good, natural ideas. Hope it's helpful to you :-)
Natural Home Sweeteners
Winter is coming and with that the windows and doors will be closed up tight and odors trapped inside. Here are some ideas to sweeten the smell of your home without harmful chemicals.
Place a small sprinkling of ground cinnamon or ground clove on an electric stove burner and turn on the heat to the very lowest setting possible.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a small piece of tinfoil, turn up the edges and pour a teaspoon of vanilla on top and place the foil in the oven. Turn off oven and prop the door open a bit.
Place 1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla or vanilla extract in small cups or bowls around the home.
Mix small amounts of lemon juice or vinegar and baking soda together and place in small cups or bowls around the home.
To abolish cooking odors simmer 1 tablespoon vinegar with one cup of water in a small pan.
Simmer your favorite spices, citrus rinds or fresh pine needles in a small pan of water on the stove. Experiment by mixing and matching. Also, instead of throwing out stale dated apple, cranberry or orange juice, just simmer in a small pan on the stove. Be sure to set a timer to remind you that it's time to add more water!
In a spray bottle, add several drops of your favorite essential oil to water. Shake to mix and mist the air.
Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to a cotton ball and place around the home.
Place a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil on a light bulb. Be sure to only do this on a bulb that is turned of and is cool! Once you turn on the light on the heat from the bulb will slowly release the essential oil in the air.
Place a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil inside your cardboard toilet paper roll and the scent will be released every time someone removes toilet paper. Place springs of fresh eucalyptus around your home. And don't forget fresh flowers ;-)
I like to peel an orange (save the peel), a couple sprinkles of cinnamon, a sprinkle of ground cloves, then put them in a small pan with enough water to cover the orange peelings and then turn the stove on low. As the mixture heats up the whole house smells wonderful.
Does anyone know how to make something similar to the "AirWick" type of air freshener?
Bev from Grand Rapids, MN
I have used essential oils as air freshners before. Just put a few drops on a coffee filter or a paper towel (coffee filter works best because it sits up like a "tent") and put wherever you want nice smells!
