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Air fresheners come in many scents and help to mask or neutralize household odors. These products are not only pricey, but they can also contain chemicals that you may not want to release into your home. This page contains recipes for homemade air fresheners.
If you're like me your slow cooker has a daily special place on your counter top just as the regularly used coffee pot, blender or assorted other appliances do. If not, make a special place for it and use it not just for cooking but also to refresh the air in your home! Winter is a perfect time of year to start getting into the habit of using this idea because windows and doors are closed up tight and odors inside your home become stale and/or become stinky because of certain foods being cooked.
Here is how to use your slow cooker to your air freshening advantage with items you probably already have in your kitchen. Some people use essential oils but unless you know that what is in those oils are safe for consumption, I wouldn't recommend using them if planning to also continue using the pot for cooking.
For safety sake, be sure to test how long it takes for the water to completely evaporate from your slow cooker on a day you'll be home because you are going to be leaving the lid off so evaporation is going to occur more quickly. In doing this test, you can plan accordingly for the amount of hours you can safely be away.
Okay, here is all there is to it. Turn your slow cooker on high, pour in two quarts of water, two tablespoons of baking soda, stir well, bring to a simmer then turn down to low. Now comes the fun part of adding scents! Here are some nice scent ideas plus two combinations I personally like and I am sure you can easily come up with your own favorite concoctions :-)
By Deeli from Richland, WA
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.
By mlina from Amherstburg, ON
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. I then put it on the stove at the lowest setting and let it simmer. The whole house smelled wonderful!
By countryheart from Marianna, FL
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. This is because I am trying to lose weight, but smelling foods or spices in the air turns on my hunger pangs! So I use nature smells. During most of the year my favorites are "Ocean Breeze" or "After the Rain". If I can find one that's not overpowering, I like "Honeysuckle" or "Lavender". In my bedrooms I like to use "Clean Linen" scents.
Instead of burning candles though, I take those same candles and put them under a candle warmer. If you don't have one, you can use a table lamp if you are able to bend the lamp facing down over the candle. (I'm talking about the candles that are in jars.) Put a 40-60W bulb in and turn it on. The heat from the bulb melts the candle and the scent goes through the room nicely. And depending on the size of the candle, they will last for over a year. The ones I have now I have been using for close to a year and a half now.
By Cricket from Parkton, NC
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. I then turn it onto LOW for about 15 - 30 seconds, then turn it off. The whole house smells good after doing this! And, cinnamon is something that smells natural, like you've been baking. Plus, it costs nothing and it's always in the cupboard! No worry, I've been doing this for years and my burners are fine.
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. I use old candle jars that have been used up so that it does not interfere with the decor of each room.
By Sherry
Freshen your air for pennies and in a more natural way! Go to your local health food store and purchase Lemon oil. This should cost around $4.00 for a 1 ounce bottle. Since it's an oil, it's highly concentrated. In a spray bottle, mix 4 cups rubbing alcohol, 4 cups distilled water and six drops lemon oil. Whenever you want to freshen the air, spray the mixture. A 1 oz bottle of lemon oil will last about a year.
By Maria Reis
(Editors Note: This would make 1/2 gallon and most spray bottles are smaller. Make mix in another bottle and pour into your spray bottle if you don't have one that is that big.)
I am looking for suggestions for homemade air fresheners.
By Bob M. from Ogunquit, ME
By dragonflygirl99
10/18/2009
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.
Recipes for making homemade air fresheners. Everyone wants to have pleasant smelling home.
Sometimes I receive gifts of perfumes, colognes, etc. that I don't particularly like the smell of for wearing myself. I never waste any of them.
I received a bunch of those small bottles of cologne from my family for my birthday. Some of them I love enough to wear, but not all.
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