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
By coville123 from Brockville, Ontario
By Ema from Brooklyn, NY
Baking soda is a great natural deodorizer. You can use it as an inexpensive air freshener, but you may not want a box of Arm and Hammer sitting on your bathroom counter. Here is an easy and cute way to make a baking soda air freshener. Approximate Time: 20 minutes
By Laurel from Port Orchard, WA
By mlina from Amherstburg, ON
By countryheart from Marianna, FL
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
Source: From a friend.
By Sharon from LA
I am trying to find an air freshener recipe to make that smells like baby powder. Does anyone know of one?
By Ellen D.
By Anonymous02/21/2012I'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 am looking for suggestions for homemade air fresheners.
By Bob M. from Ogunquit, ME
By dragonflygirl9910/18/2009I 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 used to buy Nilodor to eliminate many smells. It worked on cigarette smoke. It is hard to find now, and I wonder if there are any recipes to make a like product by hand.
By Linda L.
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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
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. Let stand until cool enough to pour into my plastic spray bottle. When I sprayed the result, Oh my gosh. I can not wait to go to the store to get cherry extract to add to my mix. How awesome will that be. This is without a doubt the best smelling airfreshner I have ever smelled, ever. Thank you racer for your help in this.
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
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
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
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.
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 HardVanilla
Vinegar Air Freshener
Would you like to save money on expensive air fresheners that only cover the odors not neutralize them? Get a spray bottle and fill it half with vinegar and half with water and spray away the smoke filled rooms and the odors.
Fabric Softener
I read this somewhere on this site before. Use your favorite fabric softener. Put two caps full in a spray bottle and add water to fill. Then spray away. You choose the scent, so you know you'll like it. It is inexpensive and goes a long way. Works like a charm. You can even spray it on furniture, fabrics, just like Febreeze.
Simmer Pot
I have a simmer pot that I fill with water and sprinkle in cinnamon and cloves. Makes the whole house smell wonderful.
Citrus
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.
Essential Oils
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.
Fragrance Lamp
I have found that the best way to fragrance your home and purify etc. is by using a catalytic fragrance lamp. They are kinda pricey for the lamp, but they work so well, you will not be disappointed. I got one for Xmas and I am so in love with it, you can find them online at lampfuelandmore.com
Recipe for Catalytic Diffusion Lamp Oil
Drip the essential oil directly into the bottle of alcohol. A syringe works best. Shake and enjoy.
RE: Homemade Air Fresheners
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)
Homemade Magical Air Freshener and Dewrinkler Spray
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 use them as room fresheners. Just squirt a little toward the ceiling of the room and the smell will stay around for quite a while. Saves on buying air fresheners and you are using something that would either get tossed or just sit in a cupboard. If it's not aerosol, just put it in an empty spray bottle and use that. I've even been known to mix two different fragrances together with no problems! Just test a little on your arm first if you are not quite sure.
By Cett from Malta, Europe
By Ellie
I received a bunch of those small bottles of cologne from my family for my birthday; the kind they have at Walmart on one of the hanging displays, about $6-8 each. Some of them I love enough to wear, but not all. So the ones I don't really care for enough to wear, I will dribble on the back of the couch, recliner, etc, and it makes a nice (free to me) air freshener!
I don't recommend buying them for that reason as they are a bit high, but if you have any leftover cologne that you just don't wear, don't want, or want to hurry and use up, it is a great use!
By Fatboyslimsmom from Many, LA
By JustPlainJo
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Mason Jar Air Freshener