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.
