Air Fresheners
Commercial fresheners work by masking smells, coating nasal passages and deadening nerves to diminish sense of smell. Instead:
- Find source of odours and eliminate them;
- Keep house and closets clean and well-ventilated;
- Grow plenty of house plants;
- Simmer: Cinnamon sticks, orange peel, cloves in water;
- Place 2 to 4 tbsp. baking soda or vinegar in small bowls in refrigerator and around the house to absorb odors;
- Pour ½ cup baking soda in the bottom of trash cans.
Natural Air Fresheners
A pleasant, clean fragrance is an essential part of an inviting home. Most conventional air fresheners simply mask unpleasant odours with strong chemical fragrances. Instead, use pure essential oils and herbs and, most importantly, open your windows for at least a few minutes every day-even in winter.
Air freshening spray
Mix 25 - 30 drops of an essential oil of your choice with a teaspoon of vodka
in a 500ml (16fl oz) spray bottle and shake well.
Fill the bottle with water
and shake again. Spray into the air but avoid fabrics or wood surfaces to prevent
possible staining.
Some suggestions for oils:
Lavender and citrus air freshener
Lavender and grapefruit essential oils for a light, refreshing air freshener.
15 drops lavender essential oil
10 drops grapefruit essential oil
Pine forest air freshener
A blend of sandalwood, pine, and juniper essential oils for an earthy,
forest-scented room deodorizer
10 drops sandalwood essential oil
10 drops pine essential oil
10 drops
juniper essential oil
Antiseptic air freshener
Extra-strength room spray when someone has a cold
or the flu.
Juniper, eucalyptus. and lavender essential oils all have
antimicrobial properties.
20 drops juniper essential oil
20 drops eucalyptus essential oil
20 drops lavender essential oil
Neutralize cooking odours
Cooking odours, especially from fish and strong-smelling vegetables such as broccoli,
tend to linger in the kitchen.
To freshen the air after cooking, throw a few slices of lemon or orange into
a pot along with three cups of water and simmer, uncovered. over low heat for
30 minutes.
If you like a spicy fragrance. add a couple of cinnamon sticks or a few cloves.
Fragrant humidifier
Place a bowl of water with two drops of essential oil on top of a wood
stove or radiator to create humidity and at the same time add fragrance to a room.
Fresh herbal bouquets
Freshly cut herbs make natural fragrant bouquets for scenting a room.
Lavender, rosemary, lemon balm, bergamot, sage, thyme and mint are all good choices
and will last up to a week in a vase with water
Vanilla freshener
For a simple room freshener, place a few drops of pure vanilla extract
on a cotton ball in a shallow saucer.
Replace when the scent dissipates.
Herbal hearth
Add sprigs of fresh rosemary sage. or lavender to the logs and coals of a burning
fire to scent a room.
Scented fire logs
If you have a fireplace or a hearth, you can scent a room around it by placing
a drop or two of essential oil on to each log that you add to the fire.
Try cedarwood, juniper, pine, or cinnamon essential oils.
