Make Your Own Natural Air Fresheners

Air fresheners are a big business for homes and for cars. Many people love them because they like having something pleasant to smell, and or they’re trying to cover or mask unpleasant odors. A big problem with them, however, is that they release chemicals into the air you’re breathing, so they can be quite harmful to your health.

There is a natural way to achieve the same result of having a pleasant aroma in your home, which may take a little more effort than a plugin air freshener or one you hang. But for people who are allergic to perfumes and dyes, or are looking for a good natural alternative, you can make your own using fruit, herbs and spices. You can either simmer them on the stove or diffuse them in other ways.

You know how yummy your home smells when you’ve made a pie or baked bread, and how much you enjoy the smell? Using these natural scents will give you the same enjoyment, and the recipes are easy and inexpensive.

Fragrant items for naturally scenting your home:

• Citrus — I’ve tried other fruits. Some of them smell good initially, but they don’t hold up for more than one use. Citrus is sturdier, longer-lasting, and gives these scent recipes freshness. Lemons and oranges are particularly fragrant and have the best staying power in these scented waters.
• Herbs — Any herb can be used for making a room scent, but the ones that are sturdier and on woody twigs hold up the best. My favorites for room scents are rosemary and thyme.
• Pine or cedar twigs/needles — There may be other fragrant trees that will work, too; pine and cedar are the two I’ve tried for their appealing, fresh fragrance.
• Extracts — A touch of vanilla or almond extract improves most room fragrance mixtures. Mint extract has a nice fresh scent. You can also use whole vanilla beans instead of vanilla extract; pricey but amazingly fragrant. Amazon has a good bulk price (80% less than grocery store prices).
• Spices — You can use ground or whole sweet spices. The whole spices look prettier, if your scented water will be in a location where it will be seen. I have found that cinnamon sticks and whole cloves have the most scent staying power. Cinnamon sticks can be rinsed off and reused several times. They keep on giving.

Monica at The Yummy Life has 5 good recipes of different room scent combinations. What’s nice is that you can try them and then tweak them to get a smell you really like. She also has recipes for making natural scents for gifts and centerpieces. Take a look at her DIY Natural Room Scents.