How to Make Homemade Air Fresheners
The biggest problem with commercial air fresheners, besides the fact that they are potentially toxic, is that they simply don’t work. Commercial air fresheners merely cover up the offending odor with a stronger odor, or they numb your olfactory senses so that you simply don’t smell anything.
The following are some simple air-freshener recipes:
- Soak a cotton ball in real vanilla extract, not imitation, and place the cotton ball on a plate in the middle of your table or near the offending area like a kitty litter box. A fun spin on the vanilla-soaked cotton ball is to soak a cotton ball in your favorite essential oil like eucalyptus or lavender.
- Another warm and wonderful air freshener is to steep cinnamon and cloves on the stovetop for an hour or two. Your home will fill with the wonderful aroma and offending odors will dissipate.
- One of the most pungent areas of a household is the kitchen sink and garbage disposal. A quick and lasting remedy is to place a wedge of lemon or orange into the garbage disposal. Grind it up while you run cold water for 60-90 seconds. The citrus acid serves to both disinfect and deodorize your drain and surrounding plumbing.
- Baking soda, as the box says, works wonders as a refrigerator deodorizer and if you find that your water bottles, coffee mugs, or Thermos® bottles have stains, place ¼ tsp of baking soda and warm water in each and let them soak overnight. The smells will have vanished in the morning.
One last suggestion to keep your home smelling fresh and clean is to open your windows every day. A few minutes of ventilation will help clean the toxins out of your home and replace the stale air with freshness.
