How to Make Homemade Oil for an Air Freshener Dispenser
People have used fragrant oils to scent their surroundings for thousands of years. Many of the air freshener dispensers available improve the atmosphere at home or at work by diffusing scented oils. Typically, these dispensers work by either gently warming the oil or by dispensing the oil's essence into the air through slender wooden sticks that are partially submerged within it. While retailers offer a variety of scented oils designed especially for use with such dispensers, it is easy to make a fragrant oil at home. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Fragrant flowers and herbs
- Mortar and pestle
- Jojoba oil
- Large lidded jar
- Fine strainer
- Cheesecloth
- Small, sterilized, lidded jars or bottles
Instructions
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1
Obtain the fragrant flowers and/or herbs of your choice. Collect as many as you desire. Make oil from one type of flower or herb at a time.
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2
Pull off the most fragrant part of the flower or herb. Typically, the petals are the most fragrant part of a flower, while the leaves are the most fragrant part of an herb. Set the fragrant parts aside. Discard the rest of the plant.
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3
Rinse the petals or leaves gently in cool water to remove dirt, insects and other debris.
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4
Mash up the petals or leaves using a mortar and pestle. Leave them to sit for several hours.
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5
Place the macerated petals or leaves in a large, glass jar. Add enough jojoba oil to the jar to cover the leaves. Place a lid on the jar. Put the jar in a cool, shady spot. Leave it there for two weeks.
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6
Check the scent of the oil. Add more mashed-up petals or leaves and leave the jar in place for an additional week if you want to achieve a stronger fragrance. For a weaker fragrance, make the infusion more dilute by adding extra jojoba oil.
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7
Line a mesh strainer with cheesecloth to catch all the bits of petals and leaves as you pour the fragrant oil into smaller, sterilized jars or bottles. Screw lids on all jars and bottles.
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8
Follow your air freshener dispenser's instructions and add your scented oil accordingly. Store the remainder of scented oil in a cool, dark place.
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Tips & Warnings
Rose petals, geranium leaves, lavender flowers and rosemary leaves are all good raw materials for making homemade scented oils.
To start, make a batch of oil from one type of flower or herb. Then experiment with combining two or more types of flowers or herbs to make a single oil.
