Homemade Room Deodorizer

Homemade room deodorizers are safe, effective and don't contain harmful chemicals.

Air fresheners are a booming business. According to GoGreenHomeMakeover.com, Americans spent approximately 1.72 billion dollars on air fresheners in 2009. Air fresheners disguise unpleasant odors, provide comforting smells and can lift your mood. However, air fresheners that are commercially prepared can potentially harm your health. A study conducted by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that more than a dozen air fresheners contained toxic chemicals that may affect hormones and reproductive development, especially in babies. You can make your own homemade air freshener out of natural ingredients that will freshen the air just as effectively, without posing any risk to your health.

Things You'll Need

• Lavender essential oil
• 32 oz. glass spray bottle
• Rosemary essential oil
• Grapefruit essential oil
• Lemon essential oil
• 2 oz. glass spray bottle
• Baking soda or vinegar
• Potpourri
• Cinnamon sticks
• Cloves
• Cheesecloth

Instructions

1. Make a lavender air freshener. Fill a 32 oz. glass spray bottle with purified water. Add 15 drops lavender essential oil. Shake well before each use and spray into the air when needed.

2. Prepare a rosemary air freshener and disinfectant to kill odors and infectious organisms. Add 6 drops rosemary essential oil, 6 drops grapefruit essential oil, 4 drops lemon essential oil and 2 oz. purified water to a 2 oz. glass spray bottle. Shake well before each use and mist the air when needed.

3. Add 4 tbsp. baking soda or 1 cup of vinegar to a small dish. Place the dish in one or more rooms of your house to absorb bad odors and freshen the air.

4. Place dishes of fresh-smelling potpourri throughout the rooms of your home. Potpourri is an assortment of dried flowers and herbs that emit natural floral fragrances and will help to deodorize and freshen the air in your home. Change the potpourri every three months.

5. Put several cinnamon sticks and cloves into a cheesecloth sachet. Place the sachet into a pot of boiling water for several minutes until a strong aroma is released, which will help freshen and deodorize the air around your home.

Tips & Warnings

• During flu and cold season, add 2 drops eucalyptus essential oil to your homemade air freshener.

References

• Natural Resources Defense Council: Air Fresheners Contain Chemicals That May Affect Human Reproductive Development
• Go Green Home Makeover: Dangers of Home Air Fresheners
• Stretcher: Natural Homemade Room and Fabric Deodorizers
• The Herbs Place: Rosemary Deodorizer and Disinfectant
• My House and Home Blog: Your Organic Room Deodorizer Recipes

Resources

• Time: How "Fresh" Is Air Freshener?
• Recipezaar: Essential Oil Room Air Spray Freshener Recipe