When you’ve left your house for a few days, and you return and open the door, you have a few seconds of noticing what your house smells like. You don’t notice it on a daily basis because you’re there all the time, but that is not the case with guests. Would you want your guests to come into your house and smell garlic and bacon when it’s not even lunchtime?
Keeping our house smelling fresh is something we all find ourselves trying to do, but it can certainly be tricky. The air fresheners you can buy from the shops are not only expensive but intense, heavy in chemicals, and usually so concentrated they end up giving you headaches instead of making you feel more pleasant in your home.Luckily, the solution to this problem is easy: all you need is time, natural products and essential oils to make your own DIY natural air fresheners. Keep reading for some tips and recipes to make your home smell great in a healthy, natural way.
DIY air freshener tips: essential oils
To make air fresheners, you will need essential oils. These oils can provide amazing fragrances and are natural, reducing the exposure to unwanted chemicals.
Essential oils are highly concentrated extracts from plants, so be mindful not to get too excited with them – you only need a few drops. Just a little bottle can last you for years. Try some of these recipes using essential oils.
Recipes
1. Lemon rosemary simmer pot
You’ll need:
- A pot
- Water
- Rosemary leaves
- 1 sliced lemon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
How to prepare it:
First, fill the pot with 2/3 of water. Then, add the lemon and rosemary. Stir, and finally add the vanilla. Let the mixture rest for a whole day, and you’ll see how it’ll fill your room with a fresh and awakening scent. You can use the potpourri for about two days after preparation – after that it is better to dispose.
2. Scented wood blocks
You’ll need:
- Wood blocks
- Essential oils
- Small paint brushes
How to prepare it:
First, use the brush to paint the essential oil of your preference onto the wood blocks. After painting them, place them in a sealed container with extra oil, shaking them. Let the blocks sit on the container overnight, to make sure they’ve absorbed as much scent as they can, and voilà!
3. Orange peel candles
You’ll need:
- An orange
- Knife
- Olive oil
- Candle lighter
How to prepare it:
First, cut the orange in half. After that, you’ll need to remove the fruit from the peel. To do this, use a knife first and then a spoon for scraping. Be careful not to remove the inside stem (the white piece in the centre of the orange), just scrape around it. This will be used as your ‘wick’ later.
Once there are no fruit traces inside the peel, fill it to about ¾ with the oil, and let it rest for no less than 45 minutes. The oil needs to sit to burn properly. After 45 minutes, try lighting your new orange candle. For this you’ll need a candle lighter, as it may take a few seconds for the flame to take, and matches may not give you enough time. Hold the candle lighter to the stem. It’ll go brown, but keep going and wait until the flame takes off. You can use the top half of the orange as a lid – just cut a hole, or a nice decorative shape in the top.
4. Gel air freshener
You’ll need:
- Heatproof jars
- 4 packages of unflavoured gelatine
- Food colouring
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- Essential oils
- Water
How to prepare it:
First, you’ll need to clean and prepare your glass containers, and add about 30 drops of the essential oil of your preference. Then, place the water on a pot on the stove and while it’s boiling, add the gelatine and stir to make sure there are no clumps.
When it’s completely dissolved, add 1 cup of cold water and the salt. Stir the whole mixture again, and let it sit overnight, until is has become a gel. Finally, you can decorate if you want.
5. Reed diffusers
You’ll need:
- Vase
- Baby oil
- Essential oil
- Rattan diffusing sticks
How to prepare it:
To start, fill your vase with as much essential oil as you want, and fill the rest with the baby oil. Now, place the diffusing sticks in the vase and tie them together in the middle. Then simply flip the sticks around every now and then to release the lovely smell.
6. Pouch air freshener
You’ll need:
- A small fabric pouch
- Thick thread
- Cotton balls
- Essential oils
- Spices or herbs
How to prepare it:
To prepare the mixture that’ll go in the pouch, all you need to do is soak the cotton balls with the essential oils of your choice. After the cotton is well scented, mix it with the spices and herbs and place inside the pouch. So easy! These pouches are perfect for your closets or closed spaces, to keep whatever you’re storing smelling fresh and new.
7. Dried flower potpourri
You’ll need:
- Dried flowers
- Essential oils
- Aromatic herbs or spices of your choice (we recommend clover!)
How to prepare it:
That beautiful bouquet you’re about to chuck in the bin? Instead of getting rid of it, dry the flowers by hanging them upside down for a few weeks.
Once they are completely dry, place them in a container and add a few drops of essential oil. Place the mixture in a sealed container for a few weeks, and lay the potpourri in a pretty bowl or jar.
8. Baking soda air freshener
You’ll need:
- ½ cup of baking soda
- 8-12 drops of essential oil
- Glass jarThick needle
- Thick paper
- Scissors
- Pen
How to prepare it:
Cut a piece of paper a little bit bigger in diameter than the jar, and make holes on it with the needle, so the scent can flow outside of the jar. After that, pour the baking soda into the jar and add the essential oil drops. Place the paper on top of the jar and seal it with an elastic band or ribbon. Shake well, and there you have it!
9. Cinnamon stick candles
You’ll need:
- Pillar candle, thick
- Lots of cinnamon sticks
- Hot glue gun
How to prepare it:
There is not much science into this air freshener at all. You just need to choose a candle you like, preferably vanilla scented, and cut the cinnamon sticks the same height as the candle. After that, just glue the sticks all over the outside of the candle, vertically. You can add a ribbon at the end for decoration, but that’s optional.
10. Lemon Basil Spray
You’ll need:
- Spray bottle
- 4 tablespoons of dried basil
- Funnel
- 1 tablespoon of vodka
- 5 drops of lemon essential oil
- Filter (could be a coffee filter)
How to prepare it:
In a small pot, boil ½ cup of water. Add the dried basil and let it rest for a few minutes. Meanwhile, in another pot, boil ¾ cups of water. Open your spray bottle and place the funnel. Now, with the filter on top of the funnel, start pouring the basil mixture in it. After that, pour the rest of the water, with the vodka and the essential oil. Let it cool down, and you can start using it!