DIY Natural Air Freshener

When I think of personal obsessions, there are two things that come quickly to mind:

 

1. very shiny hair
2. a super clean smelling house

 

Now, yeah, those things both seem like outcomes anyone would want.  But I didn’t realize that I may occasionally cross the line into crazy town on execution until my friend Erika pointed out to me that I had 7 shiny hair products lined up on my bathroom counter.  Overkill?  No way.  COMMITMENT.

 

A few years ago, my sister asked my mom to stop using her plug-in wall air fresheners.  Not only is the smell extremely strong and overpowering, but she had just heard from a coworker that those products were the cause of some really nasty-sounding health concerns.  I’m not one to overreact, but it seems there might be something to it.  So I began researching ways to freshen the air with as few nasty chemicals as possible.  All my closets, my refrigerator and freezer get open boxes of baking soda tucked into a corner and I rely on candles to lightly scent my rooms.

 

In addition to those preventative measures, I love making this essential oil air freshener.  Combined with wide open windows to air out a space, this spray is homey, effective and hopefully won’t give you a moment of worry about your health.

 

DIY Natural Air Freshener

 

 

 

• 1 cup water (bonus points for distilled water!)
• 1 teaspoon vodka (a preservative to avoid the mixture going bad)
• 30 drops of essential oil
• 3 drops of hand soap or dish-washing liquid (helps to integrate the oil into the water)
• a small spray bottle

 

Combine all wet ingredients (water, vodka, essential oil and soap) into a large jar.  Shake gently to combine ingredients, but not hard enough to get it too frothy.

 

 

Decant mixture into a small spray bottle.  I was only able to find a clear version for this batch, but I prefer to use an aluminum style since storing the liquid in darkness helps preserve it.

 

 

Label the leftovers in your large jar with an expiration date of a year- although I’ve never had it last that long!

 

 

Shake gently before each use!

 

 

Final Tips:

 

• Need a housewarming gift?  A bottle or two of this natural, homemade air freshener is a great addition to a lovely welcome basket.
• You can use any kind of dish-washing liquid, hand soap or even laundry detergent for this recipe.  I prefer to use a product which tries to be as natural and gentle as possible for this use since I’ll be breathing it in when it is distributed into the air.  I’ve never tried liquid castile soap, but I think this would be an excellent alternative so please let me know if you try it!
• Keep more than one on hand!  I love lemon for the bathrooms and kitchen, but lavender for the living areas.