Commercial air fresheners are loaded with unnecessary and harmful components. And if you have never realized that before, when you spray them around, you inhale the mist. All those nasties go straight into your lunges and bloodstream. This adds up to a load of toxins and carcinogens, which you already have in your body from exposure to other cleaning and personal products or environmental factors. All that can result in real health issues.
Most air fresheners only mask bad odors with artificial and harmful fragrances doing nothing to capture or destroy them.
Besides, air fresheners are bad not only for you but for planet Earth. A majority of air fresheners go in aerosol bottles, which destroy the ozone layer. The ozone layer works as a filter for harsh sun rays, which cause skin cancer. So guess who suffers from those ozone holes at the end it’s again YOU.
On the other hand, making your own air freshener is super easy and takes only a few minutes. So why wait, switch to natural air freshener today and you will ditch your old fragrances-loaded bottle right away.
Supplies:
- Empty spray bottle (glass bottles are always the best choice, but plastic is more lightweight and not so fragile. You can buy a plastic spray bottle at any dollar store)
- Vodka or any other ethyl alcohol (Vodka is 40%, so if you have a higher concentration of ethyl alcohol, dilute to roughly 40%)
- Essential oil of your choice
Instructions:
- Fill sprayer bottle with vodka (or another ethyl alcohol) leaving at least one inch to top. If your spray bottle is larger than 3oz, do only half a bottle, because this air freshener lasts long. With smaller portions, you can change the smell more often and won’t get bored with it.
- Add around 40 drops of essential oils per each 3oz of alcohol (you can find a couple of essential oil blend recipes below). Twist on the spray cap and shake well. Give a shake before each use too, as some separation of oil from alcohol will occur.
Alcohol is chosen as a base as it mixes with oil much better than water; the aroma will be stronger and will spread in the room much better.
If you prefer a water-based air freshener you can reduce alcohol to 10% (add 3 parts of water to one part of Vodka). But you need to add Polysorbate to your mixture. Polysorbate is safe by itself but carries a danger to be contaminated by harmful chemicals during production, so choose only food-grade Polysorbate (you can buy one here). Add 1ml (around half a teaspoon) of Polysorbate to every 3oz of water and alcohol mixture.
Adding Polysorbate to the original 40% alcohol recipe also decreases oil separation. But I like to keep it simple and skip it.
Always use therapeutic grade essential oils as they are the purest ones, and will not contain any unwanted chemicals.
Essential Oil Blends Recipes
Midsummer Swirl:
- 15 drops Ylang Ylang oil
- 10 drops Lavender oil
- 10 drops Sweet Orange oil
- 5 drops Geranium oil
Christmas Eve:
- 20 drops Fir Needle oil
- 10 drops Mint oil
- 10 drops Bergamot oil
Citrus fiesta:
- 10 drops Lemon oil
- 10 drops Grapefruit oil
- 10 drops Bergamot oil
- 10 drops Sweet Orange oil
Note to People With Sensitivities, Parents of Little Kids, and Pet Owners
Natural ingredients can trigger allergic reactions in the same way as harmful chemicals, so be mindful. Nothing beats the scent of fresh air. Try to limit the use of air fresheners in the bathroom.
If you try to get rid of pet odor try using enzyme-based products such as Zero odor. It’s unscented and tough on odors.
How Do You Make a Room Spray?
I came across the idea of “room sprays” when I stumbled upon an article about drinking rose water with lemon. I then looked around to see what other “spritzers” were out there (the beauty world loves naming things!) and came across a whole range of options. L’Occitane has their Lavender Envy spray ($30) which is great for getting an elegant clean-up (or to freshen things up in a chilly room) while philosophies Revive the Spirit ($48) is a lavender spritz for when you’re looking to feel cozy. And the Linen Spa has you covered if you’re looking for a simple air freshener (and, of course, a little extra TLC in the form of lemongrass).
Kids are more sensitive than adults so if little kids will be exposed use more kids-friendly essential oils such as Mint, Lavender, Clary Sage or Frankincense oils.
Similar situation to pets, some essential oils can be toxic for pets, so try to use pets-friendly oils. Some examples are Lavender, Mint, Fennel, Frankincense, and Cinnamon oils.
Have you ever thought about making your own air freshener? Share below...
