Kitchen Crafts 'n' More

Thursday, February 23, 2012 Natural Ways to Freshen Air in the Home

Whether it's smelly cooking odors - think last night's fish dinner - or pet odors (Sorry Fifi and Fido), or smoke smells, sometimes every home needs a little help to smell fresher. Instead of reaching for a can of air freshener, though, why not try one of these natural remedies?

1. Vinegar - setting out a bowl full of white vinegar will naturally absorb unpleasant smells in your home. I've found this to be especially useful for the dreaded burnt popcorn in the microwave smell! (Which is a real toughie to clean.) Just leave a bowlful of vinegar in the microwave overnight, close the microwave of course, and in the morning you'll notice it's really improved.

2. Charcoal - Lumps of coal are useful for something after all! (Besides fuel...) A small opened container filled with some lumps of charcoal will help to naturally absorb stinky odors in your home.

3. Lampe Berger lamps are one of those things that every house can really use. I use this exclusively around my cat's litter box to keep the offensive odors in check. You can choose a Neutral fuel or else a scented one - some of my favorite fuel scents are grapefruit or creme brulee.
4. Spray the air with real lemons: This simple air freshener uses fresh lemon juice and baking soda ....or, use about 10 drops of a good quality lemon essential oil
in a spray bottle filled with distilled water. Shake before every use, and spray liberally whenever needed. It smells so lemony fresh and wonderful.

5. Finally, here's a whole page on my Happy Slob's Guide to Housecleaning site on homemade air fresheners. It includes ideas such as simmering real whole spices like cinnamon sticks and cloves, to oil of wintergreen and using natural vanilla to add a lovely scent to your home. Yum!

See, freshening up that home of yours isn't nearly the chore you thought it might be. Enjoy all of these ideas and if you have another to share, please post it in our comments below or email it to me.

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