Many of the air fresheners on the market today actually contain chemicals that are toxic to humans and animals. So unfortunately, all those sprays and “plug-in’s” people enjoy using to freshen up their homes and offices, actually can be causing a myriad of health problems.
Instead, of using these harmful products to help get rid of odors (cause lets face it, sometimes the air really does need a bit of “freshening”!), why not make the switch to natural alternatives? It’s quite simple actually, and, once I got used to using natural fragrences and cleaning products in my home, the smell of those others actually bothered me. It just smells like chemicals….not fresh air.
Baking Soda
My odor defeater of choice is baking soda. Many people put a box of baking soda in their refrigerators to absorb odors from foods, but, baking soda can get rid of odors in a lot of different places. From deodorizing your carpet (sprinkle baking soda onto your carpet, wait about 15 min, then vacuum up), to getting rid of odors in your laundry, to making your shoes less stinky, baking soda can do a great job getting rid of smells you don’t want to smell. Best of all though, baking soda not only works, it’s non-toxic, and, it’s quite affordable too!
Essential Oils
Essential oils can also be really excellent at freshening up the air around you, while not using toxic chemicals to do so. In fact, many essential oils have beneficial properties for your health and well being. For example, lavender EO is great for helping people relax and is also known as an anti-bacterial, while Cedarwood and Lemongrass have wonderful anti-fungal properties (so work really well to freshen air in closets, or damp musty spaces).
You can either use a diffuser to fill your space with the scents and properties of essential oils, or you can also add them to a spray bottle full of water and spray that around your room (a la a spray type of air freshener) and on your upholstery.
There are essential oil burners available too. These often very pretty and artistic burners usually use a candle to warm the oil that sits in a pan above. Then the smoke freshens the room.
You can also do things like add a few drops to your laundry water to freshen your clothes, or to your vacuum bag to freshen up your space while you vacuum. Essential oils are a very versatile way to freshen up many different things, and they too are non-toxic as well as fairly affordable, although not as cheap as baking soda!!
Incense
Depending on the brand, incense can be a great air freshener. It comes in a wide variety of scents and is easy and quick to use. Just light, and smell is almost instantly gone!
Watch out though some brands of incense are made with toxic glues, so it kind of defeats the purpose if you end up with those brands. So be sure to understand what you’re buying. Some trusted incense brands include Auroshikha, and Native Scents.
Vinegar
While vinegar has a scent all it’s own, that scent doesn’t last long, and, it takes other odors in the room with it. A great use for vinegar is to boil some on the stove while you’re cooking stinky food like fish or garlic. You can also use vinegar to get rid of odors on counter tops, cutting boards, utensils, around the toilet, etc, etc, etc!
Get Some Houseplants
House plants are excellent air fresheners. And not only do they filter out smelly air, but, they also help to de-toxify your air. They look pretty nice too. If you feel like you don’t have a green thumb, some types of house plants that are really forgiving include Pothos, and Sweedish Ivy.
I have to say that I actually use all of these ideas to help control odors in our home. And remember, we can create a fairly stinky atmosphere between the dog, the cats, the boys…Mr. T.’s feet! They all work, and they all help make our home fresh smelling, as well as safe.
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