In the past few months, I have entirely converted from candles to reed diffusers when it comes to making my home smell spectacular. Not only are they safer, you never need to worry about leaving them lit or someone bumping them, I also find the scents last longer and travel further.
After discovering a different way of spreading delicious scents around the house, I was eager to find more and turned to the trusty internet to help me do so. I have recently been swapping store-bought, chemical-filled products for more natural, homemade ones so I kept this in mind as I searched.
There are far more natural air fresheners out there than I expected, and knowing me I will test them all at once, and each room in my house will smell different. What I love most about the idea of making my air freshener is the scents are entirely up to me.
Natural Air Fresheners
1. Essential Oil Air Freshener Spray
Many air fresheners I have used before have been in an aerosol form which is convenient to use but results in everyone breathing it in. This Essential Oil Air Freshener Spray is just as easy to use but allows you to be much more precise with where you use it, be that on a sofa or a rug. I love spraying a little air freshener on a carpet before I have guests round as a beautiful scent is released as they walk across it.
This recipe starts with a simple base then gives ten different essential oil combinations to choose from. I love the sound of the summer citrus one.
2. Potpourri
I have always thought of Potpourri as something my granny had in her house, not something I would use as a form of air freshener. That said, I often make a cinnamon and orange potpourri style centerpiece for my lounge table around the festive season, and the scent it gives off is sensational.
This method shows you how to make your potpourri entirely from scratch using things from your garden. You could get your kids involved and let them pick pretty flowers and leaves to include, and add extra essential oils if you want punchy scent.
3. Threaded Pomander Balls
By using a combination of lemons, oranges, and grapefruits to make these Threaded Pomander Balls, you would have the most delicious citrus scent floating around your home. The addition of the cloves will give it a certain level of spice, making it more interesting and unique.
This DIY wouldn't take long to complete and would be well worth it. It's inexpensive, especially if you already have cloves and chord in the house, and by creating pretty patterns across the fruits, you can make an air freshener which doubles up as cute decor.
4. Simmer Pots
I had never heard of making Simmer Pots to scent your home, but when you think about how far scent travels when you are cooking anything, it makes sense. Even better, you can re-fill and re-use the pot a couple of times.
You could be creative when it comes to what you decide to add to your simmer pot, trying out different fruits, herbs, and spices. The combination used in this example is lemon, rosemary, and vanilla which would create a scent that is the perfect combination of sweet and fresh. I especially love the addition of vanilla as it is one of my favorite scents and I would be overjoyed if my house smelled like it.
5. Scented Wood Air Freshener
You could use multiple things to scent wood to use it as an air freshener, from perfume to essential oils. This Scented Wood Air Freshener DIY also demonstrates various methods of applying the scent to the wood, such as with a paintbrush or by shaking them up together in a jar.
Small wood blocks like the ones shown in this DIY are available at most craft stores, although I have fallen in love with the idea of making little wooden hanging decorations to display around my house. They could hang from lamps, door handles and whatever else you'd like and are far sweeter than ugly plug-in air fresheners you buy from stores.
6. Oil Diffuser
An oil diffuser is the air freshening method that is my most recent obsession. The amazing thing is if you feel the scent of your Oil Diffuser is dying down a little, all you need to do is flip the skewers round and a whole new wave of fragrance will be released.
Again the scent is entirely up to you and can be adapted depending on which room of the house you wish to put it in. For the kitchen, I would go for something herbal like lavender and rosemary. For the bathroom, you could keep it fresh with citrus scents, and for something warmer in the bedroom or lounge try out cozy smells like cinnamon and vanilla.
7. Gel Air Freshener
I had never heard of Gel Air Fresheners before let alone made them myself, but this simple DIY makes them look readily achievable. This recipe makes multiple air fresheners which you could add different scents to and use all around the house.
I like that these gel air fresheners don't look like what they are, and you could take the time to decorate them to match your home. They don't take long to make and are entirely customizable regarding both color and fragrance. In one of the air fresheners in this example, they have added flowers to clear gel, which I think looks pretty and will be replicating.
8. Baking Soda Air Freshener
Baking soda is a great natural deodorizer, so if you're looking for a safe and easy way to achieve a sweet smelling home then look no further. These would be especially good in small spaces like cupboards, wardrobes or bathrooms to remove any unwanted odors.
I love the look of the sweet orange and cinnamon scented Baking Soda Air Freshener, but if you prefer floral scents, you could opt for lavender. All you need is your chosen scent and the baking soda itself; then you can get to work making your jar look pretty.
9. Citrus Air Freshener
Citrus scents are a sure fire way of making me feel energized and ready for the day, so I can't say no to this Citrus Air Freshener. It only contains four ingredients which ensure it will be both cost-efficient and profoundly simple to make.
Bear in mind that the vodka in this spray will take a long time to infuse, between one and two weeks, so make this in advance of when you want to use it. Because the scent is coming from fresh fruit peels, it will be beautifully natural and sweet, exactly what you want for an air freshener, and the orange essential oil will help the fragrance to pop.
10. Cinnamon Candles
This Cinnamon Candle isn't quite an air freshener, but if you're a fan of candles, it is an excellent way to enhance their scent and ensure their fragrance spreads around the house.
I love the scent of cinnamon and not only during the festive period, but it also's sweet and warming to me. If you aren't as big a fan, you could take this as inspiration and experiment with other additions to your candle like dried herbs or flowers. Not only will they smell divine but they'll act as pretty room decor, this cinnamon one especially looks stylish and rustic.
Conclusion
Every room in every house is different, so it is important to take some time trying out different natural air fresheners and seeing which ones work best for you. The same goes for scents, if you try something and aren't too keen on it then try, try, try again.
Because of how much I love citrus scents I will be trying out the Citrus Air Freshener, it would be delightful during the summer months. I've never tried using a Scented Wood Air Freshener, so I think that'll be next on the list.
What's your favorite way of ensuring your home smells great? Have you ever made your own natural air freshener?
