Home odors – fish, onion, shoes, potatoes can all add to sensory discomfort and a bad feeling in the home. Air fresheners on the market can sometimes be too harsh, leaving a chemically false smell in the air with aggressively commercialized scents. No one knows for sure what chemicals are inside and what effects they may have on the respiratory system and skin. What is a concerned homemaker to do?
Fortunately, there is a middle road, offering a natural solution to eliminating household odors.
The ancient method to room freshening was a combination of flower and wood shavings called potpourri. It was invented by the French centuries ago.
Naturally scented plants and flowers used in potpourri include allspice, cedar, cinnamon, cloves; cypress, lavender, jasmine, fennel (used in licorice candy); juniper, lemon, mint; orange, pinyon, rose, and rosemary. Fruits, flowers, leaves wood bark, seeds and herbs are all used. This is not an inclusive list – over 300 possible variants may be used in producing potpourri.
In days of old, flowers and other scented materials were gathered in the spring and summer months and left outside to dry. When the plants became limp, they were covered with a layer of coarse sea salt. Another layer of dried scented material was added, and the process was repeated. The flowers and leaves would ferment, becoming grey, and then a wonderful scent would be produced. To prevent the scent from escaping too soon, a fixative, usually orris root, was used.
Once potpourri is prepared, it must be sealed in a plastic bag or ceramic pot to preserve its essence. There are specially designed pots with a pierced lid to allow the scent to escape slowly. Nowadays it is easier to buy a prepared potpourri mix which is both effective and mild compared to than chemically prepared fresheners.
As simple as it sounds, plain old baking soda can work wonders. Placed in the refrigerator, it reduces odors. Sprinkled on a sponge, poured down the drain, sprinkled in the garbage between the container and the liner, and added to the cat litter box it does its part to keep your home fresh.
White vinegar can be placed into a squirt bottle and used to clean various household surfaces. Your child’s lunchbox, the inside of the refrigerator, the kitchen trash container, etc. For cleaning a table, soak a sponge in white vinegar and clean thoroughly. It is slightly acidic (5%) which is enough to kill germs but not be harmful to the user.
Unscented kitty litter does more than just neutralize your cat’s odors. It can be placed in decorative ceramic bowls in your home to absorb any odors. Inexpensive and inconspicuous, it looks just like gravel.
Now that you have neutralized the “bad“ odors, you can use a few drops of essential oil to boost a fragrant aroma in your home. It’s really quite simple, and very economical to freshen your home the healthy way. Your family will notice the fresh air without feeling deodorized. A variety of scents are available, including Eucalyptus, Pine, Lavender, Cypress, Lemon, Lemongrass, Lime, Thyme, Grapefruit, Orange, Wintergreen, Rosemary, and Sage, which can be purchased for a song.
Place two or three drops on the inside of the cardboard toilet paper roll. The scent will be activated in the room when your toilet paper is rolled.
You can also use essential oils to make an inexpensive spray freshener. Dilute four drops of the essential oil of your choice into a pint of water. This can be sprayed into a room or used as a finishing scent on disinfected surfaces after they’ve been freshly cleaned with white vinegar.