With the holiday season practically knocking on the front door, I am preparing my home for family visits. When I have company coming over, I like to vacuum my home and spritz it with one of my favorite aromatherapy concoctions to freshen up the air and make my space more inviting to guests. I used to  be on the Febreze bandwagon, that is until I found out just how toxic their sprays really are. I was enraged to find out that an air freshener company that’s slogan is “breathe happy,” fills their products with bronchial irritants. No one is going to breathe happier with toxic chemicals that irritate the lungs. It may seem like a harmless act, spraying an air freshener like Febreze, around your home, but instead of cleaning the air, these air fresheners are actually further polluting the air with toxins. Environmental Working Group did a study on over 20 cleaning supplies used in schools and found that many of these products contained a large amount of toxic ingredients that are not disclosed on the product’s ingredients list.

Febreze (Air Effects – Hawaiian Aloha) contained the third highest amount of air contaminants, coming in at 89, only three of which were disclosed on the label. Some of the most toxic ingredients are bronchial irritants (for a product that you are supposed to breathe in) that cause serious allergic reactions, asthma, migraines, cancer, and more! According to the EWG, these are the worst offenders on the list and some of their many causes, but there are more!You know I wouldn’t leave you hanging after a diatribe like that, without giving you the option to make it yourself! Room sprays are the absolute easiest thing to make for your home. In it’s simplest form, just water and essential oils can do a great job as an air freshener, but I like to add aloe vera gel and vegetable glycerin to mine for a more luxurious and longer lasting spray that doubles as a body spray. Essential oils are also a really great option because they provide therapeutic properties as well as great smells!

Some essential oils actually have deodorizing properties to them, perfect for a room spray! If using a 2 oz. bottle. just halve the recipe and blends down below. Most of these essential oil sprays are made at roughly a 4% ratio for the best room scent. I like to use some fruity scents that aren’t able to be made as essential oils, and after some extensive research, I found Medicine Flower Flavors. They have a proprietary cold process to extract from the actual fruit, their flavors, not using any synthetically created flavors. They are also certified organic, and can be used in your water to flavor it (one drop coconut and one drop pineapple really give me a great tasting no sugar added Pina Colada water!), your ice cream, your coffee, and more! I use these flavors to make delicious lip balms, and even awesome smelling body and room sprays! For the Spring/Summer blends to freshen up your home, go here! A very calming and soothing blend that smells delicious! Get into the fall/winter season with this spicy blend that is enough to make your mouth water!

The upside is this blend is also a great anti-germ blend to boot! A refreshing pick-me-up during the dark days of winter, this blend it great to boost spirits and freshen stale air! Ragdoll Cat Breeders In Upstate Ny(Not for use around children under the age of 10 yrs.)Cheap Platform Beds With Mattress A sweet and spicy alluring feminine scent, this blend is great for a romantic evening at home!Who Buys Tires For Recycling This is my version of a certain bath and body store that carries a yearly scent called Winter Candy Apple. I used to love that scent, so i set out to make something like it! This is one of my favorite calming night time blends! I just love the way that coconut blends with sweet marjoram and lavender!

It’s such a delightful heady scent! This is a sweet and spicy fall/winter blend that smells like just like my grandma’s home during the holiday season! I just love the smell of pomanders during the winter time! It’s one of my FAVORITE holiday blends! A fresh woodsy scent with a bite of cold. This would be a great gift for a bachelor or teenage boy (because you know that his bedroom probably smells gross!) It’s not as girly as some of the other scents can be. This is a great spicy and woodsy scent! FTC DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging and social media activities, I may  receive monetary compensation for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this article. However, I only recommend products or services I have personally used myself and are in alignment with The Hippy Homemaker's ideals. All information on The Hippy Homemaker is meant for educational and informational purposes only. The statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Products and/or information are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease. Readers are advised to do their own research and make decisions in partnership with their health care provider. If you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition or are taking any medication, please consult your physician. /wiki/Freeing_a_stuck_engine on this server. Your technical support key is: 36d4-bbba-1756-6707 This page contains recipes for homemade air fresheners. Make homemade air fresheners to help mask or neutralize household odors.All ArticlesSolutionsGuidesCraftsQuestionsArchivesNewestOldestMost HelpfulLeast HelpfulMost AnswersFewest AnswersBest AnswersRelevanceTip: FlagIf you're like me your slow cooker has a daily special place on your counter top just as the regularly used coffee pot, blender or assorted other appliances do. If not, make a special place for it and use it not just for cooking but also to refresh the air in your home! Winter is a perfect time of year to start getting into the habit of using this idea because windows and doors are closed up tight and odors inside your home become stale and/or become stinky because of certain foods being cooked.

Here is how to use your slow cooker to your air freshening advantage with items you probably already have in your kitchen. Some people use essential oils but unless you know that what is in those oils are safe for consumption, I wouldn't recommend using them if planning to also continue using the pot for cooking. For safety sake, be sure to test how long it takes for the water to completely evaporate from your slow cooker on a day you'll be home because you are going to be leaving the lid off so evaporation is going to occur more quickly. In doing this test, you can plan accordingly for the amount of hours you can safely be away. Okay, here is all there is to it. Turn your slow cooker on high, pour in two quarts of water, two tablespoons of baking soda, stir well, bring to a simmer then turn down to low. Now comes the fun part of adding scents! Here are some nice scent ideas plus two combinations I personally like and I am sure you can easily come up with your own favorite concoctions :-)

Extracts used for cooking and baking that smell as yummy as they taste! Here is a list of some of them: Almond, Banana, Cherry, Coconut, Maple, Rum, Strawberry and Vanilla. Fresh sliced Lemon, Lime or Orange or their dried peels Spices such as Allspice, Cinnamon Sticks, Cloves, Ginger and Nutmeg Combination One: 2 whole lemons, sliced, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Combination Two: 2 whole oranges, sliced, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 2 cinnamon sticks By Deeli from Richland, WA Comment FlagBy ShirleyE4If like me you are a bit dubious about what is contained in manufactured air fresheners and whether or not it is good for you to be breathing that stuff into your lungs, then you might be wanting to have more natural scents around your home.It is actually very easy to make your own room fresheners with a few cheap ingredients. Supplies:essential oils of your choice1 empty jarbicarbonate of soda (baking soda)1 small square of cloth1 rubber band1 length of ribbon1 wooden stick or bamboo skewer for mixingSteps:Pour some bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) into the glass jar to about one third full.

Add essential oils drop by drop. I used an equal mix of lime, hyacinth absolute, and ylang ylang, but you can choose any combination you like. You will need about twenty to thirty drops in total.Use a wooden implement such as a bamboo skewer to mix the oils in as thoroughly as possible.Cover with a pretty piece of cloth and secure with the rubber band.Add some decorative ribbon or lace to cover the band.Your freshener is ready to use. I put mine in the front porch and enjoy the lovely scent everytime I arrive home and open the front door Comment Flag1This is a guide about Mason jar air freshener. An inexpensive room deodorizer can easily be made in an attractive canning jar. Comment Flag1This is a guide about can you refill plug-in air fresheners?. You may be able to refill plug-in fresheners with your favorite scents. Comment Tip: FlagWinter is coming and with that the windows and doors will be closed up tight and odors trapped inside. Here are some ideas to sweeten the smell of your home without harmful chemicals: Place a small sprinkling of ground cinnamon or ground clove on an electric stove burner and turn on the heat to the very lowest setting possible.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use a small piece of tinfoil, turn up the edges and pour a teaspoon of vanilla on top and place the foil in the oven. Turn off oven and prop the door open a bit. Place 1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla or vanilla extract in small cups or bowls around the home. Mix small amounts of lemon juice or vinegar and baking soda together and place in small cups or bowls around the home. To abolish cooking odors, simmer 1 tablespoon vinegar with one cup of water in a small pan. Simmer your favorite spices, citrus rinds or fresh pine needles in a small pan of water on the stove. Experiment by mixing and matching. Also, instead of throwing out stale dated apple, cranberry or orange juice, just simmer in a small pan on the stove.Be sure to set a timer to remind you that it's time to add more water! In a spray bottle, add several drops of your favorite essential oil to water. Shake to mix and mist the air. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to a cotton ball and place around the home.

Place a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil on a light bulb. Be sure to only do this on a bulb that is turned off and is cool! Once you turn the light on the heat from the bulb will slowly release the essential oil in the air. Place a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil inside your cardboard toilet paper roll and the scent will be released every time someone removes toilet paper. Place springs of fresh eucalyptus around your home. Don't forget fresh flowers work too. Source: Things I've learned and done over the years. By Deeli from Richland, WA Comment Tip: FlagBy RobynIf you take a potpourri pot or a small jar and fill it with packing peanuts, then spray your favorite perfume on it, it will hold the scent and keep the room fresh. You can also use potpourri spray for this. Comment Tip: Flag6I was always uncomfortable using the bathroom fresheners knowing that they are chemical. I take a laundry spray bottle, fill it with water and about 20 drops of essential oil which I buy in the health food store.

Comment Tip: FlagBy countryheart6Recently I wanted to freshen up my home and had no air freshener on hand. Instead I took a small pot and placed some water in it, added a few drops of vanilla and some ground ginger. Comment Tip: FlagBy Cyinda2When someone is coming over to my home and I don't have time to air it out and I don't want that obvious smell of an air freshener spray, I just sprinkle a tiny dash of cinnamon on to my electric burner. Comment Tip: FlagBy coville123After carving your pumpkins, sprinkle some cinnamon inside the pumpkin then light your candle. Your house will smell like you're baking! Comment Tip: FlagBy Cricket3Whenever I want to freshen the air in my home I don't like to use anything that smells like any type of food or spice. Smelling foods or spices in the air turns on my hunger pangs! So I use nature smells. Comment Tip: Flag2In the winter months the air inside our homes becomes very polluted. Putting vinegar in water and setting it on a woodburning stove puts vinegar in the air to kill bacteria floating in the air.