Sometimes life stinks. Like when someone leaves something wafting behind in the bathroom. Gym bags, diaper pails, and furniture that’s had one thing too many spilled on it are other culprits. I used to pull out a can of air freshener, but then I found out that’s not a great idea.
I never thought twice about using conventional room and fabric sprays like Glade and Febreeze. Here are some of the warnings on a Glade air freshener safety sheet.
- Wash thoroughly after handling
- Toxic to fish and other water life
- Store in a well ventilated space (the previous warning said to only use in well ventilated spaces)
Given that air fresheners are used in bathrooms without good air flow and for the purpose of smelling them, this seems crazy! Here’s something even crazier.
Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are found in products like conventional air fresheners. These toxins can cause headaches and irritation after just one use, but are also linked with cancer and brain damage (among other things) in the long run. VOCs make up a whopping 51% of the Glade spray!
A homemade air freshener spray gets rid of stinky odors without the brain damage. This room spray uses essential oils which not only smell amazing, but improve mood and health.
Customized Homemade Air Freshener
I use essential oils in my coffee, in homemade hand sanitizer or to get things steamy in the bedroom with edible massage oil. Homemade air freshener spray has aromatherapy benefits that improve mood and boost health.
- Mist lavender on pillows for dreamy sleep.
- Vetiver can have a calming and grounding effect on the emotions (kids bedrooms anyone?).
- Peppermint is refreshing, sparks concentration and sharpens the brain.
Homemade Air Freshener and Fabric Spray
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp witch hazel or vodka
- 15-30 drops essential oil of choice (I used 15 drops bergamot, and 5 drops each cedarwood and orange)
- Distilled water
- 1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 8 oz spray bottle – I love these mist bottles!
Instructions:
- Pour the alcohol into the bottle. Add the essential oils and gently swirl to disperse.
- Add the baking soda and fill the bottle the rest of the way with water.
- Gently shake until the baking soda has dissolved.
Tips:
- Spray liberally in the air to get rid of stinky odors.
- I haven’t had any issues, but the spray could stain some fabrics. When in doubt it never hurts to do a test patch!
Looking forward to making this! I love a scented room…just not one scented with chemicals!
You might want to avoid this then. You would want to spray H₂O+NaHCO₃+C₃H₈O+whatever the chemical make up of your essential oil is.
ha ha
Anna- It IS a common misconception that all chemicals are lab manufactured and potentially toxic. The term “chemical free” though has come to mean free of toxic and potentially hazardous chemicals, despite the fact that all substances, including water are made up of chemical components.
And plus she obviously means synthetic chemical that have already been identified carcinogenic in isolation. This industry is poorly regulated and we as parents should research what we use with our kids. There’s no need to be a smarty pants. This is a great post. Thanks for sharing!
I had found a ‘recipe’ calling for just oils, baking soda, and water. Sprinkle oils on baking soda, sit awhile, then mix in spray bottle with water. I made it, it works, and after sitting a week, I just had to shake it up as it had cloudy appearance from settling I guess. It still works and smells good.
The last time I made the spray I used just the oils, baking soda and water too. However, essential oils will NOT mix in water, they sit on top. So despite shaking the bottle before you use it, the oil won’t evenly disperse. The oil will however disperse in soap, oil and alcohol. I’ve just found this recipe to be more evenly fragrant each time I use it.
This is a must for our household. Hubby has COPD and can not tolerate all the nice candle or deodorizers.
Thank you for this wonderful post. I have been looking for something safe to use on my furniture and around my asthmatic grand-daughter. I will get the ingredients I need and give it a try
Great information! Essential Oils have soooo many benefits!! I have just started learning about all they can do, and I am trying to find new things daily to add them in.. so far toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, fabric spray, soap, dish detergent…. in my tea, water, in my diffuser, on my feet… oh the list goes on! I have found the highest grade Oils on the market and you can take them internally! the ones in the heath food store say not to ingest?! Go check out: http://www.InharmonyOils.VibrantScents.com
I always use zoflora and just tap water. Works great!
This recipe avoids using toxins, as essential oils are simply plant extracts. Zoflora, as far as I can tell contains ethanol, benzalkonium chloride, methanol, concentrated perfume compound, limonene and other undisclosed ingredients. Even though this product would work well, I’m not so sure these are safe to spray in the air.
You can also use a pinch of Epsom Salt in place of the rubbing alcohol to help the oils mix with the water. Works beautifully.
Can I use cooking extracts instead of essential oils?
Thanks Jamie <3
~Sharon M.
It might work. You’ll have to check the ingredients list. If it’s just alcohol and the extract then it should work, you would just need a lot more. Probably 1-3 tsp.
Alright, thanks! I’ll let you know how it works 🙂
We just mixed up a batch with orange extract. I skipped the rubbing alcohol because alcohol was already in the extract, along with the orange oil. I ended up using about 5 teaspoons of orange extract. It smells so nice! It’s not as potent as Fabreeze, but it’s so much cheaper, and better for us! Thank you so much! I think I’ll try lemon extract next time for variety.
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Why do you use the baking soda? I would think the baking soda would clog the sprayer?
The baking soda helps to deodorize the air. Also, it helps the oils mix in with the rest of the spray better. I’ve been using this spray for several years now and I’ll just clean the sprayer out every 6 months or so. I use a fine mist sprayer and it works well with that even:)
Can we just omit the water altogether since that is a concern for some fabrics?
How about using just vodka?
I’m thinking that just vodka would have an overpowering alcohol smell too it, even with the essential oils added, and It would evaporate very quickly as alcohol does. Since the majority of fabrics can safely be misted with water (even ones that can’t be submerged), I’d just avoid spraying a particular piece of material if you’re afraid of the room mist ruining it. If you do decide to try just vodka and essential oils, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Thank you! I made this a few months ago, and it worked wonderfully!! It gets rid of odors quick, and I have 2 dogs! I just mixed up my second bottle. Thanks so much for a great recipe!
Yay! I’m glad its working so well for you Emily 🙂 We use it as a bathroom spray and it works great for that… which is asking a lot for a non-toxic room spray!
Hi!! Does the witch hazel need to have alcohol in it in order to mix better? Mine is alcohol free…..
Thank you ♥
Yes, the alcohol is what disperses the oil. You could add a 1/2 tsp of vodka or rubbing alcohol to the recipe to make up for that.
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