Natural Homemade Air Freshener Recipes

Katie Wells Avatar

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Between pets, kids, and everyday life, homes can smell less than fresh sometimes. Artificially scented air fresheners don’t offer much of a solution as they just mask the smell with toxins. I frequently use these 3 methods to cleanse the air in our home, but I also like using these natural air fresheners for their inviting and refreshing scent.

How Natural Air Fresheners Can Affect Mood

Smells, whether natural or not, affect our brain and body chemistry. When something is inhaled, the molecules enter into the amygdala, a part of the brain that controls emotion. (This is why smelling a fresh batch of gingerbread cookies can remind us of Christmas). Since these molecules have direct access to the brain, it’s important to watch what is inhaled.

Artificial fragrances may smell nice, but they can cause damage. The National Resource Defense Council tested fourteen air fresheners and found that most contained chemicals known to cause hormone imbalance, birth defects, or reproductive harm.

Inhaling essential oils, on the other hand, can affect the mind and mood in a positive way. Essential oils like lavender and vetiver are calming, while citrus oils are uplifting.

Why Not All Homemade Air Fresheners Are the Same

When creating natural, homemade air freshener recipes, it’s important to have a balanced blend. Artificial fragrances rely on synthetic chemicals to create a scent that will linger. Essential oils, unfortunately, evaporate much faster due to their volatile nature.

To combat this, certain essential oils are used as “base” note oils. Their constituents are heavier and the scent lingers for longer, helping to “fix” the lighter top notes.

These homemade air freshener recipes use a blend of top, middle, and base notes to create a fragrance with a little more staying power. They still won’t last as long as their synthetic counterparts, but they have actual physical benefits and make a home smell amazing.

Homemade Air Freshener Recipes

What appeals to one person may not to another, so here are four different natural air freshener recipes to try. They’re simple enough that it’s even easy to make different ones to fit the desired mood benefits.

Where to Get Essential Oils

I typically purchase my essential oils here. They offer many organic options, bulk sizes and a 10% discount with the code WellnessMama. Plant Therapy oils are also available on Amazon at the links below in the individual recipes.

Citrus Sunshine Spice Air Freshener

This blend contains uplifting orange and lemon essential oils. Sweet orange essential oil not only uplifts the mood but also has potent anti-fungal properties. Lemon has both antibacterial and antiviral properties. Lemon further affects the mood by increasing alertness and soothing angry feelings.

Ginger, on the other hand, helps to stimulate the mind in a positive way and is commonly used to alleviate depression.

Ingredients

Fantastic Floral Air Freshener

Floral scents are frequently calming and help to relieve anxious feelings. Lavender is well known for its wound healing capabilities, but it’s equally as good at relieving stress and sadness. Geranium has a wide array of cleansing properties and is antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal.

Ylang ylang is the grounding base note of this natural air freshener, and is frequently used to relieve fear and anxiety.

Ingredients

Walk Through the Woods Air Freshener

This blend has a woodsy scent and a grounding effect on the mood. Juniper berry helps combat feelings of apathy, and adds a fresh note to the blend. Cypress is also used for apathy and even grieving.

Cypress cleanses the air with its antibacterial and antiviral effects, and cedarwood grounds the blend and ties it all together.

Ingredients

Earthy Grounding Blend Air Freshener

Patchouli is infamously known as the scent of hippies, but it’s so much more than that. Patchouli is antifungal and antibacterial, helping to purify the air. Grapefruit is also cleansing and helps to uplift the mood. Finally, clary sage is often used when there are feelings of depression or apathy and helps balance the mood.

Ingredients

How to Make Homemade a Air Freshener with Essential Oils

It’s pretty simple … only two quick steps!

Instructions

  1. Add the essential oils and vodka to the spray bottle and swirl gently to combine.
  2. Add distilled water until the spray bottle is almost full, then cap tightly and shake to combine.

Alternately- these all make amazing diffuser blends. I review my favorite diffusers here.

To Use:

  • Shake well before use and liberally spray into the air. Aim as high as possible, as the mist will fall through the air, releasing its scent as it does.
  • These natural air fresheners can also be sprayed on most linens and upholstery to freshen them. If there’s any concern about damage occurring, test an inconspicuous piece of fabric first.

Want to freshen your closet, drawers, and gym bag too? Try these DIY drawer sachets with essential oils and herbs.

What do you do to freshen the air in your home? What are your favorite air freshener scents?

Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

50 responses to “Natural Homemade Air Freshener Recipes”

  1. Shelley Avatar

    Is there a better option for the 4oz spray bottle from Amazon. I ordered them and none of the nozzles work so now I have to return them. I love the idea if I could get a spray to work.

  2. Sue Avatar

    I think it needs to be mentioned that not all these recipes are safe for pets

  3. M. Tiehes Avatar
    M. Tiehes

    Hi,
    Can you tell me what the Vodka does for the recipe? Thanks

  4. Monica Guojad Avatar
    Monica Guojad

    You forgot about Angelica. It smell amazing, especially with calendula flowers. Makes a great sachet.

  5. Cathy Avatar

    Hello, I was wondering if there is an alternative to the vodka? Thanks.

  6. Rebecca Avatar
    Rebecca

    Does it have to be vodka? Will rubbing alcohol work the same? I don’t have any vodka lol

  7. Susan Avatar

    I am amazed at all the people who ask the same question before reading the comments. Please do bloggers a favor and read the comments BEFORE asking your question. It more than likely has been addressed.

  8. Tara Avatar

    The citrus sunshine spice smells amazing!! How many drops of each oil would I need to use it in a diffuser?

  9. Jeri Avatar

    Hello Wellness mama! I love your website!
    Can I use rhum instead of vodka? I just bought a bottle of rhum for making almond extract.

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