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
- 25 drops sweet orange (or wild orange) essential oil
- 25 drops lemon essential oil
- 12 drops ginger essential oil
- 2 tsp vodka
- 4 oz spray bottle
- distilled water
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
- 25 drops lavender essential oil
- 25 drops geranium essential oil
- 5 drops ylang ylang essential oil
- 2 tsp vodka
- 4 oz spray bottle
- distilled water
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
- 15 drops juniper berry essential oil
- 15 drops cypress essential oil
- 20 drops cedarwood essential oil
- 2 tsp vodka
- 4 oz spray bottle
- distilled water
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
- 8 drops patchouli essential oil
- 30 drops grapefruit essential oil
- 15 drops clary sage essential oil
- 2 tsp vodka
- 4 oz spray bottle
- distilled water
How to Make Homemade a Air Freshener with Essential Oils
It’s pretty simple … only two quick steps!
Instructions
- Add the essential oils and vodka to the spray bottle and swirl gently to combine.
- 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?
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