A pleasant home fragrance is an important element for hospitality.
However, since I transitioned from “commercial” (synthetic) fragrances for my home and cleaning needs, I tend to be especially sensitive to many candles and air fresheners. I also prefer not to spend my grocery budget on air fresheners; especially in those wasteful spray cans!
I have recently seen some attractive options, such as “wickless candle” plug-in wax warmers. However, they typically still contain “laboratory-reproduced copies” of fragrances (chemicals) and parrafin wax (an oil-refining byproduct, which can contain carcinogens).
Thankfully, natural & frugal alternatives are available!
I still love using my homemade air freshener, as well as just keeping the windows open for a fresh breeze regularly. But I also enjoy a few other natural fragrance options for our home. (Having an older rental home, it can start to smell a bit musty…)
Earlier this year I purchased an aromatherapy diffuser from Mountain Rose Herbs, and we have all enjoyed it! With just a few drops of essential oil, it quickly adds a light fragrance to our living room.
Since I keep essential oils on hand anyway, for therapeutic and cleaning purposes, I am not purchasing any extra grocery products. A few of my favorite scents are: Lavender, Lemon, Rose Geranium, or Sweet Orange.
Simmering a pot of cinnamon tea (or hot water with cinnamon sticks/cloves) on the stove or woodstove is always a quick way to seasonally scent your home as well.
Pop some quick bar cookies into the oven (heavy on the cinnamon!), and not only will you have a tea-time snack ready for your guests, your home will smell delightful.
When candlelight really is the perfect choice, I have savored a (parrafin & chemical-free!) lavender-scented pillar soy candle from Mountain Rose Herbs, leftover from my homebirth last summer.
We burned it often for our “date nights at home” over the winter, and one candle lasted about 6 months! (They have an approximate burn time of up to 40 hours; I’m glad the birth didn’t last that long!)
Some lavender essential oil and baking soda mixed together are a great natural deodorizer for carpet when vacuuming. Just sprinkle it on, and vacuum it up! (This is a great task for little helpers; they get to make a mess!)
I love being able to bless my family and guests with a welcoming fragrance. It works for me!
So, what are your favorite home fragrance tips? Please share!
Photo Credits: n0rthw1nd, laureskew ; Note: This post contains affiliate links.
This post is part of Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family.
I shared some ideas about edible air fresheners here:
http://roots-of-simplicity.blogspot.com/2009/09/simple-tip-of-week-diy-edible-air.html
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Thanks for this post. I love a great smelling home but since I have decided to reduce the chemical load in our home it has been hard to find something safe. I love your idea of the cinnamon tea!
Your new site looks great. A fresh look for summer!
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These are some great ideas. My mom is very allergic to lots of different “scents” so I’m used to seeking out alternatives. I’ll have to bookmark this post for ideas.
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I grew up with my mom simmering cinnamon sticks on the stove for air freshner. The sticks seem to work really well. I use candles often, but in the winter when we use our woodstove my hubby uses the cinnamon sticks in our cast iron kettle. The sticks are pretty easy to obtain and work better for potpouri than ground cinnamon or tea
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Michele Reply:
June 10th, 2010 at 9:00 am
@Kendra, I love using cinnamon sticks! I get them from the Oregon Spice Company, through Azure Standard. But I do have an incredibly fragrant cinnamon tea, that we enjoy as well.
Blessings,
Michele
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Hi, Michelle,
One of my favorite ways to scent my home is by simmering citrus peels.
Just save (or even freeze!) any lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit peels – you can let them air-dry, too – and add them to a pot of water with some cinnamon, and maybe a couple of cloves or allspice berries and gently simmer. It smells clean and wonderful! Plus, when you’re done, you can put the whole thing into a jar and refrigerate it to use it over and over.
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Oh, I forgot to mention that the ingredients can be layered into a pretty jar to give as a beautiful gift, too!
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Hey! I’m a new reader here and am already a dedicated whole foodie, but I haven’t learned much about the dangers of artificial scents Do you have a post about that I can refer to? Thanks!
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Michele Reply:
June 11th, 2010 at 8:47 pm
@Steph, Hi, Steph, Thanks so much for reading (& commenting!). You can read a bit more about the toxins of artificial scents by clicking on the “toxins” link in the Homemade Air Freshener post here: http://frugalgranola.com/2008/11/wfmw-homemade-air-freshener/. It has a very thorough list of chemicals at this site: http://healthinmotion.wordpress.com/2007/10/21/air-fresheners-create-toxic-air-soup/
Blessings,
Michele
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We hang rosemary and lavender to dry over the hood to the stove where its warm.
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Michele Reply:
July 10th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
@Jessica, Great idea! I’m sure it smells lovely.
My MIL has herbs hanging up to dry over her woodstove right now.
Blessings,
Michele
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