Eco-Scents for Your Home

More and more people are doing away with aerosols and harsh chemicals and adopting more eco-friendly ways to clean and deodorize their homes. These natural scent solutions are not only good for the environment, but also for the budget. Costs can add up when you are adding plug-in air fresheners to every room, not to mention the toxic chemicals that are seeping into the air. Try some of these natural solutions to deodorize and sanitize your home.

Essential oils have a myriad of uses around the house, and have the added benefit of the soothing aromatherapy effects they emit. Some of the more popular scents include lavender (calming); lemon or grapefruit (cleaning and refreshing); eucalyptus (revitalizing); and peppermint (energizing). Pick out three or four and begin building your own collection. Some people also like to use pine or fir oils in the colder winter months.

Add 10-20 drops of one or a combination of oils to water in a spray bottle and use as a spray air freshener.

Get some attractive boxes or containers and place a few cotton balls dipped in essential oil in closets and cupboards.

Add a few drops of lemon oil to a spray bottle with olive oil as an effective non-toxic furniture polish. Not only will your furniture look great, but the room will have a fresh citrus smell.

When you're washing bedding, add a few drops of lavender oil to the rinse cycle for a calming effect a night.

Smear a line of peppermint oil across an ant infested area as an effective repellent. Spraying flies with a mixture of peppermint oil and water will kill those pests.

Dehumidify and scent a room by adding essential oil or spices such as cloves and cinnamon sticks to a pot of simmering water.

To get rid of smoke or other nasty odors, place about 1/2 cup of vinegar in each dish and place around the room. Another neat trick is to fill your ash trays with cat litter; not only does it put out the cigarette, it helps to absorb the smell.

Stubborn food odors in your garbage disposal can be eliminated by mixing 1 cup of vinegar with 1 cup water and freezing in an ice cube tray. Simply grind the cubes in the disposal and flush with cold water.

Microwaves tend to hang onto the residue from the last few uses. Simply heat up two cups of water on high, with two tablespoons of lemon juice and let it sit in the microwave for about ten minutes. Use the same solution to wipe down the walls.

Deodorize a bathroom in record time by lighting a match.

Musty smells can sometimes be difficult to get rid of, but the solution is simple. Spray the area with a mist of straight vodka. The alcohol kills bacteria, but leaves no lingering odor. Borax is also good for mold. Make a paste with water and let it sit for a short time.

Refresh your carpets by adding your favorite essential oil to some baking soda and sprinkle over the rugs. Allow it to sit for an hour or two and vacuum.

Sometimes you'll notice that after treating an odor, it returns in a few days. This is because you've only masked the smell, not dealt with the actual cause. Adding one tablespoon of baking soda to one cup of warm water and spraying will neutralize most odors. For the stubborn smells (like urine), use a natural enzyme-based odor remover that actually destroys the uric acid crystals creating the problem.

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