Natural Air Freshener

I have cats. That means, sometimes my house stinks. For years I have been spending obscene amounts of money on chemical deodorizers. Today, I changed the air in my house. I ran out of a febreeze wall plug in, and decided to try something different. I googled 'natural air fresheners' and I found some amazing news. Apparently, I have been spending zillions of dollars on chemicals that have been harming my body, when a much cheaper, more natural and safe way to get rid of my cat's smell was hiding in my cupboards! I tried two things today, and I have an entire list of things that I can try after I go to the grocery store!


The cinnamon is currently boiling in my kitchen, and the house smells fantastic!

I found a few exciting tips on the interweb!

"Indoor air quality is becoming more of an issue as people are spending more and more time indoors. Most of us have seen reports on common dangerous household pollutants such as deadly molds, lead from paints, asbestos, and many others. What many people are not aware of are the dangerous chemicals we are willingly bringing into our homes and using in the form of air fresheners! Many commercial air fresheners use chemicals that have detrimental side effects such as agents that deaden your sense of smell, oils that coat your nasal passages, chemicals that can be damaging to skin and eyes, and ingredients that can be very poisonous if accidentally ingested. In addition to being potentially dangerous, many commercial air fresheners don't actually freshen the air, they just mask one odor with another! So, what are we to do if we want a pleasant smelling indoor environment? Try a more natural approach!


Vanilla extract on cotton balls in a recycled jam jar.

A wide assortment of air fresheners can be found hiding in your kitchen cabinets. Many of the herbs and spices we cook with also make wonderful air fresheners (such as cinnamon, clove, ginger, rosemary, basil, etc.). Try boiling your favorites alone or combined. Scented extracts (such as vanilla, almond, etc.) can also be used. Try dabbing some onto cotton balls and then placing the cotton balls throughout your home. Another kitchen staple renowned for removing odors is baking soda. An open box of baking soda placed in a room will help eliminate odors, especially musty mildew odors. A cup of vinegar can also be used in the same fashion to help remove smells. Simply fill several small bowls with vinegar and place in the area of the offensive smell."

There are so many amazing natural options out there, it's amazing that I never discovered these great options before. Although- they aren't advertised nearly as often on TV as the chemical ones, and I always get sucked in by commercials.