Wednesday, February 11, 2009

The Sweet Smell of Spirits

Not exactly a sunny day here, but beautiful in it's own rainy, foggy, mysterious way.  Keeping us inside again and making it a very appropriate time to tell y'all how to create your own air freshener.  

So what do you reach for when things get stinky in your home.  Febreeze?  Oust?  An aerosol can of "springtime flowers?"  Those very things you are using to get smells out of your house are most likely putting harmful chemicals and toxins into it.  

So when making your own is easier, less expensive, and way better for you and the planet, why not?  I came across this "recipe" a few months ago and have been loving it ever since, especially in the boys' bathroom where smells are always at their worst.  

Take your spray bottle (recycled glass or plastic is best) and fill it with 2/3 water.  They say you should use distilled water but I just used my straight out of the tap well water and it has worked fine.  Then fill it the rest of the way with vodka.  Yup, this vodka:

We don't drink so I just bought the cheapest kind at the store.  Then when you have done that, take your favorite essential oils and add 10-20 drops depending on the size of your bottle.  I would add 20 for this bottle.  Some of my favorite scents for this are peppermint and pine in the Winter, ylang ylang or cinnamon in the fall, grapefruit and lemon in the summer, gardenia and rose in the spring. 
Have fun with it!  Mix and match and personalize your scent.  Heck, name it after yourself and tell us about it so we can make it and spray "(insert your name here)" all over our house.  But live it up and spray away knowing that you are doing it with the blessing of Mother Nature.  

Have you tried this?  What kind did you make?  What's your super secret sweet smelling formula?  What are you eager to try?

9 comments:

Sara said...

I am so going to try this. Thanks for the idea.

Anonymous said...

That picture you posted is beautiful. I live in Texas, but last spring took my teenage daughter to D.C. We LOVE Virginia. She wants to move there.
Thanks for the air freshener tip. I especially appreciate green living when it is also frugal living.

Owl and Fox said...

I'm going to have to do this! I love the smell of eucalytus, and it's a great deodorizer by itself. I usually use soy wax melts, but they get expensive.

That photo is beautiful :)

Lisa said...

Lavendar and peppermint are two of my favorite to mix in our cleaning mixes! We like lemon and lime too! :)

Willo said...

Sara-I am glad you liked it!

AFL-Thanks for coming by! That's the great thing about being Green...it IS the most frugal way!

Owl and Fox-I haven't tried eucalyptus but I am going to now. It's WAY more affordable then was melts! And thanks! I am lucky to have that to look at!

Lisa-thanks for coming by! Ohh, I never thought to mix lavender and peppermint...another one to try!

umlauf said...

Wonderful photo.. the fog was so pretty this morning!

The spray scent idea is so great!
My favorite scent combination lately has been cedarwood and balsam fir. Woodsy!

babies said...

hi, what a beautiful outdoors photograh! is that wood near your house? it must be fabulous to live in a place like this. in my childhood i did, but now i live in a city and i miss sights like this so much. so thans for sharing, it stirred me.

a very interesting recipe. but we have a house rule: no drinking alcohol in here. i am very tempted to try it, so if i buy vodka and make the detergent outside before even bringing it in, i guess it would be okay.

i like the combination of orange and eucalyptus. but i am tempted to do it with vanilla, too.

Willo said...

Umlauf and Eva-thanks for the photo compliments! Yes that is out my front door. The fog was so beautiful I had to try to capture it. I feel very blessed to be in this space every day!

CC said...

I can just see myself doing this and my kids getting into it!!!! lol!