Natural air freshener cleans the air in your stinky bathroom. Instead of covering the smell like heavy perfume sprays. You need an air freshener to work and be safe for your family to breath.
At my last job, my office was a few doors down from the bathroom. You knew when someone was having a “rough day” by the smell wafting down the hallway.
Worse yet, the loads of air freshener used in attempt to cover the odor was nauseating. Instead of masking the odor, it smelled like poop mixed with cinnamon sticks. It was terrible. Still makes we cringe in disgust.
If the user had a heavy hand when spraying the air freshener, you could taste it. It was that strong. Gross right?!
Usually I ended up with a headache by the end of the day. Headaches are one common side effect of the fragrance used in air fresheners.
Essential Oils to the Rescue
Years later I discovered essential oils can naturally freshen the bathroom. Even the really stinky ones. It works way better then those chemical laden bathroom sprays. Essential oils make my bathroom smell clean and fresh.
Prevention of smells is key. Have you ever seen a commercial for Poo Pouri? While it looks like a gag gift, it’s awesome!
It’s a bathroom spray you spritz on the top of the toilet water before you go #2. It helps keep the smell below the water surface line and prevent odors.
My brother in law bought it for me as a gag gift a few years ago. I got the last laugh since I was so excited about the gift. He just shook his head. He should have known I already had a bottle at home!
The inspiration for DIY All Natural air freshener spray comes from Poo Pourri. You can buy Poo Pouri here instead of making your own if DIY isn’t your thing.
But I wanted to customize my spray and save a few dollars. After the third time your 2 year old pours the whole bottle into the toilet… you start looking for more cost effective options.
How to Make DIY Natural Air Freshener
Here’s some great ways to use your natural air freshener:
- Spray the toilet water with 3-4 sprays before anyone goes #2
- Spray the bathroom if someone forgets to spray before they go. Or if there is other stinky smells…. like a 2 year olds dirty diaper.
- Spray to freshen the kitchen if a meal stinks up the house. Cabbage, onions and garlic are big offenders.
- Spray to eliminate the smell from burnt toast. Make sure you take the burnt item out of the house first or you’ll never get rid of the smell.
- Spray to freshen your trash can or diaper pail. Here’s a whole post on the 5 best diaper pail deodorizer hacks.
You will use your DIY Natural Air Freshener in so many ways! So let’s make some!!
Ingredients:
- Small Spray Bottle (Glass or Plastic)
- Essential Oils (I use purify, cleaning, and wintergreen)
- Water
- Cornstarch (optional)
- Small funnel
Wintergreen is not recommended for use around kids. Here’s a beginners guide to essential oil safety.
I sometimes add wintergreen to the bathroom spray and it works awesome! Smells like you brushed your teeth when you leave the bathroom. No one has to know!
But wintergreen is not recommended for use around kids. And since my 2 year old has a tendency to get into the spray, I opt to keep it out most of the time.
This tutorial will show you how to add it. If you have kids, skip the wintergreen and use the Purify and Cleaning Essential oil blends. Or use your own combination and get creative.
Learn how to use essential oils to naturally freshen your laundry too.
Directions to Make Natural Air Freshener With Essential Oils
- Gather all your ingredients in one place. A small funnel will make this easier, but it’s not necessary.
- Fill the bottle half way with witch hazel. If you don’t have witch hazel use rubbing alcohol or some cheap vodka.
- Then add 20 drops of each essential oil.
- Add a dash of castile soap (or dish soap if you don’t have any castile soap).
- Add a dash of cornstarch (1/8 teaspoon or less)
- Fill the rest of the way with water.
- Shake to combine and you’re done!!
My recipe has a few more ingredients than others you see online.
Lingering cigarette smoke smell? Learn how to get rid of it.
Here’s why I use the ingredients I use:
Castile Soap – This is important. The soap keeps the spray on the surface of the water. I’ve skipped this in the past and it does not work as well.
Witch Hazel – helps to keep the essential oils dispersed in the liquid so you don’t have to shake it before each use.
Cornstarch – It’s partly cosmetic to make it look white like Poo Pourri does. It also helps the spray to stick on the surface of the water. You can probably skip this ingredient without a decrease in effectiveness.
Bonus Toilet Paper Roll Hack
Add a few drops of purify essential oil blend to the inside of your toilet paper roll each time you change it. Which is constantly in our house… why do little people use so much toilet paper!?!?
Each time you grab some toilet paper, you’ll get a refreshing scent of the essential oils.
You’ll get the air freshener scent without the chemicals.
You can use any essential oils you want – purify is my favorite though. It smells so clean and fresh.
Cast Out Those Stinky Smells
Now that you know how – gather your ingredients and mix up a batch.
If you’re not up for the DIY -that’s okay. Buy some Poo Pourri to get the same natural air freshener scent. Remember its more than a toilet spray – it works wonders at getting rid of odors all around.
What stinky odor are you going to eliminate today? Tell me you’re biggest odor problem in the comments below.
I am biggest odor problem (????? 😳😱)
“Tell me you’re biggest odor problem in the comments below.”
Well, I did as you told me to, but I am not sure if I should be really offended, or… 😂😉
Ha ha Pippi! Thanks for the laugh this morning and for catching the typo. It takes on a whole new meaning. I’ll get it fixed up 🙂