A fresh-smelling home feels welcoming and lifts your mood. Chemical air fresheners might mask odours, but they can also fill the air with ingredients that irritate your lungs and don’t solve the real problem. Instead, simple natural options can keep your space clean, healthy and inviting.
Never spray scented air fresheners near young children or pets (air rooms after use) and also avoid essential oils for pregnancy/nursing and affected medical conditions.
Indoor plants don’t clean the air (an outdated NASA myth). If you do use them, learn toxic indoor plants to avoid near pets (sago palm, cheese plants and lilies etc – can harm just by brushing a tail past).
Avoid facing indoor foliage to gardens, to help stop birds flying into windows.
Open Windows and Improve Ventilation
Good airflow makes a huge difference. Open your windows each day (if safe near children and pets), even for a short time, to let stale air out and fresh air in. Place fans near the window or across from each other to pull in more clean air and push out the musty smells.
Ventilation clears cooking and pet smells much better than a quick spray.
Deep Clean Carpets, Fabrics and Surfaces
Odours cling to fabric and soft furnishings. Vacuum carpets, sofas and curtains often, including underneath and behind furniture. Wash removable covers, cushion inserts and throws in hot water if possible.
Cleaning hard surfaces with natural products like diluted cleaning vinegar leaves fewer odours behind and breaks down any smell build-up in the room.
Remove Smelly Furniture and Fabrics
Sometimes, no amount of cleaning can save an old sofa, faded rug or musty curtains. Remove or replace items that keep strong smells trapped. Check hidden spots like mattresses, pet beds and storage bins. Getting rid of the main source stops odours before they build up again.
Charcoal can Absorb Bad Smells
Activated charcoal’s high surface area traps and absorbs odours. Unscented volcanic potpourri is porous to soak up chosen essential oils, then slowly releases the aroma into your room (not near pets, babies or pregnancy/nursing). Long-lasting and reusable, it’s sold in a lovely matt black vessel with optional red agate stone lid.
For cars, use a charcoal purifying bag (if you smoke, use a personal ashtray to extinguish the butt, for safe disposal later on).
Bicarbonate of Soda
Bicarbonate of soda absorbs moisture and neutralises smells, instead of covering them up. Sprinkle it on carpets and soft furniture, let it sit for 30 minutes, then vacuum it up. Leave an open box inside the fridge, cupboards or shoe racks to keep them fresh with little effort.
Cleaning Vinegar
Cleaning vinegar breaks down grease and odour molecules, leaving the air fresher. Mix equal parts water and cleaning vinegar in a spray bottle. Use it to wipe worktops, bins, fridges and pet areas. It’s strong enough to fight smells but safe for most surfaces, and the vinegar scent fades quickly.
Keep cleaning vinegar away from children and pets (don’t use it to ‘kill weeds’ as it will also kill beneficial insects).
Never mix vinegar (or lemon juice) with bleach, and avoid use on natural stone (granite), waxed wood or unsealed grout. Ventilation rooms and wear gloves.
Prompt Rubbish Removal
Overflowing rubbish bins quickly become smelly. Empty kitchen and bathroom bins each day rather than waiting for them to fill. Clean the insides with soapy water or cleaning vinegar regularly. Take out any food waste as soon as you can, especially in the summer.
Aromatherapy Oils and Soy Candles?
These can offer nice scents, but won’t really get rid of smells. And should not be used near babies or pets, or for pregnancy/nursing anyway. Read our posts on sustainable aromatherapy and clean safer candles.
A Book to Detox Your Home Air
Home Detox is a book by a toxicologist on how to remove potential toxins from your home, including toxic air fresheners.
The book covers everything from mattresses to furniture, to remove the ‘toxic ten’ that may lead to headaches, asthma, high cholesterol, skin and sleep problems, replacing with effective homemade alternative.
