Healthy Ways to Scent Your Home Naturally (plus recipes!)

Today I’m sharing healthy ways to scent your home naturally! Why use artificial fragrances when there are so many beautiful fragrances available in nature?!

Let’s talk aroma, air fresheners, scents, and making our homes smells good. We all love when our homes smell great, right?! And wow, there is no end to the number of scented products out there that can do just that. But I want to talk about scenting your home naturally.
A more healthy way.

BUT FIRST… check your emails!! I have emailed the 5 winners of my most recent giveaway…it could be YOU! 🙂

Healthy Ways To Scent Your Home Naturally

It goes without saying that keeping a clean home helps, and is necessary, of course, but adding in a little fragrance is just fun.
Right?
Natural scents and oils have health benefits and can be antimicrobial and antibacterial too. Win-win.

Sadly, most of the “fragrances” you find out there are artificial and full of chemicals. Yuck.
I think they are getting better but they can only do so much.
And because of my health history, it’s something else I try to limit my exposure to (and my family’s exposure to).

Nature creates the most beautiful smelling scents anyway!

And who doesn’t want to scent their home naturally?
I’m here to tell you, once you stop using the “fake” stuff, you will not want to ever go back.
The fake stuff will smell too strong, too chemical-ly, and just not natural.

Don’t get me wrong, the natural stuff can be strong too.
But strong in a completely different way.

So, today I’m sharing some different ways you can scent your home naturally.
I love essential oils and have been using them for 23+ years now.
I can’t wait to share a few of my favorite recipe blends and uses with you!

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M a k e   Y o u r  O w n   P o t p o u r r i

• Simmer fresh sliced oranges or lemons (or the peels) with cinnamon and cloves in water.
  Perfect for a quick lift or after cooking.
• Mint is fun too! You can buy mint plants and use the leaves in the same way.
• Make your own potpourri with dried fruits, cinnamon sticks, cloves, etc. (you can simmer this too)
• Use the dried potpourri in and around your home in decorative dishes.
  Freshen the scent from time to time with essential oils.

C a r p e t   D e o d o r i z e r

• Mix 1 cup (or more, as needed) of baking soda in a bowl and add 20-30 drops of the pure, undiluted essential oil of your choice.
• Store it in a sifter shaker bottle or just shake it out by hand onto the carpet. (Note: Can be clumpy without the sifter, also, it would be better to use glass as the essential oils can damage plastic and/or pick up some of the chemicals in it)
• Let sit for at least 30 minutes (or longer) and then vacuum the rug/carpet.**I use this all the time. One of my very favorite ways to make my house smell good. AND it deodorizes and kills germs too. Bonus!

N a t u r a l   R o o m   S p r a y

• Mix 4 oz of distilled water with the 60-80 drops of essential oils, shake before use… or…
• You can also use 2 oz of high-proof alcohol (vodka or perfumer’s alcohol) with 2 oz of distilled water.
  Be sure to mix the essential oils with the alcohol before adding the water.
  Shake before use.
• Use spray bottles like these to store the spray.
• Label them with these cute chalkboard labels. (my favorite recipes are below)
• This can be used to refreshen the air or on linens, curtains, pillows, etc. (test on linens as some essential oils can stain)
• Good for freshening the carpet in autos too.

C l e a n i n g   &   D u s t i n g

• I use the Swiffer Sweepers (the dry ones) to catch dog hair, dust and dirt tracked in.
  They are quick and easy and great for hardwood or tile floors, which my entire downstairs is comprised of.
  I will usually spritz the sheet with my “natural room spray” above before attaching it to the sweeper.
  This gives the entire space a gentle hint of scent! (and remember, many essential oils are antimicrobial and antibacterial so you get that benefit as well!)
• Another Swiffer product I like to use is the Swiffer Dusters.
  I will do the same exact thing, spritz, and dust. This is such a nice way to scent your home naturally!
• And lastly, I have retro’d this Swiffer Mop to use water and essential oils instead of their cleaner.

A i r   V e n t   S c e n t

• I will sometimes use drops of essential oil on a piece of paper and attach it to the inside of my floor vents.
  (I usually use heavier-weight paper (these work well) and punch a hole in it, then tie a string through and around the underside of the vent.)
  Be sure you make it secure so it doesn’t slip down the vent hole!
  When the heat/air blows through it, the scent will gently blow through the air as well.
• Spritz your air filters with your essential oil sprays. As the air pulls through it will scent your home. (and again, help kill germs)
• Place one of the papers linked above, scented with essential oils, under the seat in your car, in a drawer, etc.

And now my favorite way to scent my home naturally…

D i f f u s e r

• This diffuser is a favorite. I recently came across this other style diffuser and it is functional and beautiful.
  One uses water to disperse the scent into the air and the other does not. I have several of both types.
  I love them!
  Diffusers disperse scent better than anything I’ve ever used.
  I also love the function of “set it and forget it”. They turn off automatically once empty!
• Just add water (if using a regular diffuser, if using a nebulizing diffuser, just add essential oils), essential oils, and viola….beautiful, natural, oh-so-good smelling, healthy scented air.

Now let’s talk recipes. The sky is the limit!
You can mix and match and make so many wonderful smells. I will tell you that, for example, if you put a different scent of artificially fragranced candles in every room of your house at the same time, it will not smell nice. It will smell odd. The blend of all the different fragrances does not smell good. BUT with scents from nature, in the same situation, will smell amazing. No matter what you have mixed. Obviously, some mixtures smell better than others but without that chemical, artificial component, you will have something beautiful instead of a chemical mish/mash. I hope that makes sense. (scents…hee hee)

R e c i p e s (these are all “one part” or “one drop”, multiply accordingly for the recipes above)

• 8 – Orange
  5 – Lemon
  1 – Black Pepper

• 8 – Peppermint
  3 – Lavender

• 8 – Peppermint
  4 – Lemon

• 6 – Lavender
  4 – Lemon
  2 – Geranium

• 2 – Cinnamon
  1 – Clove
  2 – Fir Needle
  4 – Orange

• 2 – Lavender
  4 – Lemon

• 6 – Orange
  1 – Cinnamon
  1 – Clove

• 4 – Lemon
  1 – Frankincense
  1 – Black Pepper

• 8 – Lemon
  2 – Frankincense
  2 – Black Pepper
  1 – Vetiver

And now a recipe to make your own Vanilla “Essential” Oil and Extract (there’s not a ‘true’ essential oil for Vanilla)

Extract: ( I use this one in the diffuser without any issues)

• Place 8 vanilla beans (cut opened) into dark amber bottles and pour high alcohol content vodka (high proof) to fill.
  Let it sit for about 2 months, or longer. Be sure to shake at least weekly.

Vanilla Oil: (for personal use, lotions or in potpourri, etc)

• Place 4 vanilla beans (cut open) in a bottle and fill with Jojoba oil. Let sit for 3-4 months/shake weekly.

***You can use Madagascar or Tahitian Vanilla Beans. (I love and use both! I can almost promise you’ve never smelled anything so wonderful! It is truly divine. )

A note about essential oils:

• Try to buy and use 100% pure, undiluted (and organic, if possible) therapeutic essential oils.
• Keep in mind that essential oils will not smell the same or exactly the same every time.
  They come from different sources, different times of the year, different regions, etc.
• There are varying versions of many, such as Lavender, I use “Fine French” because I love the scent best (it’s a bit pricier).
  The cheaper, 40/42 Lavender is a bit more medicinal smelling.
• There are also varying versions of Geranium. I use and like the Geranium Bourbon. (Note: again, they may smell slightly different from each supplier)
• You can use Litsea Cubeba in place of Lemon. It has a wonderful citrus smell and is a bit stronger than regular Lemon which can be faint and short-lived.
• You can also use Lemongrass in place of Lemon but I don’t like it as well. It’s a bit more grassy, pungent, and overpowering to me.
• Just because something is “natural” doesn’t mean it’s totally safe. What I mean is this, you still need to use caution with the oils.
  They can discolor finished wood if spilled, ruin the finish, irritate the skin, etc. It’s a good idea to use gloves when mixing and making your items.
  Just use common sense as you would with anything. (remember, these are super highly concentrated oils from natural sources….consider the “water is super healthy (and needed!) but even drinking too much water is dangerous” analogy!)
• And with that…PETS….again, just because it is “natural” doesn’t mean all are safe for pets (dogs, cats, birds, etc) so be sure to keep that in mind when using essential oils. You can do a search on Google and find out what is and what isn’t safe for each accordingly. As usual, just be mindful, as with anything in life.
• Relax, enjoy and have fun mixing and using nature’s wonder!

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PIN it to save it!

I’m planning to share my “whipped shea butter” recipe with y’all soon too. (UPDATE: it’s linked below)

It’s decadent. Really.
I think you’ll love it.

Below are some of my other natural, healthy posts…..

Natural Homemade Soap
Natural Homemade Deodorant
Natural Sugar Scrubs
Natural Salt Scrubs
Easy Whipped Body Butter
Green Smoothies (I’ve got some good health info in this post)

Now go and scent your home, naturally.

Have a beautiful and blessed day, friends!

xoxo

Note: I am not a health professional or medical doctor. The information and directions given on this site to scent your home naturally are of my own opinions and my own experiences with such and are not meant to take the place of medical or professional advice. You may choose to try any or all recipes, etc,  I post at your own discretion.