Recipes for Homemade Air Fresheners

Plants are nature's own air purifiers! And keepinglive plants in you home helps keep the air clean.

Not only do plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, they can actually take other toxic chemicals out of the air, leaving it cleaner than before. They also don't require electricity or filter changes like some air purifiers that we could mention. Plants generally cost a lot less too! Not to mention that live plants are a beautiful addition to a home as oppesed to that ugly grey box that you have to hide in a corner.

Not sure which plants are best at removing certain chemicals. Need to know how to care for those pants and what conditions they thrive in. How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 House Plants that Purify Your Home or Office by B. C. Wolverton is a great book that will answer these questions and more and get you on your way to growing your own fresh air.

Candles have been extremely popular for quite a few years for scenting the air and setting the mood. However, what most candle manufacturers don't tell you is that the are just another source of some pretty foul chemicals.

Paraffin candles (the majority of most candles made) are made from by-products of crude oil production. The residual sludge is processed and bleached with a host of chemicals, including benzene. The resulting wax tends to burn quickly with a lot of soot by products. Putting these things into the air you're breathing. And if the candles are scented then even more chemicals are being put into the air.

Beeswax candles on the other had are made from a natural wax source with no added chemicals. And beeswax has a high meting point, which means they don't smoke and soot. And they burn slowly. To top it off beeswax candles don't drip.

Light some of these natural candles and you will fill your house with the warm, sweet scent of honey.

And if that thought isn't tempting enough, there is some research that shows that burning 100% beeswax candles actually cleans the air. According to Care2.com the burning of beeswax actually produces negative ions. These are charged particles that attract positive ions. (The dirt and dust, etc.)

Another source says that burning beeswax candles has been shown to help relieve symptoms in allergy and asthma suffers.

Regardless, burning 100% beeswax candles is a great way to naturally scent your home. I highly recommend trying some.

Ornamental candle holders are a great way to dress up what some may consider plain beeswax candles. You can get candle holders made of metal, wood, glass, stone, crystal and specially formed resin. And in any choice of decor that you want.

Tea-lights, votives, pillar or candle sticks, you can find a beautiful holder for any shape of candle too.

The sky is the limit. Arrange those candles any way you want!

Essential oils are an excellent way to scent your home. They are the liquid that is distilled from various plant parts. As such true essential oils are ll natural and contain the scent (and sometimes healing properties) from that particular plant.
oils, on the other hand, and created in a factory from synthetic chemicals.

Essential oils are very concentrated so they should be used with a bit of caution. But that shouldn't scare you away.

Pick a scent that you like and put a few drops on a cotton ball and place in a inconspicuous place. Very simple and smells great!

Add a a dozen or so drops to a spay bottle filled with the one part water, one part vinegar mixture we talked about earlier. fragrance and scent eliminator in one bottle!

Essential oils can also be added to baking soda before sprinkling it on the carpet. The neat part about this is that every time you vacuum after that (until you empty the bag anyway) you will "re-scent " your home. I like to use peppermint essential oil when doing this. It make my home smell like a candy cane!

A small bottle will last you a long time and can be used for more than just scenting the air. Essential oils can be used to turbo charge homemade cleaning solutions, for therapeutic benefits and for homemade perfume.

There is no hard and fast recipe that you have to use with essential oils. You can mix and match to your hearts content. Take scents that you like and mix a few drops together. Either you like the results or you don't. I recommend keeping a notebook of attempts so that you can remember what works and what doesn't.

Of course, there are some very popular mixes and you can get these premixed for you. Quick and easy!

Oil diffusers have been used for centuries. They work by adding a few drops of essential oil to some water and then warming the water to diffuse it into the air. More modern ones actually atomize the essential oils into a micro-fine vapor.

Simple or fancy, oil diffusers are a simple way to scent your home. Or you can use them to take advantage of the therapeutic aspects of essential oils.

Aromatherapy can be a very complex topic. If you want to learn more on the topic here are a few excellent books on the topic.