Make your own natural air freshener spray with simple, non-toxic ingredients. A much safer alternative to the harmful chemicals found in regular air fresheners!
Fresh Linen. Country Apple. Cinnamon Delight.
Sound familiar? These are, of course, a few of the names for the so called “refreshing” and “aromatic” scents that greet your senses as you make your way down the air freshener aisle at the store.
And depending on your sensitivities, you’re either strolling along slowly, taking in all the wonderful scents, and deciding which new scent will soon grace the air in your beautiful home.
…or you’re sprinting down the aisle at lightning speed, because all you need is a pack of toilet paper…which happens to be right across from the air freshener section…which you try to avoid like the plague, because “OMG, why are these smells so darn strong and overpowering?!?”
Once upon a time, I was in the first group. But over time, I’ve unintentionally (though very graciously) made my way over to the second group. And if you’re reading a post like this on a blog such as this one, my guess is you’ll be joining me in that second group very soon – that’s if you’re not already there. 😉
Because once I learned about the harmful effects of these artificial fragrances and air fresheners – about what they’re doing to our bodies and the precious air we breathe – I ditched them for good.
But there was one problem: I actually liked having a pleasant, comforting scent in my home. I just didn’t want those toxic chemicals floating around in the air we breathed – especially my young children.
For a while, I thought I was just stuck with a plain, boring, unexciting smell in the house (or the smell of the last meal I cooked!). I tried to accept the idea that a non-toxic home was a completely scent-free home (and for some, it has to be), but I just couldn’t do it. I knew there had to be a way. And so began my search for a natural air freshener spray.
Thankfully, there are ways to naturally, safely, and effectively freshen the air in our homes without resorting to allergy-inducing or cancer-causing chemicals.
How to Make a Natural Air Freshener Spray
DIY Air Freshener Spray
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon witch hazel (or isopropyl alcohol)
- 30 drops essential oil
- 1/2 cup distilled water a little less than 1/2 cup; (distilled is best, but filtered tap water is fine for short term storage)
- 1 4oz fine-mist spray bottle
Instructions
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Add witch hazel or rubbing alcohol to the spray bottle.
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Add your essential oils of choice.
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Swirl the bottle about 10 times to combine oils with witch hazel.
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Top off with water, leaving a little room at the top for shaking.
To use
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Shake well, and spray into the air.
Recipe Notes
Distilled water is purified of all impurities, so it will last longer. You can also use filtered tap water, but if it starts to smell "off" then just toss it and make a new batch.
Do not spray directly on fabrics. Use caution around children, pets, and pregnant women.
Use this natural air freshener spray like you would with any store bought spray – just a few sprays into the air. I like to keep a bottle in each bathroom, and then another in the living room/entryway for a quick freshening up when needed.
The witch hazel or alcohol serves two purposes: it helps mix the essential oils into the solution (because oil and water don’t mix), and it disperses the mixture into the air and helps it evaporate more quickly.
My two favorite scents that work pretty much anywhere are orange (sweet, energizing, uplifting) and lavender (floral, calming, relaxing). Use them separately or together, or in combination with other oils like vanilla, peppermint, rosemary, clove, etc.
A few precautions
- Do not spray this directly on fabrics, as the oils may leave spots on your clothes or furniture.
- As with all products containing essential oils, use caution around children, pets, and pregnant women.
Where can you buy essential oils?
If you’re new to essential oils, a good brand to start with is NOW Foods. Most health food stores carry NOW oils, but I usually get them at Amazon.com. I also love Plant Therapy oils, which you can buy from Amazon.com or their website.
Can you make this without the essential oils?
YES! You can actually skip the witch hazel and the essential oils, and just use some pure extracts like vanilla, orange, or lemon – as long as they’ve been extracted with an alcohol (as opposed to a non-alcoholic extract which uses glycerin). Make sure you’re using an organic extract like this one from Simply Organic, which has no additives – just vanilla and alcohol.
A good base recipe for this is 4oz (distilled) water + 2 tablespoons vanilla extract.
Good news – we CAN have a naturally-scented home without exposing ourselves to the harsh chemicals in conventional air fresheners.
And as for that sprint down the aisle to grab the toilet paper before the fragrances attack our senses…let’s just file that under our weekly workout routine. 😉
Sarah UmmYusuf
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hello! wonderful recipe and I want to make the spray without using essential oils by just using the pure vanilla extract. If I do the vanilla extract, do i have to add anything else? Or do I just put the vanilla extract in the spray bottle? Also, can you put a link for the spray bottle for this air freshener? I love the one you have in the picture! THANK YOU
Hey Cynthia, sorry it wasn’t clear at all in the post, so I’m updating it. But you would actually use some water ( distilled is best for long storage, or just filtered water is fine in the mean time). About 4 oz water + 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract. And then shake well before using. Oh and the spray bottle is from here.
Lots of interested info here Sarah! Thank u for sharing! (: Ann
You’re very welcome, Ann! Glad you found it helpful. 🙂
I would like to use my fresh lavender flowers that I grow in my garden for air freshener. Any suggestions?
Hey Mary, there are a couple good ideas here in this post for using fresh flowers. Hope that helps!
Is it okay if we are using this air freshener for daily purpose?
Because, by spraying this our home will get freshened up with a pleasant fragrance.
Yep, nothing wrong with that. 🙂
Can I use coconut oil for the ingredient? That’s the only essential oil available at my place. I want to make it for my parents
No, coconut oil is not an essential oil. Essential oils are distilled from plants, so they’re very fragrant, concentrated, and contain the natural therapeutic properties of the plant.
Thank you so much for this. When making your air freshener does it need to be in a dark glass bottle or is dark plastic ok?
Dark plastic is ok. I like to use PET plastic because it’s safer and doesn’t affect the oils.