How to make a home air freshener?

Beautiful smell and toxic cloud

Shops encourage us to buy various air fresheners, beautifully packed and tempting with unique scents. The fragrant mist surrounding our home is so attractive that we do not think about its impact on our health.

Pleasant carelessness is aggravated by the fact that the packaging often does not contain a description of the composition of these preparations, and it can restore dizziness. Among the most common substances in air fresheners is, among others:

- limonene (limonene) - allergen,

- acetaldehyde - has a destructive effect on the liver,

- acetone - irritates the respiratory tract and skin. Acetone has a disastrous effect on the nervous system, kidneys and liver,

- chloromethane - a toxic gas with intoxicating and stupefying effects, is suspected of harmful effects on the human fetus,

- 1,4-Dioxane - a solvent, toxic to the liver and kidneys, may contribute to the development of cancer,

- 1.4 dichlorobenzene - a substance harmful to kidneys and lungs, irritating the respiratory tract, may lead to cancer,

- phthalates - toxic compounds, disturb the hormonal balance, adversely affect human fertility, may lead to the formation of cancer,

- toluene, formaldehyde, benzene - harmful substances, disturb the proper functioning of the human nervous system, are potentially carcinogenic. Benzene is suspected of causing leukaemia, while formaldehyde is suspected of upper respiratory tract tumours.

Before we reach for another air freshener from the store shelf, remember that the lack of composition on the packaging does not mean that the product is safe for our health.

Producers must indicate the composition of the product to be consumed. In the case of air fresheners, there is complete freedom to mark the substances contained in the goods. Is that right? Certainly not. After all, a cloud containing toxic compounds is inhaled, so it is absorbed by the body in the same way as food products.

Air freshener of our own production

We can make the smell at home more attractive by preparing an air freshener by hand. In order to do this, we will need purified soda. Its main advantage is that it perfectly absorbs unwanted odours.

We can use it in the fight against unpleasant smell in the fridge, washing machine or cabinet, where we store shoes.

What else but soda? Soda will absorb unwanted smells, while your favorite essential oils can be used to make your home atmosphere more pleasant. Place the ingredients in a container, it can be a metal can, cream jar, various glass bottles, etc. In addition, we will need a piece of loosely woven fabric or decorative paper, which we puncture with a pin so that the smell can easily penetrate the outside of the package. Decorative ribbons or decorative strings are also useful to hold the lid on the package.

Choose a container

All small capacity packaging will be suitable for the container. They may have an ornamental shape, but this is not necessary. Among the useful objects we can mention cream jars, chocolate cans, salt shaker, decorative ceramics, etc.

How to make an air freshener

First of all, we have to create our own fragrance composition. For this purpose, add a few drops of essential oil to the baking soda. It is worth differentiating smells. Fresh smells, such as lemon, will be more suitable for the fridge. Lavender oil can be used in the bedroom. In other rooms pine, rose, bergamot, etc. oils can be used.

With a mixture of soda and oil we fill the containers prepared earlier, which we cover with fabric or decorative paper. The lid is fixed with a decorative tape or string.

We can place our own air freshener in wardrobes, fridge, bathroom or car. If you want to use the air freshener in your car, let's remember to get to know the action of the selected essential oil. It can affect the condition of the driver (among the oils that are not recommended for this purpose, the calming and soporific lavender oil can be replaced).

From time to time we supplement the air freshener with further drops of oil. Every few months it is worth mentioning the entire contents of the package. After such a time, the soda becomes clumped, does not absorb odours, and at the same time takes on an unsightly, yellowish color.