5 natural homemade air fresheners to make your home smell heavenly

How to add fragrance at home: Besides scented kitchen herbs, popular houseplants like peace lilies, vining jasmine, gardenia, orange jasmine, plumeria, among others enhance fragrance (Image: Canva)

Unlike commercial air fresheners, which contain chemicals, natural air fresheners are becoming popular for being safer alternatives that are also easy to make at home with commonly available ingredients. They do the job of making the house smell fresh and feel beautiful.

Here are some simple ideas and recipes to make them at home.

1. Essential Oil Sprays: Commonly available essential oils are one of the surest ways to make your house smell heavenly. They are not just fragrant but also have antibacterial and antifungal properties that help purify the air. Make a spray by mixing any essential oil of your choice with water. You can also combine your favourite oils and spritz wherever you like.

Also read | 9 fragrances that will keep your home smelling good always

Some of the most popular essential oils for natural home air fresheners include lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, lemon, orange, rose, and jasmine, among others.

2. Dried Herbal Potpourri: Potpourri helps beautify a space while keeping it fragrant. The process of making this natural home freshener begins with choosing flowers and herbs and drying them using an air-drier or oven-drier.

Add essential oils for fragrance, a fixative such as orris root powder to preserve the scent, and decorative ingredients like cinnamon sticks, petals, etc to make it visually appealing to the guests. Lastly, place in a fancy bowl on tables and consoles.

3. Houseplants: Nothing compares to having indoor houseplants that serve more than one purpose. They add greenery and bring life to the corners of a room. Besides scented kitchen herbs, there are also popular houseplants that enhance fragrance. These include peace lilies, vining jasmine, gardenia, orange jasmine, plumeria, among others. A mix of these plants ensures a great-smelling home along with better air quality.

Also read | Best home fragrances: Expert tips to keep your home smelling divine 

4. Vinegar Spray: While vinegar may not seem like an air freshener, it does make a difference by neutralising unpleasant smells and disinfecting the air naturally. Make use of an empty spray bottle and fill it with a mix of vinegar and water.

Add lemon oil for fragrance and spritz it into the air. Alternatively, place a bowl of vinegar in the kitchen to get rid of strong cooking odours.

5. Simmering Citrus Pots: Citrus smells are ideal to counter odours, and a simmering pot with a cut-up orange or lemon, rosemary, and cinnamon sticks will do the job perfectly. To make this, boil water in a saucepan, add the ingredients, and let it boil for a few minutes.

Next, reduce the heat and allow the brew to simmer. This will release essential oils from the citrus, which will naturally spread fragrance and disinfect the air.