Image Source: Pairfum

Your olfactory sense brings richness into your lives – the feelings that your sense evokes when you enter the kitchen, the smell of the linen which has just come in from the sun or the whiff of fragrance from a freshly blossoming flower. It also warns you of potential dangers – spoiled food in the kitchen, rotting garbage in the bin or bad odor from the bathroom.

To combat these bad odors or to strengthen the fresh fragrances, plug-ins, sprays, scented candles and stick-on are used in spite of the fact that they contain toxins which might create allergic reactions and health hazards for those present.

But why rely on these harmful products? You can easily switch over to natural means and products available at home and around you, which are safe for the environment and also inexpensive, to create your own fragrance.

• Fresh Air: The best and the most natural way to get rid of odors is to open your doors and windows daily and just let the fresh air into your house.

• Lemon: Cut a lemon in two halves and place them in inconspicuous places in your house. This will impart a natural fragrance to the room.
• Baking Soda:
• To neutralize bad odors in your refrigerator, keep an open box of baking soda. You can also sprinkle baking soda into your garbage bin or trash bag to keep out odors.
• Baking soda can also be mixed with water to remove odors and clean the fridge. Use this mixture to scrub the tub, tiles, toilet bowls and drains. A strong vinegar solution – also a strong disinfectant, can be used for scrubbing.

• Vinegar:
• To remove bad smells from your microwave, boil one-part vinegar with two parts water in a microwave container. The smell of vinegar itself will dissipate soon.
• You can also use this method to remove the smell of burnt food and other odors from your kitchen. Just allow a mixture of one-fourth cup vinegar with one cup water to simmer on the stove in the kitchen for 30 minutes.
• Coffee Grounds: Use fresh or even leftover coffee grounds in your car or the trunk to sweeten the air. Put the grounds in a plastic container, cover it and punch holes in the lid and leave it in your car or trunk. These can also be used to overcome odors in the microwave, fridge or cupboard.

• Scented Candles: Using scented candles is a great way to fill up your surrounding with sweet aroma. If you are using scented candles for fragrance, pick up candles that have been made with pure beeswax and have essential oils.
• Essential Oils: Use essential oils with water to make natural air fresheners and eliminate odors. Some essential oils which you can use include orange, vanilla, peppermint, lavender and lemon myrtle.
• In a spray bottle fill water, add a few drops of essential oil of your choice, replace the top and shake it. Now spray this mixture into the air to get rid of odors.
• Take a few drops of any essential oil in a diffuser or vaporizer. Heat it and the vapors will scent the air and remove any foul smells.

• Potpourri: Create your own potpourri at home; mix leaves from dried herbs or flower petals with cinnamon. Put the mixture in a bowl stirring it gently at regular intervals to disseminate the sweet fragrance around. Add few drops of essential oil to the bowl to restore its aroma.

So, use natural resources present around you to eliminate unwanted odors from your house. For more information on how to tackle unpleasant odors, click here.