Make Your Own Air Freshener Spray

I love scents and (good) smells. There was a time when I burned candles daily, thinking I was clearing the air of the nasties.

What I didn't realize was that it was all of those artificial fragrances that were the main cause of my horrible migraines. I found this out when I eliminated commercial cleaners and air freshening sprays and candles in my house because of my son's asthma. I no longer had the near daily headaches. I now shun the very thing that I loved so much -- my candles and my air freshener sprays. I needed to find an alternative though, because I still really enjoy a clean, fresh smell in my house.

Face it, with four teens and two dogs, there is always some sort of foul smell that needs to be combated. I turned to essential oils. I found that these potent oils not only smell pleasant, they also have aroma-therapeutic properties to them.

I got excited about all of the uses these tiny brown bottles held. Depressed? Try some lavender oil. It is also good for antimicrobial use when applied topically. Got a headache? Peppermint oil is your best defense. You will find that it also calms an upset stomach, as well as a host of other ailments.

I could literally go on and on listing assorted oils and their marvelous attributes, but I won't bore you with that today. Today, I just want to share, with you, the lovely air freshener I made yesterday.

These can either be mixed together in a spray bottle, as I have done today, with distilled water (shake before each use) or used in a diffuser.

For this scent (which is uplifting, balancing and also antimicrobial), you will need:  A clean, empty mister bottle, Peppermint Extract and Peppermint Essential oil, Lavender Essential Oil, Clary Sage Essential Oil, and Lemon Essential Oil.

• First, fill your mister bottle about 1/3 - 1/2 full with distilled water (if you have a big bottle like I do).  These fresheners are best made in small batches so they don't lose their aromatherapy properties, or their scent.
• Second, pour in the peppermint extract.  I use the extract for 2 reasons.  Because it is made with food grade alcohol, it acts as a stabilizer, so your oil and water don't separate as much and, also, the alcohol works as a preservative, making sure to get the good stuff out of the spray for as long as possible.
• Third, add your essential oils.  In this mixture I used approximately 20 drops Peppermint oil, 30 drops Lavender oil, 10 drops Clary Sage, 25 drops Lemon oil.  This gives it a nice robust scent.  Experiment with your preference between subtle and robust.

And that's all there is to it.  Like I said, just make sure you shake it well before each use. You can use it in the air, on fabric furniture, carpets, wherever you would normally spray Fabreeze® or any commercial air freshener.

Play around with different oils until you find your own signature scent. It really is tons of fun..

These are a few of my favorite combinations.

Fresh Scent
clary sage, lemon, orange, rosemary and ylang ylang

Balancing Scent
lavender and peppermint

Autumn Spice Scent
orange, cinnamon, clove and ginger

Holiday Scent
fir, lemon, rosemary, cedarwood and eucalyptus