Since moving to green cleaning, I haven’t purchased any commercial cleaning products other than dishwasher detergent. I did have a few items left to use up, including air freshener (which I have to say really does come in handy). When the Febreze ran out, I refused to buy more but was at a loss as to what to use in it’s place. It really wasn’t that big of a deal until I made some curry chicken for dinner and the smell lingered into the next day. As much as I love good food and the smells that go along with, I just didn’t want my whole home to smell like curry chicken forever.
I opened the windows to air out the house and that helped but not completely. As I went along my merry way cleaning house and such, I decided to go through my vanity and get rid of some old Bath & Body Works body splashes that I haven’t worn in a looooong time. The scents that I once loved were now so irritating when I sprayed them on myself. But I still wanted the spray bottles. Soooo, I decided to try out what was left of the body sprays as air/fabric fresheners – IT WORKED OUT FAB!
The scents were not as overpowering when used in a larger area than my little body, and the smell seemed to dissipate after a while leaving only freshness behind. Can you believe that?! Best thing is, I got to keep those spray bottles to use for a simple homemade air freshener – vinegar, water, and EO. Theses bottles work great for this purpose because they spray a fine mist all the time (as opposed to a spray bottle with an adjustable nozzle).
So I know what you’re thinking…. how did I know to use vinegar, water, and EO for “air freshener”? When I clean using my all purpose cleaner, the entire house smells so very fresh and clean – not scented, just fresh and clean. AND since I use vinegar as fabric softener, I decided to experiment with just that alone; the alcohol (or a combination) probably would do just as well, but I didn’t even get that far… yet.
So no more Febreze for me (or Lysol, or anything remotely like that)! This works for my home and my wallet – score 2 more for The (frugal) Green Life!
