Naturally Freshening and Scenting Your Home

We have a new family member in our home!

My daughter received an absolutely darling kitten for her birthday. He came to live with us a few weeks ago and with his arrival came a heightened sense of my not only keeping our home clean with a pet but also keeping it fresh smelling in the most natural way possible.

In addition to all that this past year I’ve been toying with the idea of cleaning up my act in the cleaning department. I mean ditching the super strong chemicals for less toxic alternatives.

I love a clean fresh smelling home but like a lot of us I’ve been guilty of using cleaners and fresheners containing possibly questionable ingredients. I have a good friend who has been on me to clean up my act so I’m heeding her warnings and going for it.

I’m not claiming to be perfect or all knowledgeable but I want to clean things up around here and share what I learn with you.

(note: I do have reviews on this blog for cleaning and air freshening products I’ve used in my home that may not pass the muster today. I’ll be leaving those reviews up and adding updated notes as I have time. Since I haven’t completely overhauled everything in my own home please use your own discretions as what to use. This is just what is going on in my home. )

The History of Scenting Your Home

Scenting one’s home is not just a new invention of the 20th century.

In the Middle Ages the wealthy would scent their homes in various way such as tossing fresh herbs across the floor, and using herbs to clean surfaces.

Potpourri, used as far back as one can remember, was also popular during the Victorian Era. Mixing dried flowers and herbs with essential oils made a pretty arrangement that also smelled lovely. Read the History of Potpourri.

Here is an article on Elle Decor on the history of home scents.

These days there are many ways you can adjust the aroma level in your home and some of them are very frugal I might add.

The key is choosing the right scent and method for you.

Various Natural Ways to Scent Your Home

You’re in luck (or blessed) that there are numerous natural ways to freshen your home.

• First
• Open the Windows
• Use the Kitchen
• Safety factor
• Choosing Your Favorite scent

First: Don’t try and freshen a messy dirty room. Tidy up that room first. And dust. And vacuum. If you’ve got any dirty soiled linens or things around gather them up to be washed. Need tips for cleaning your home? Start here>>> A Clean Home

Open the Windows: Opening the windows of your home is the easiest and quickest way to freshen your home. As long as buckets of rain aren’t coming in your windows you’re good to go. In the mornings after everyone is awake simply opening the windows is a great way to bring fresh air into the room. 3o minutes of open windows, closed doors will help get out those musty odors. Do this daily if you can.

Use the Kitchen: Have you figured out yet that what you do in the kitchen can freshen or scent your whole house? This can be good and bad. It is especially true if you have an open concept home like we do. Whatever I cook, the smell migrates all through the house. Sometimes this can be annoying and I have to make sure bedroom and office doors are closed. And then sometimes it can be a benefit like when you want to scent the entire house at once. For example simmer lemon peels and herbs on the stove (visit my Pinterest board with natural recipes at the bottom of this post).

Safety Factor: Do you have small children? Or pets? Be thoughtful about what you use to scent your home.  There are great aromatherapy candles made with essential oils (I’ve never used them but here are some on Amazon>>>Essential Oil Candles) but this might not be safe for busy kiddies and busy pets. Candles are lovely but can be a fire hazard.  Remember to never leave a candle unattended.

I enjoy using a diffuser and essential oils. For the past few years I’ve been using Plant Therapy Essential Oils(use this link and get $10 off your purchase). I first discovered them in one of the Ultimate Bundles Healthy Living bundles and did some research them. Including grilling my friend who’s husband is a natural health practitioner.  I like their prices and their quality so they’ve been my go to since them.  and ran them by a friend who husband is a natural health professional. They give them the thumbs up and use them also.  I diffuse from the kitchen and try to be around when I’m using the diffuser (small kitten, naughty kitten).  You can learn more about diffusing safely around children in this post.

Other Natural ways to scent your home

• Bake some bread. Double your effort. Delicious bread and a great smelling home. Check out this whole wheat bread I make all the time.
• Bake some cookies. Also a wonderful way to scent your home. You can freeze your cookies for guests that drop by.
• Fresh eucalyptus leaves in vases around the home. I love the clean natural scent of eucalyptus leaves drying in my home. If you have this plant in your yard pick some stems and hang them to dry around the house.
• Mix 1 part water and 1 part white vinegar in a spray bottle and use to freshen the air (don’t overspray).
• Simply vacuum the carpets with a great smelling deodorizer like this one I concocted a few years ago.

Do you have any other tips for freshening your home?

Don’t forget if you are clueless about using Essential Oils in your home, around your children, and pets pick up the Herbs & Essential Oils Bundle from Ultimate Bundles