It happens to the best of us: our homes get that not-so-fresh scent. And when we walk in the door and catch a big breath of stale, the first thing we’ve all been instructed to do is to reach for an air freshener.
This baffles me. Conventional air fresheners often contain unsavory ingredients such as dichlorobenzene and naphthalene (a carcinogen used in pesticides). Pre-packaged chemicals and artificial fragrances are the very antithesis of fresh, healthy air!
There are plenty of simple ways to freshen your home without resorting to artificial, chemical-laden sprays:
1. Whenever possible, open the windows for a breath of fresh air.
2. Fill small spray bottles with water and essential oils.
3. Burn incense. Try stick-free incense so you won’t have any extra smoke from burning that little piece of wood. If incense irritates you, check out the post by Elaine guiding you to incense for sensitive lungs.
4. Use an essential oil diffuser.
5. Separate plastic trash from veggie scraps. The worst odor offenders are often the food scraps decaying in a big bag full of plastic. If you separate organic matter into a compost bin and keep your trash bin clear of food, you’ll eliminate a lot of odor.
– via Planet Green
Image: Boby Dimitrov