This is the first in a series of articles from the Eco Church Team at St Columba’s, which are also published in our church magazine.
Air fresheners
Did you know that manufacturers don’t need to list all the chemicals in these products and a lot of these products can contain formaldehyde, phthalates and artificial fragrances? Rather than improve the air and our homes, these VOCs, Volatile Organic Compounds, are in many household products including air fresheners. I personally particularly detest plug-in air fresheners which expose us to a continuous release of chemicals. The best way to get rid of a bad smell is to open a window and clean the source of it.
For a natural, non-aerosol and highly aromatic natural air freshener without chemicals, try adding essential oils to your home cleaning and deodorising routines. Essential oils are found in herbs, plants, flowers, fruits, and the bark and roots and resins of some trees and have been used for thousands of years.
Ten drops of an essential oil to half a litre/one pint of water in a pump action, spray bottle (the kind you use for watering house plants). Then shaking the mix well before pumping out four or five sprays in to the air to deodorise, will freshen and scent a room and help you feel relaxed too.
Best oils for freshening
- Lavender (to kill airborne germs in the house)
- Lemon (good to use in bathroom and toilet areas)
- Peppermint (good to use to neutralise stale odours and fly’s don’t like it either)
Best essential oil combinations
- 3 drops each of pine, rosemary and 4 drops of lavender (disinfectant for bathrooms, rubbish bins, damp and mould-prone areas)
- 5 drops each of Lemon and Lime (deodorises wardrobes, cupboards, bathrooms, cooking smells).
Like all things essential oils can also cause skin irritation and need to be used and stored carefully and responsibly.
Information sourced from –
- Practical Aromatherapy by Penny Rich
- Naturally, How to Look and Feel Healthy, Energetic and Radiant The Organic Way – Jo Wood.
- https://www.wen.org.uk/events/resources/