Saving Mommy Money

I have always been turned off by the commercial brands of air fresheners. They are so overwhelming and smell so artificial; I think I would almost rather smell the unpleasant smell that I started with. Here are some recipes and tips on making your home smell good the old fashioned way, the frugal way:

Air Fresheners

Most commercial air fresheners do not freshen the air
at all. Instead, they mask one odor with another, coat
your nasal passages with an undetectable oil film, or
diminish your sense of smell with a nerve-deadening agent.
For a safer alternative, you may wish to try one of the
following.

Ventilation. Open windows or doors in the house for
at least a short period every day. This will also help to
reduce toxic fumes that may be building up indoors.

Vinegar. Distribute partially filled saucers of
vinegar around the room or boil 1 tablespoon of white
vinegar in 1 cup of water to eliminate unpleasant cooking
odors.

Cinnamon and Cloves. Boil these spices for a fragrant
smell. For ease of cleaning, make a cheesecloth bag to
contain these spices, and boil the cheesecloth bag. An
excellent alternative when entertaining is to steep
spiced tea or cider.

Potpourri. Buy or make your own potpourri from your
favorite herbs and spices. Place the potpourri in a small
basket or jar or in small sachet bags.

Kitchen And Food Odors

Vanilla*. Place pure vanilla on a cotton ball in a
small saucer. Place the saucer in the car or refrigerator
to remove odors. It is reported to remove even skunk
odors. Keep the cottonball out of reach of children;
vanilla has a high alcohol content.

Baking Soda. Place a partially filled saucer of
baking soda on the refrigerator shelf. Replace every two
months and when you do, pour the contents of the used box
down the drain to remove odors and keep the drain clean.
Baking soda can also be used to deodorize bottles by
filling them with undiluted baking soda and allowing the
bottles to soak overnight. Then wash as usual.

Borax*. Empty the garbage frequently and clean the
can as needed. To inhibit growth of odor-producing molds
and bacteria, sprinkle 1/2 cup Borax in the bottom of the
garbage can.

Vinegar or Celery Stalk. To avoid or remove onion
odors from your hands, rub white vinegar on your hands
before and after slicing. Rubbing hands with the end of a
celery stalk will also remove the odor.- Michigan State University

Related articles by Zemanta

• Try This! DIY Air Freshener in the Crockpot (thekitchn.com)
• Household Uses For Vinegar, The Ultimate Frugal Solution (frugaldad.com)
• How to: Clean Cheaply Melbourne (apartmenttherapy.com)

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