Natural Scents For Your Home

Housekeeping is not just about organizing and tidying stuff up. A house might look clean but not necessarily feel like it. If it looks clean, it should also smell like it.

A house that smells great has a more positive aura. Scents in every room of your house can encourage emotions and provoke feelings.

More often than not, scents are utilized to create an atmosphere of focus and calmness. Your home should be your sanctuary after all. So let aromatherapy work for your home to improve your mood and work performance.

Many aromatic products are readily available in the market but bear in mind that some scented liquid plug-ins, air freshener sprays and fascinating candles can be toxic and harmful to our body.

But then, there are plenty of natural herbs, spices, fruits and flowers you can readily use or buy to make your own natural deodorizer.

Here some of them…

1. Oranges, cinnamon and cloves
   

    

   Ingredients:
   fresh oranges, cinnamon sticks or 1-2 tablespoon ground cinnamon and cloves, water (approx 2 cups)

   Directions:
   Stove Top Method
   Combine all ingredients and water in a pot on the stove. Bring to boil, and then lower the heat to simmer. Keep an eye on the water level during boiling. Make sure it will not dry out. The heated mixture will immediately begin to scent your kitchen and spread to other areas of the house. This fragrance can be reheated to give a cozy aroma for several days.

2. Lemon-Rosemary
   
   Ingredients:
   1 lemon sliced, 3 sprigs rosemary, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and water

    

   Directions:
   Simmer Pot Method
   Fill the pot about 2/3 full with water. Add lemon and rosemary then vanilla extract. Let the mixture simmer all day, it will fill the rooms with heavenly scent. Use the mixture for about 2 days only.

3. Oil Scented Wood Blocks

   Ingredients:
   wood blocks, scented oil of choice, and a closed container

   Directions:
   Use small paint brush to cover the wood blocks with oil. Then put them in a closed container with extra oil, shake it making sure all the blocks are covered with oil. Let it stand overnight then it’s ready to use. You can refresh wood blocks over time by adding more oil.

4. Orange Peel Candles

   Ingredients:
   orange (halved and the middle fruit is scraped out but careful not to remove the inside stem), olive oil or any oil of choice

   Directions:
   Once the inside of the orange is cleaned, fill it ¾ of the way full with olive oil. Let the oil sit for 45 minutes in the orange peel for the stem to absorb it. After 45 minutes, try to light the stem, it will take at least 2-3 minutes for the stem to light up. Once lighted, you will enjoy the aroma of an orange.

5. Oil Diffusers

   Ingredients:
   essential oil of choice, baby oil, vase and bamboo skewers

   Directions:
   Fill the vase with essential oil as much as you want. Fill the remainder of the vase with baby oil. Place skewers in the vase. The oil will diffuse into the room up through the skewers.

There are endless combinations of  natural spices, herbs, flowers and oils to produce a desirable aroma. You can experiment and try different blends.