Frugal air freshener

[2moretrees]

My house has become quite stuffy this winter. I don't usually use air freshener, but I need to do something. I really don't want to buy the brand named stuff. Does anyone have good suggestions on freshening the air in the room frugally?

[miclason]

heating up some vinegar will get rid of the musty smell, you can then burn some sugar and cinammon and/or old spice...

[mom-from-missouri]

so will burning a candle--i get the cheapies from the dollar store.

[Momtwo]

I wash floors with baking soda and water when I want things fresh smelling. I also use it on the carpets- just sprinkle and vacuum up.

[2moretrees]

Thanks for the tips. Now if my vacuum cleaner was working!!!

[midnight]

You can also spray a bit of your favorite perfume or cologne onto a light bulb (be sure to do this when the light is off and cool!!!!) and it will give off a nice scent when you turn on the light.

[terry1156]

One that we sometimes use is to squeeze a few drops from a fresh lemon, orange or lime into the vacuum bag (the emptier the bag is, the better). Then when you vacuum, the scent will be blown all through the house.

[amomof4]

I buy dial bath soap in the 8 pack. When I buy them, I open all 8 bars & put them on the shelf in the bath room. For about 2 weeks, my bathroom smells like the soap--scent (cents) for free!

[mom-from-missouri]

sometimes i sprinkle baking soda on the rugs before i vacumme them, or run a lemon, lime or orange thru the garbage disposal.

[Armywife]

Add a few drops of vanilla extract and a few cinnamon sticks to boiling water makes the kitchen smell wonderful on those stale winter days

[MargaretKur]

Baking soda is great!

I like to use baking soda on the carpets, too. Here in FL the carpets can get nasty (I have a sensitive nose) when it's been rainy for days at a time. Without A/C it's a bad time to get them shampooed because they'll "never" dry (a bit of exaggeration). Our landlord hasn't replaced our carpeting in the 16 years we've lived here. They're just old and no matter what, they can get a sour smell when it's excessively humid. Baking soda works OK as long as it's left in there for awhile before vacuuming the carpets

For us, the best time to shampoo carpets is late October to mid-November, before Thanksgiving, or in the early spring after the tree pollen is gone (that yellow powder that drops all over everything in sight and makes my face itch if someone just passes by when coming in from outside!).

In the bathroom, we only use a "neutral" scented spray freshener when it's absolutely necessary. The best way I know of to keep the bathroom smelling fresh is to clean it regularly!

OK, call me weird...sometimes I use powdered laundry detergent to clean the toilet! I pour a little in the tank first, then pour some in the bowl. Clean the bowel with the brush as usual, getting under the rim of course. When the toilet is flushed, the dirty water is replaced by more sudsy water which can then sit for awhile. The detergent smells just wonderful and it takes another flush or two for all of it to be gone from the tank. The bathroom smells like you've just done laundry.

Oh, another tip I got from the "Mr. Handyperson" newspaper column: one way to keep your drains smelling fresh is to pour baking soda in them, followed by vinegar. This loosens up "gunk" in the drain and after awhile you can run water down the drain. Smelly drains could be one of the reasons that bathrooms and kitchens have a "mystery" odor.

In the kitchen, washing dishes right away is good. If you're going to cook, fill up your sink with soapy water and put in the pots, pans, bowls, etc. as you go. I wash things at intervals during cooking whenever possible, trying to get as much washed before the meal as I can. Wash your dishes right after the meal is finished, or put them in the dishwasher. Dirty dishes sitting around breed bacteria and create odor. Scrape food residue off the dishes so the food doesn't sit in the drain.

Trash cans/wastebaskets/recycle bins: Rinse food off of items as well as possible before throwing them away, especially if the receptacle is kept in the house. If possible, don't put food scraps into the trash can to sit for days at a time. It's nice if you can compost or dispose of them in a smaller bag. This is one way to lessen insect problems, too.

Well, I've gotten into some pretty odd concepts, I guess, but I've found that a lot of these practices, as well as regular cleaning, can prevent odors, which of course reduces the need for air fresheners in the first place.

I'll reckon there are a lot of houses still smelling like roses today, right? Hope you all had a Happy Valentine's Day yesterday.

Fabric softener sheets in clothes drawers work, or even a small bar of soap will do. We put fabric softener sheets in our suitcases after unpacking, too.

[Tammy]

Great ideas!! I have a tiny crock pot that I put on occasionally with water and a little cinnamon or peppermint essential oil.

[Razzy]

You can always put some dryer sheets on your a/c/furnace filter, so everytime it is on you get a nice smell in your house. Just don't use too much (this is if your scent sensitive) or you might get a headache.

Razzy

P.S.
I have also put Vanilla extract on cotton balls and used that has air freshener for the bathroom or any room in the house.

[SeeAPenny]

I too am a big fan of essential oils. While the initial investment isn't exactly 'cheap', you do only use a few drops at a time, so with judicious use (and proper storage), the bottles (.5 fl oz) can last a good long while. I much, much, MUCH prefer the refreshing natural scents of the essential oils over artifitial, perfume-y odors (which give me headaches -- just can't stand that fakey smell). Some oils are more expensive than others, according to their source -- but on the whole the citrus ones aren't too pricey (orange, sweet orange, manderine, tangerine, lemon, grapefruit, lime), nor the mints (peppermint, spearmint, plus wintergreen). We're talking under $4:00 - $5.00 a bottle for sure (and like I said, with proper usage these can last a long time...)....