There are many odor eliminator products on the market to help keep your home fresh, but using natural ingredients is a great alternative. These homemade odor removers and home fragrance recipes use simple household products to eliminate bad smells and add pleasant scents to your space.
Vodka is a natural deodorizer and disinfectant that works well in cleaning sprays. Combine it with citrus peels or herbs to create a natural room odor eliminator spray.
1. Baking Soda
Baking soda is a natural deodorizer. Unlike most store-bought air fresheners, baking soda actually traps and eliminates bad smells rather than just masking them. This DIY odor neutralizer is easy to make and requires just a few simple ingredients.
To create this simple odor neutralizer, combine 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 25 drops of fragrance oil in a glass container. Mix well. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and use as needed.
The odor-absorbing power of baking soda makes it an essential ingredient in many natural cleaning products. It is also a great alternative to chemical-laden store-bought cleaners for many household tasks, such as cleaning drains, removing sweat stains, reviving dried flowers, or preserving old books with musty scents.
Baking soda also has a number of other uses, including adding to the rinse cycle to clean dishwasher silverware and sprinkling in stinky trash cans to absorb odors. You can even make a homemade toothpaste with a bit of baking soda to prevent tooth decay and whiten teeth, use it as a non-scratch scrub for a sponge, or sprinkle on sunburned skin to relieve itchy or painful skin.
2. Vinegar
Foul odors are one of the most common household issues. Whether it’s musty garbage, rotten food in the fridge or a stinky litter box, foul smells can make your home unpleasant and unwelcome. The good news is that there are plenty of homemade DIY odor eliminators you can make at home to deal with any situation. These natural products take just minutes to prepare and cost much less than store-bought alternatives, and they don’t contain any harmful chemicals or unsustainable ingredients.
Vinegar is one of the most effective natural cleaners. It works great on almost everything from cleaning your coffee maker to deodorizing your toilet and removing hard water stains from glassware.
The acetic acid in vinegar kills bacteria and freshens the air, so it’s an all-around natural odor killer. Dilute it with equal parts of water in a spray bottle, and spritz around the living room for a clean scent. Alternatively, add some essential oils for an added touch of fragrance. The smell of vinegar itself will dissipate quickly as it evaporates.
3. Essential Oils
Foul odors in the house can be caused by many things, including a stinky trash can, an overflowing litter box, or even lingering sewer smells. Often these unpleasant smells will not disappear on their own and must be treated with the right homemade odor eliminator.
Essential oils are the oily liquids extracted from various parts of a plant such as peels, leaves, barks, roots, flowers, seeds and more. They contain a variety of volatile compounds that can cause a distinct smell or flavor.
When inhaled, the scent molecules from these oils travel from the nose through the olfactory nerves to the amygdala in the brain where they are perceived as fragrance by our sense of smell. Some studies have found that these oils may also provide therapeutic benefits, such as reducing stress or alleviating certain health conditions.
When purchasing your essential oils, make sure they are 100% pure and organic. A little goes a long way and these oils are very expensive so you want to get the best quality for your money. Look for the USDA Organic label to ensure there is no added synthetic chemicals.
4. Wool Dryer Balls
If you’ve ever had to deal with stinky sweatshirts or unwashed clothes, you know that a quick spray of Febreze can save the day. But a homemade version is easy to make and doesn’t require toxic chemicals that can cause skin irritation.
Wool dryer balls are all the rage as an eco-friendly replacement for dryer sheets and fabric softeners. They don’t contain any of the chemicals or heavy scents that traditional dryer sheets do, and they help fluff and separate laundry as it tumbles, reducing drying time, static cling, and wrinkles.
They’re also super durable, lasting for up to 1,000 loads of laundry (or a little longer depending on how rough your washer is). When they’ve accumulated lint or pet hair, simply wash them with warm soapy water and re-use them. You can even give them to your kids or pets to play with as a juggle set or sweater depiller—just be sure to use essential oils that are safe for animals.
5. Newspaper Balls
This DIY craft is a great way to recycle old newspaper and cardboard, as well as a fun way to eliminate odors. It also makes a great stress ball or promotional item for trade shows and special events!
Start by finding a section of newspaper without too many pictures (or comics, if you prefer). Use a string or compass to draw a large circle. Cut out the circle and then staple around it, leaving a small portion open for stuffing.
Make the paper mache paste by combining flour and water. Dip strips of newspaper into the paste and then apply to your round base, ensuring that it’s fully coated. Continue until the entire base is covered with newspaper strips. Stuff the newspaper ball with crumpled pieces of paper and glue together.
