These Homemade Air Fresheners Will Make Your Space Smell Clean

Vinegar

If you're trying to keep your home clean with natural products, having vinegar on hand is essential. A small dish of vinegar can neutralize the scent of smoke, cooking odors, and musty smells. Fill a glass dish with 1⁄2 inch of white vinegar and set it on the counter. Simmering it on the stove for an hour will make it even more effective.

Essential Oils

Making a homemade air freshener using essential oils is simple, says Jasmine Bues, a clinical aromatherapist and the co-owner of Madison + Green. All you have to do is mix a few drops of concentrated oils into a water solution and spritz. Looking for a few easy recipes? To clear the air in your bathroom, add 20 drops of bergamot oil, 15 drops of thyme oil, and 10 drops of geranium oil to a glass spray bottle. Pour in 2 cups of water, and spray as needed—these oil types have disinfectant and antimicrobial properties, says Bues.

Hoping to deodorize your kitchen, instead? Turn to different ingredients: Combine 15 drops of lemongrass oil, 10 drops of peppermint oil, and five drops of basil oil into 2 cups of water. "These essential oils are capable of attaching to food molecules, while also deodorizing them," Bues says, adding that the solution should cut through the smell of grease and burned food.

Lemon

Lemons add brightness to your meals, but you probably didn't realize you could use the leftovers to get rid of any smells your food leaves behind. There are a few ways to go about it: Freeze the rinds and grind them up in the garbage disposal, simmer a few slices in water, or bake them in the oven. Any way you go about it, your kitchen will smell lemony-fresh when you're done.

Lavender

Lavender smells beautiful both fresh and dry, so you really can't go wrong either way. It is often used in aromatherapy to relieve stress, so filling your home with its scent is a way to add a sense of calm. Try tucking dried lavender sachets into your drawers and pillows—or leave a vase of fresh lavender on your nightstand for an instant bedroom deodorizer (and organic stress-relief tactic).

Vodka

Reach for the vodka bottle next time you're trying to get rid of a bad smell in the house. When spritzed, poured, or sprayed, it disinfects surfaces and neutralizes odors without damaging fabric or harming your skin. Spray it onto clothes, linens, upholstery, curtains, or rugs that are smelling musty.

Activated Charcoal

Activated charcoal is effective at absorbing most odors and air pollutants. It's odorless and nontoxic, when used appropriately, and you don't have to do anything besides stick it in the places that need deodorizing: scatter loose granules at the bottom of the trash can, mix it into cat litter, or pour it into sachets to hang in stale-smelling closets.

Eucalyptus

The ancient Greeks and Romans sported leafy wreaths as symbols of power and victory. Our favorite use for them will make you feel like a champ too: Hang one in the bathroom, where the shower's steam will release its invigorating scent. We made ours from a single branch of seeded eucalyptus, secured with wire, but you could do the same with bunches of rosemary or bay laurel. Fresh sprigs should last about three to four weeks before they dry out.