The condo is a space for resting both mind and body, a personal space still in the middle of the city, but away from the chaos of our everyday lives. Its cleanliness is important in keeping a healthy and relaxing atmosphere for you and your family.
One of the most important things to keep clean is the air that you breathe inside your home. An extensive selection of air fresheners is available in the market, but many of these are chemical-based and may not be good for the lungs, especially for people with respiratory problems. A study from the Natural Resources Defense Council found five different kinds of phthalates present even in air fresheners that advertise themselves as unscented and all-natural. These phthalates enter the bloodstream after inhalation and cause serious health problems, such as altering the production of the hormone testosterone and causing reproductive problems.
If you're wondering how to keep the pleasurable smell of condo units without inhaling these toxins, there are cleaning alternatives for greener living you can try. A DIY air freshener spray will have all-natural ingredients you can pick out yourself, ensuring your home smells good without the unwanted toxic effects.
Here are some DIY air freshener recipe suggestions you can try – you'll have most of the ingredients in your pantry or your house already:
Cinnamon Stick Candles
Add a touch of cinnamon scent to your home by using homemade cinnamon stick candles according to Mashable. This is one of the easiest DIY air fresheners you can make at home. Take some cinnamon sticks and wrap them around an unscented candle, keeping them secure by tying them with a ribbon. You may also glue the cinnamon sticks to the candle to secure in place instead of the ribbon. The lit candles will emit a sweet-spicy scent reminiscent of the Christmas holiday.
Orange Peel Candle
Citrus fruits like oranges don't just taste good, they're natural air fresheners as well, according to Viral Nova. Put your orange peel to good use by turning it into an organic scented candle. Scrape the inside of a halved orange until all the edible parts are gone, making sure to leave the inside stem intact. This will serve as your wick. Once it has been fully scraped, fill the orange peel with oil – it could be vegetable oil, canola or olive oil – and let it sit for 45 minutes for the stem to absorb the oil.
Next, light the stem for 2-3 minutes using a candle lighter. It will take awhile for it to catch fire; this is normal. Let the stem rest; it will turn brown or black and will dry out. Relight the stem to use the orange peel candle.
Baking Soda
When making DIY air freshener, baking soda is an ingredient you should consider. Baking soda air freshener only requires two ingredients: half a cup of baking soda, and 8-12 drops of your essential oil of choice. Pour the baking soda in a mason jar and add drops of your essential oil of choice, depending on how strong you want the scent to be. Cover this with a scrapbook paper with holes punched through using a tapestry needle, and secure the paper with the mason jar cover with the top removed.
Essential Oil Diffuser
If you don't like burning all-natural candles in your home, another idea is for you to make a DIY air freshener essential oil diffuser. Take a jar or vase long enough to hold bamboo skewers or other diffusing sticks (rattan does a great job of diffusing scents into your home), and fill it with as much essential oil as you want. You can mix your favorite scents and add it to the jar, and fill the rest with baby oil. Place the sticks in the jar to diffuse the oil into the air.
Lemon-Basil Air Freshener
This DIY air freshener spray will make your home smell clean and fresh without the harmful chemicals, and you probably have the ingredients in your pantry already. Boil ½ cup of water in a pot and add 4 tablespoons of dried basil. In another pot, boil ¾ cup of water. Get a 16oz spray bottle and place a funnel lined with coffee filter on its mouth. Pour the steeped dried basil, making sure the leaves are caught by the filter. Remove the filter and add the rest of the boiling water, five drops of lemon essential oil, and a tablespoon of vodka. Put the spray on and shake to mix before using.
Keeping your condo smelling fresh helps put you into a restful state and ready to face the world every day. With these tips to clean your condo home using do-it-yourself, all-natural air fresheners, you can have the fresh and peaceful home you want at the heart of the city without having to breathe in harmful chemicals that will endanger your health.