Organic Air Fresheners
by Isabella
in Business / Management (submitted 2010-09-06)
Organic, essential oil based air freshener is a great way to get the benefits that aromatherapy has to offer. They are easy to make and they don’t contain any synthetic ingredients, which can cause irritation in some sensitive people. Perhaps it’s the scent of a forest or a citrus orchard. Whatever scent you like, you can find essential oils to create those feelings.
We all know how important the sense of smell is to us every day. It tells us a lot of different things, from what food we’ll be eating and if it will taste good, or what season it is based on the smell of flowers.
Smell is also essential for our emotional and mental well being. Smell affects mood more acutely than any other as it is the only sense that has a direct line to the brain. Smell is linked directly to the brain through the limbic system. The limbic system is made up of the amygdala, where we process anger and aggression, the septum pellucidum, which is where we process good feelings and the pocampus, which regulates how much attention we pay to each of those.
Because smell is linked directly to the emotional center of the brain, it can trigger memories and emotions more acutely than any other sense, which is what makes aromatherapy so powerful. Many of us find certain smells relaxing or uplifting or find that certain smells remind us of certain times in our lives. This is especially true in our own homes. How many times have you found that the smell of a favorite dish cooking will remind you of some family get together or holiday? The same is true of air fresheners, and we aren’t talking about the synthetic, overly perfumed variety you find at the supermarket.
To make these organic air fresheners, simply combine 120 drops of essential oil with 4 ounces of purified water. Be sure to store your mixture in a safe plastic or metal spray bottle, as some plastics can leech chemicals into your mix and that isn’t good.
Any essential oil will work for making air fresheners, but here are some suggestions for possible combinations. Many hospitals and care homes are now using the citrus scents to remove the “hospital” smell and help patients feel better.
o For citrus scents- Lemon, Orange, Grapefruit, Lime, Mandarin, Bergamot, and Patchouli
o For forest scents-Spruce, Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Pine, Cajeput, Cedarwood, and Spearmint
o For a floral scent- Rose, Jasmine, Lavender, Geranium, Clove, Orange and Petitgrain
Give these combinations a try or mix up some of your own. Keep a journal of your creations and how you feel about them. That way you’ll know what you want to make again and what you don’t.
In 1995, Deborah Gez created Moriah Herbs, and brought more than 30 years of experience to the field of herbal medicine. Moriah Herbs is a leader in aromatherapy, essential oils and herbal healing.
New research recently published by the US online journal Environmental Health has found “significant” links between breast cancer and cleaning products, air fresheners and mold removers. The survey, by the Silent Spring Institute in Newton, Massachusetts was based on interviews with 787 women with breast cancer and 721 healthy women, all aged between 60 and 80. “Women who reported the highest combined cleaning product use had a doubled risk of breast cancer compared to those with the lowest reported use,” the report states. “Use of air fresheners and products for mold and mildew control were associated with increased risk. To our knowledge, this is the first published report on cleaning product use and risk of breast cancer.”
One positive piece of information to come out of the survey was that the the use of mothballs, pesticides and insect repellents in the home had little impact. But what about the rest? There’s certainly no need to panic and chuck out all your cleaning products or go crazy, eco-home organic everything. It’s only possible to speak in broad, general terms but there are some everyday products sold in the cleaning aisles that I avoid inhaling if at all possible. These are:
1.oven cleaners (I use a non-toxic Magic Sponge instead)
2.carpet cleaners (I use the foam from biological detergent whisked up in a bowl instead)
3.chlorine bleach (except in emergencies; for everyday use I choose non-toxic oxygen bleach)
4.drain cleaners (I use non-toxic Soda Crystals instead)
5.air fresheners (I make my own)
Sometimes it makes sense to use the tough stuff. 3% hydrogen peroxide solution is an excellent non-toxic solution for removing all sorts of stains and works especially well on blood
lavender essential oil
