HM room / air freshener / deodoriser

BitterAndTwisted

Actually, some proper, authentic essential oils are very expensive indeed and in my opinion really only appropriate for aromatherapy and the like so for ordinary old room-freshening I'd buy some cheaper scented oils instead. Making up a spray with vodka as Frugal suggested, or one of those burner/diffuser thingys that you add a few drops of oil to the water are very effective.

I've got some of those light-bulb diffuser rings and it's true that the energy-saving bulbs don't get warm enough to work properly so I bung a few drops onto a cotton-wool pad and stick it behind a radiator instead.

rachbc

I'm another fan of open windows - imo the air 'freshener' smells worse than the offending smell!

However when I want a specific 'nice' smell I use essential oils - lime, lavender, peppermint etc are all lovely fresh bathroom smells. Cotton wool behind the radiators or light bulb rings are great if you have kids about and don't want lit candles

Fruball

Rose/jasmine otto/absolute are v v expensive but plenty of other oils are really cheap considering how much you would need to use. A tiny bottle (10ml) could easily last you a year and will cost between £1.50 for sweet orange oil, £2.98 pine oil, £3.05 lavender, £3.50 for bergamot. Some are more expensive like Roman Chamomile £9.99.

If you work out the price per drop, its really cheap plus you get the benefit of the oils too.

marleyboy

You cannot beat the good old fashioned open window. I have in past used scented candles, they dont just mask the smells, but deodorise them as they burn.

squeakysue

Frugal wrote: »

Rose/jasmine otto/absolute are v v expensive but plenty of other oils are really cheap considering how much you would need to use. A tiny bottle (10ml) could easily last you a year and will cost between £1.50 for sweet orange oil, £2.98 pine oil, £3.05 lavender, £3.50 for bergamot. Some are more expensive like Roman Chamomile £9.99.

If you work out the price per drop, its really cheap plus you get the benefit of the oils too.

Thanks everyone, think I will be investing in some oils, the slow cooker smell is my air freshener today mmmm

DUKE

I'll go with a match too. I like Zoflora, put a bit on a cloth & hide it in the bathroom.

Fruball

I found THIS website which is where I got those prices for you - Their prices look pretty good to me but you might like to shop around to check, especially if you buy some of the more expensive oils. I'm sure I pay less than £9.99 for roman chamomile but its been so long since i needed to buy any!!!

Mrs_Money

I try never to use aerosol cans of anything in the house -they are expensive for the small amount of product contained in them and they're not very eco friendly.
For the loo I buy perfume (often Avon wet type atomiser sprays) from charity shops (usually around 99p), unscrew the top and dilute them 50-50 with water. Works fine and lasts for months and months!

Seakay

Frugal wrote: »

You could also make a nice room freshener spray by getting a spray bottle, add some vodka, about a quarter to a third of the bottle (yes really, it disperses the oils) add your favourite essential oils and top up with water.

You can make a pillow spray like this to help you sleep using chamomile and lavendar oils

This mixture works well in a diffuser as well (those things with the absorbant 'sticks') which you can leave in a room all the time. Bergamot is supposed to be very good at getting rid of smoke smells, for instance.

redglass_2

A few drops of vanilla essence in a tray of water inside the oven (like the cinnamon someone suggested earlier).
Matches kept by the side of the toilet to burn off smells.
In the past people heated rosemary, eucalyptus etc in a pan on the hob and took it through the rooms. If you have plenty of woody aromatic herbs in the garden this would be a freebie for you.
Pot pourri -not the chemical fake kind you can buy full of pebbles, dyed wood shavings and god knows what, but the true old fashioned recipe. You don't leave it in an open bowl but keep it in a pot, warm the pot by the fire and let the nice smell out, then seal it up again. Only trouble is, you have to make it first! Real OS stuff...
Sorry if Ive repeated things, haven't read all the thread yet.