There are commercially available room fresheners that help to keep bad odour at bay which could be due to many reasons. Especially during winters or rainy season when you have a heap of wet clothes drying indoors, smell from the debris coming from the kitchen, etc. Sometimes even after you clear out the culprits the strong stench hangs in the air for too long, giving an unclean feeling at home. This is why it is necessary to keep the ambience clean to feel pleasant at home. One easy way to do it is spraying these commercial room fresheners to counter stench. But the drawback over here is that these are loaded with chemicals, which could lead to respiratory troubles or other issues with health. If the ingredients used have the potential to induce an allergic reaction in any of your family members it could be damaging to their health. Here is how to fight that musty monsoon smell at home.
Commercial room fresheners can induce breathlessness, wheezing and coughing, even diarrhoea in many if the ingredients turn to be an allergen for some. This is one reason why using a natural room freshener is advisable. You don’t have to put in a lot of effort to make a natural room freshener, if you have baking soda in your kitchen, you can get started. Here are few more ways to keep your home odour free naturally.
Sometimes the commercial air fresheners don’t actually remove the bad odours but release some fragrance molecule to mask the odour. As the fragrance fades the stench returns back. But baking soda or sodium bicarbonate neutralises the odour particles in the air and clears the stench completely.
How to make natural air freshener with baking soda
Get a small glass jar with a metal lid. Make numerous small holes in the lid. Add baking soda to the jar, at least fill 1/3rd of the jar. Add few drops of your favourite essential oil – lavender oil, sandalwood oil, jasmine, cinnamon – any fragrance of your choice. Place this jar in a corner of your room or on a window sill. Leave it there for few hours if the fragrance fades give the jar a little shake. You can keep it in place for four to five days and keep adding essential oils if the fragrance goes away completely. Ideally, change the ingredients in the jar every five to six days or a week, lest the composition of baking soda, oil and the dampness induced will become a breeding ground for bacteria.
Alternatively, you can put baking soda and essential oils in a clean cotton cloth and tie it with a string at one corner of your room. Remember, to change it weekly.
If you are wondering to put this effort in making a natural room freshener or not here is one scientific reason for you to do it: A study published in Environmental Health Perspective in the year 2011 pointed out a survey done on selected scented consumer goods which showed that the products emitted more than 100 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including some that are classified as toxic or hazardous. The organisers then concluded that using basic ingredients like vinegar and baking soda is best keeping in mind the health of children, elderly and healthy adults
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