When I try or learn something I love, I can become extremely loyal to it. Hardcore, if you will. 😉 And that’s my opening line for this blog post about air fresheners.
Last year I made this pillow mist recipe with natural ingredients, and I’ve been using it all year. In fact, that bottle is still sitting in my guest bedroom right now. I spritz all the sheets in the house on laundry day and always give it an extra spritz before we have guests.
I’ve even used it for general room freshening a couple times. I don’t typically buy many air freshener products from the cleaning aisle at the grocery store because they tend to be full of chemicals, which is the opposite of what I want in my home.
Today I experimented further with my original recipe and came up with some fun (and pretty!) options for natural room sprays using essential oils! You can still use them on sheets, but also so much more!
Here’s how it’s done–
–essential oils (a variety of scents)
-water
–witch hazel
–mini funnel
-pretty perfume bottles (I found mine on Amazon – this size and this size)
So the recipe is basically – 1 part witch hazel, 1 part water, and 30-40 drops essential oils in any scents you like.
Last, I used a white paint pen to write a fun (made up) name on each bottle! You can name them anything you want. So fun, since one of my not-so-secret dream jobs is to be someone who gets to name nail polishes and paint colors. :))
You can create endless scents using various essential oils, choosing them was my favorite part! Here are three recipes that I really like!
Fresh Vibes is a combination of combination of grapefruit and Purify. Very fresh and citrusy!
Two words – GIFT IDEAS!Â
I love knowing that there are no weird chemicals hiding in there, but additionally, they smell so much more REAL than anything you’ll find in that grocery store aisle.
One more note! I like to shake the bottle between each use. Although I have tested it and you don’t have to shake it to get the scent. Since it’s oil, it never completely combines with the water, but don’t worry – it still does the job!
Thanks so much for reading! xx- Elsie
Credits//Author: Elsie Larson. Photography: Amber Ulmer and Elsie Larson. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess Actions.Â
62 Comments
I’ve never used essential oils before and was curious, since this is oil, will it leave any oily residue/stains on surfaces/cloths?
Lovely! I do have a fabric spray that I use sometimes but, like you, I’m not crazy about the slightly chemically scent it has. Also, have you thought about taking your oil blends and making them into actual perfumes? Maybe with the witchhazel but without the water?
Great post! I really like using my essential oils for DIYs like this. My favourite combination is cassia, clove, and wild orange. It’s perfect for the holidays!
Sarah
http://www.sweetspontaneity.com
Hi Kathryn,
I have asked this question and no one seemed to know, so I have tested it a lot. I actually started wondering because I diffuse essential oils when we sleep at night and was wondering if in a years time it would leave a gross film on our walls or other areas that don’t get cleaned.
I have NO ISSUES using it anywhere except I would not use it on marble or painted white wood. On the marble I am just extremely paranoid about our marble, so I don’t ever use anything with oil on it. For the painted wood I had an issue with another essential oil cleaning turning my dining room table orange (to be fair the clearer was much more colored and not as diluted as these though).
I would feel comfortable using this near any kind of bed, sofa, wood floors, things like that.
Remember it is very very diluted and many cleaning products or personal care products you probably already use likely contain oil as well.
Hope that is helpful!
xx- Elsie
Aren’t they the best?? I feel like they make the project 10x cuter!
xx- Elsie
I have been playing with that! I want to, but I want them to smell like a real fragrance and I haven’t nailed it yet! Lmk if you have any suggestions.
xx- Elsie
Interesting! What does cassia smell like?
xx- Elsie
Think cassia might be like cassis which smells like Blackberries or similar to. Beautiful Smell,,i love gorgeous smells!!!!.
Love these and can’t wait to try! Elsie, do you have any tips for making sure the oils don’t degrade the plastic and make it all weird and gooey? I’ve had this happen in little bottles with plastic roller balls — not sure if I am using too high of an essential oil concentration, or if it’s bound to happen no matter the preparation.
Great idea! I use a similar mixture as a yoga mat cleaner. This works pretty good and without any stains even on natural rubber. I only tried mint and lavender but have to go for your combinations next time.
Good idea!
xx- Elsie
I am still experimenting as well, but I haven’t seen any issues with this much dilution. Since it’s mostly water and witch hazel I don’t think it can do any harm. But I still have lots of questions myself!
xx- Elsie
Love this idea, I usually use oil burners and candles but these seem like a great quick fix and fun DIY!
Gabrielle Isabella
Love love love this! Totally gonna try this:)
This is such an amazing idea !! I am a massive lover of DIY projects and this would be perfect .. especially for summer !! I can only imagine the gorgeous scents you can create ! And I LOVE the bottles and how you’ve customised them! Love this post !!
Saira
http://www.throughtheglitterglass.wordpress.com
Xx
Hi Elsie,
What is the purpose of the witch hazel in this recipe? And does witch hazel have a fragrance or is it scentless?
It’s a type of cinnamon!
Hey Charlotte,
To be honest, I don’t understand the purpose. In my last DIY I used only water and oils and some readers told me that if I used 1/2 witch hazel it would help the oils combine, but I can’t tell any difference at all. So if you don’t have it, just use water :))
xx- Elsie
I think the witch hazel is possibly there to keep the water from going stagnant in the bottle, because water does that, right? It can become a gross chemistry experiment in a hurry.
Guessing that witch hazel would make spray dry faster when sprayed on fabrics and perhaps other surfaces, and may act as a very mild preservative. Using distilled water could help keep these mixes fresher for longer as well.
What a great idea! Can’t wait to try this 🙂
oh, hello easy and customized wedding take-aways
I’ve seen other linen/room mist recipes that use alcohol instead of witch hazel… does anyone know if one is better than the other? I know alcohol can have some odor-eliminating properties which might be useful for households with pets or new thrifted finds… but I’m hardly an expert. Either way I think I’m going to have to stock up on some essential oils and cute bottles (I am SUCH a sucker for cute bottles)
I tried that when I was testing, but I felt like I could smell the alcohol…. I want to hear if anyone has had good experiences with that though!
xx- Elsie
Yay!! We mix Lavender and Peppermint for a nighttime pillow mist/linen spray. It is HEAVENLY and we sleep like a baby! I have one in my guest room too 🙂
My new favorite combo for a room spray or diffused is Douglas fir and grapefruit. Soooo good!
We regularly post diffuser/EO recipes and combos over on our Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/therootandpetal. Check it out for more ideas! ?
This is really awesome! I love this DIY! I am dying to try this!
http://sashaelizabeth.com
Such a great idea! I love how you personalized each bottle, they are super cute.
xoxo
Yari
http://www.dreamgorgeously.com
I have to agree. These are great gift ideas! Do you think putting in some color (food color?) would be fine? I really like the look of it now but for personalization ideas, I’m curious as to how effective hues will be and if they could leave some stain.
http://annescribblesanddoodles.blogspot.com
The bottle looks super adorable, you could put anything in it and I’d love it 🙂
I never thought of a freshener before but it would totally elevate a room. Love the idea!
I love this. The bottle is so cute and it is something I’d totally use http://www.hannamarielei.com
the best of this is the smell you get is what it is supose to be, I mean, with the chemical and artifitial scents, coconut doesn’t smell AT ALL like coconut.
I would try orange, clove and cinnamon, it reminds me to Xmas time!
Or pine and lime, summer time!
So great! Yes, the witch hazel can make it dry faster, you can even get emollients to make the oil mix in the water more evenly, or food-grade alcohol for faster drying! I sell DoTERRA and looooveee making different oil combos – I’d be happy to answer any questions!!
I don’t think that would be good because a. It’s artificial and b. It could dye your sofa, bed or rugs.
Instead, I think you can put things into the bottle like small charms, dried flowers or things like that!!
xx- Elsie
Thanks for the post, Elsie! Love the idea. How long would you say the scent lasts after a spritz in the room?
Hey Elsie,
what is witch hazel? I read it contains no alcohol, but i don’t know what to use overseas, because i don’t know what this “wonderthing” is (you can use it for a lot of things, i read on amazon). Can I just use a toner or alcohol? 🙂
Thank you and lots of love from austria,
Rebecca
Thanks so much!
Am in love with this idea – I have been wanting to use essential oils (especially bergamot) around my home, but I have heard it might not be so great for our kitties. Any idea where to learn more from a reputable source about pet-safe essential oils? Or is the amount in these so small that it might not matter? If anyone happens to know, please post suggestions!
Cassia is super sweet and often more of a true cinnamon smell when using it for scenting! I love cassia and geranium and either cedarwood or bergamot for a sweet fluffy candy scent when I need positivity!
Kim,
Here’s a more reputable source. When in doubt, it’s best to go straight to the source if possible. Call the maker of your essential oils and ask them directly. I use doterra and called them when my dog thought one of my diffuser blends was tasty and tried to drink it up! They were very helpful.
https://www.naha.org/assets/uploads/Animal_Aromatherapy_Safety_NAHA.pdf
Not very long in the air, but longer for pillows, blankets (I used used mine to cover the weird “new rug” smell of a jute rug) etc!
xx- Elsie
so good!
http://www.wonderlandclothing.com
I love this 🙂 good smells make me so happy. My family rebels every time I light a candle, so maybe this would be more mild? 🙂
Where is the best place to buy essential oils?
Just oils and water or just oils?sorry to be dumb, I a newbie. Does it mess with the fabric?
I really want to do this in my home as I love essential oils and simple DIYs like this, but I worry about the oils leaving grease stains on my fabric. Have you had that happen? How far away from the fabric do you keep the bottle when you spray? I really want to take the leap and get into this, but don’t want anything to be ruined. Thanks for the suggestions, inspiration, and first hand experience! I’ve checked ABM every day for years and years and am continually impressed. You gals (and guys!) are the best 🙂
Just a helpful little hint – There’s a product at WholesaleSuppliesPlus.com that is meant to help mix water based products with oil based products so you don’t have to worry about shaking it as much. I can’t remember exactly what it’s called, but if you search, I’m sure you can find it!
This is so awesome! I’ll have to try this! 😀
Hi Elsie,
Love this! I would suggest mixing a little tiny bit of vodka in with the oils – it will make the oils more soluble in water! I made my own scented foaming soap a while back and that’s how I got the oil and soap to mix properly.
Olivia x
Where did you get the tiny beaker? I have been looking for one for quite some time.
Hi Elsie, I was wondering what the pixel dimentions are for the first photo (cover photo)? I keep taking photos and they can’t ever seem to get that big- think Pinterest size. Help?
Also, these look great! My room seriously does need a full on clean out, and I feel like DIYing a room spray is just the motivation I need. Thank you!
Gosh, Elsie. Would you please make a font out of your super-cute handwriting? I love it so stinkin’ much!
Is it essential oils ?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004TH71W0/ref=mp_s_a_1_17_a_it?qid=1464106895&sr=8-17&keywords=witch+hazel It looks like you used a face cleaner that includes witch hazel rather than 100% witch hazel. I wonder if using something like this would make a difference
Great idea!!
Laura
http://laurelandfern.com/
Love that you pointed out how chemically filled traditional air fresheners! Purple Frog has their own line of on-the-go, all natural air fresheners that last up to 8 hours.
https://purplefrogpatches.com
omg diy home fragrance. I just love your post. i will infidelity try this diy project of home fragrance. i am like a crafty girl, i love to do diy things. recently i have searched for room freshener on internet and found a wonderful list of room fresheners at http://shop.ajmalperfume.com/uae_en/collections/home-fragrance/room-freshner.html
Essential Oils aren’t oily…they won’t leave a residue, except for Bay which I have found will leave a mark. You need alcohol to get the Essential Oil to combine with the water. Always store them in glass, not plastic. My favorite combo is Bay and Grapefruit, but you would have to be aware that bay will stain, so I use this combo in a diffuser.
Hey!
It is a wonderful blog thanks for sharing it with us.
I’m using one of the branded room air fresheners (http://godrejaer.com/spray.html) but after reading this article I’ll try this beautiful DIY room fresheners. I love reading content on handmade diffusers & sprays, please update some blogs on the same.
I make room sprays and love them but what I can’t find is does it have a shelf life/expiration for them?
hello! wonderful recipe and I want to make the spray without using essential oils by just using the pure vanilla extract. If I do the vanilla extract, do i have to add anything else? Or do I just put the vanilla extract in the spray bottle? Also, can you put a link for the spray bottle for this air freshener? I love the one you have in the picture! THANK YOU