Green air fresheners
The greenest air freshener, of course, is fresh air itself. Throwing open the windows to "air out the house" like they did in ye olden days helps to release some of the pent-up pollutants in your indoor air, and it's free.
I've tried that chez moi, and frankly, it hasn't worked. You see, I live in an old, unrenovated Edwardian house once occupied by an elderly lady who lived there her entire life. The house smells like it's been through a lot. More succinctly, it smells old. Plus, due to my outdoor allergies, I need to keep the windows closed on those delightfully breezy early summer days.Plug-ins and aerosols are not for me, I'm not crazy about artificial scents either. But I love lavender (real lavender, that is) so I'm going to try Sweet Grass Farm's fragrance sticks, shown above. It's very low-tech: You dip the bamboo sticks in a glass full of oil tempered with essential oil of lavender, let evaporation do its work, and enjoy the lovely scent when you get home, instead of being affronted by eau d'old house. Anyone ever try these?
Other ideas for green air fresheners:
• A bowl of lavender flowers
• Real potpourri instead of chemical concoctions
• Lots of houseplants, or maybe a big pot of sage in a pretty planter
• Fragrant seasonal flowers from your garden: roses, lilacs, lily of the valley
Any other ideas? Please do share.
Read more:
How to improve indoor air quality
Tags: air freshener, lavender
June 21st, 2008 at 4:24 pm
It is fine to say we want to be "green", but there is also the need to face the issues. Homes absorb the odours we expose them to; it gets into the furniture, curtains, carpets, ceilings and walls. That is why you can spray a room, yet odours still return. Putting out lavender and other "green" solutions is only another way to mask what is there. We smell something (whether pleasant or not) because particles have gotten into our nasal receptors. If you simply cover up bad odours with good, you are essentially ADDING to the number of particles your body has to contend with. This is especially a problem for people with allergies or asthma, or for the elderly.
Filter systems don't do much of anything for dealing with the really tiny particles nor the things that are lodged on our furniture and walls. What is needed is to actually address the issue by ACTIVELY (not passively) treating the air AND surfaces. How can that be done safely and "greenly"? I'm glad to report that my family no longer has the issues you have described, because we have invested in this kind of technology. It is WAY more effective than filtration or sprays...or even leaving out potpourris. If you want to know more, why not read an excellent website:
http://www.TryFreshAir.com/apuresolution
June 27th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Thanks for your comment, Peter.
True indeed, we're only masking odours by putting out lavender.
I still love it though!
Helen
July 8th, 2008 at 11:56 am
I'm from the old school...throw open the windows and allow fresh air to course through the house.
Sometimes we even hang-up different herbs to dry in the kitchen....very pleasant.
July 8th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Some days when my allergies are not so bad I do leave the windows open. What a difference it makes! Nothing like fresh air to take smells away. I will have to try the drying-herbs trick. I've got a bunch of oregano that'll be good to try out. I just installed drying racks above my first-floor laundry area, so I'll tie one up there. Thanks for the tip.
Helen