8 Simple Ways to Naturally Freshen Your Home

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How to Naturally Freshen Your Home (the non-toxic way!)

Any change of season really brings out the desire to clean my home - not just spring time.

Fall is the last time of the year where you can really open your windows and let the fresh air in, which makes it the perfect time to freshen up your home before winter hits.

During the winter, it's incredibly invigorating to freshen up your house, too. It is really a weight lifted off your shoulders to revitalize that indoor air.

Of course, most store-bought air fresheners really do not "freshen" the air. Most of them can actually add toxins to your home instead of getting rid of them. They often contain synthetic fragrance, carcinogens, and phthalates - and lack any actual cleaning or deodorizing power. The majority of store-bought cleaners also contain toxic ingredients.

No worries though, there are plenty of ways to freshen up your home naturally!

8 Ways to Naturally Freshen Your Home

Open the windows! Simple, self-explanatory, and effective. Even in the winter, opening up your windows for a mere ten minutes can really allow the air to circulate and get some fresh air into your house.
Make a homemade air freshener to replace the store-bought ones - Like this do-it-yourself air freshener that contains all natural ingredients! (Pssst: I have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to homemade alternatives for any and everything here!)
Add a few drops of essential oil to the filter in your vacuum cleaner. Choose a purifying essential oil, such as lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus, lemon, or tea tree. As you vacuum, the aroma of the oil will be released into the air, detoxifying and making your home smell wonderful!
Save lemon peels in the fridge or freezer instead of tossing them. Daily (or whenever you remember!) throw some into your garbage disposal and give it a whirl. This will get rid of any odor lurking in your kitchen sink and unleash that clean, citrus scent.
Sprinkle a natural deodorizer onto your carpets before you vacuum. My favorite oils to mix into this homemade natural carpet deodorizer is lavender or lemongrass. I have three dogs and eliminating odors this way makes a world of difference in my home! (Tip: Sprinkle it over your couches, too.)
Wipe down your bathrooms and kitchen with citrus-infused vinegar cleaner. You can also just spray this around the house as you would an air freshener. Both vinegar and citrus are powerful odor-eliminators and citrus will purify the air.
Scrub down your washing machine. Many people often forget they need to clean the thing that cleans their clothes. Notice a musty scent when you walk into your laundry room, or if you forget your clothes in your washer for even an hour? Time to freshen up the washing machine! You will notice a huge difference in the scent of your clothes and the air around your machines. My favorite technique is using vinegar and baking soda. Here is how to clean and deodorize your top-loading washing machine:
- Fill up the empty washing machine with hot water and add two cups of vinegar. Let it sit for ten minutes.
- Take a washcloth or sponge and scrub the insides really well. Pay attention to the parts that aren't submerged under the water, too.
- Let the washer drain.
- Fill it up again with hot water. This time, add two cups of baking soda.
- Scrub the insides again. Make sure you get every nook and cranny! Let it drain, and you're good to go.
Side note: If you have a front loader, run two regular hot cycles, once with vinegar and another with baking soda. You can also grab a bucket, put a little water and vinegar in there (one part of each), and give your washer a good scrub with a sponge.
Tip: Leave the lid or door to the washer open to let it dry it out between uses and you'll keep the musty smell at bay.
Grow some windowsill herbs or house plants. Not only will this liven up your space visually, herbs will add a lovely aroma and house plants will clean the air.