I'm not a big fan of the air fresheners you buy in the store. The scents they offer don't always appeal and they are full of chemicals.
Instead I make my own. This same recipe can be sprinkled on carpets for a carpet freshener. (To use that way, sprinkle on carpets wait a bit and then vacuum it up. It won't harm your carpets, so go ahead and do other stuff and vacuum it up when you get to it. I usually wait 15 minutes, but I've been known to forget about it for up to a couple hours.)
Air Freshener
To make this you'll need:
Baking Soda
Essential Oil(s) or Fragrance Oil
A Jar (see note)
A scrap of fabric (see note)
Scissors
Notes: I like to use a mason jar so I can use the ring to secure the fabric, but any jar and an elastic would work.
Sheer fabric works well, you don't want to use anything too tightly weaved or your fragrance won't penetrate it.
Mix enough baking soda to fill your jar 3/4 full with several drops of oil. The amount will obviously depend on what size jar you use. I used a 4 ounce jar and about 10 drops of fragrance oil.
Put mixture in the jar. Cover the jar with fabric. Secure with the ring or elastic. Trim the extra fabric. I used pinking sheers to prevent fraying.
Leave out on a counter, shelf, where you want to make smell better. I have one in my bathroom and one in the kitchen.
Carpet Freshener
We only have one room in the house that's carpeted. The girls' room. I like to make this with lavender essential oil for them. Lavender known for it's calming and soothing properties. It's often used in scent blends design to help relax.
To make it as a carpet freshener simply skip the steps about finding a pretty jar and fabric. Mix baking soda and fragrance together. Sprinkle over carpets. Wait a while, give the powder time to work, 10-15 minutes is plenty, longer is better. The baking soda will help deodorize the carpet and the fragrance you choose will scent the entire room. Vacuum up the powder.
When experimenting with your own carpet freshener, I would recommend only lightly fragrancing at first, until you know what your preference is. If you use too much oil it can be over powering.
