Kicking Up A Stink

In a supermarket recently, the vast number of products devoted to making our homes smell better stunned me. Television tirelessly promotes artificial air fresheners with ever more sophisticated ‘convenience’ features. And, many consumers fall for it!

It seems ironic that as our home environments become more toxic with off gassing from carpets, vinyl and plastics, we seek to mask these poisons with still more toxins.

When pinene and limonene, often used in air fresheners, come into contact with sufficiently high concentrations of ground ozone they generate formaldehyde-related particulates, which are probable carcinogens. Ground ozone is formed when vehicle emissions react with sunlight and is itself a recognized and harmful air pollutant.

Other toxins found in air fresheners include naphthalene, phenol, dichlorobenzene and xylene, which have all been implicated in cancer, neurological damage, reproductive and developmental disorders as well as breathing difficulties such as asthma.

Yet, there’s so much you can do naturally to combat odors in the house. Here are a few natural solutions you can easily at try at home.

• Quickly remove the source of any bad smells from your home and keep windows open as much as possible to let fresh air inside.

• A natural air freshener recipe is one teaspoon of baking soda in a spray bottle and add to it two tablespoons of white vinegar and two cups of clean water. After the foaming has stopped replace the spray top and shake well

• Use baking soda and borax to control smelly areas like trash cans

• A small bowl of white vinegar in a room will deodorize smells in an hour or two

• Buy locally grown scented flowers in season

• Use a natural mineral called zeolite, which absorbs odors when hung in problem areas like musty basements and closets

• Strike a match or open a window after using the bathroom instead of reaching for air fresheners

• Place a few drops of a natural essential oil like lavender in a burner, on a cotton wool ball or in a bowl of water near a radiator

• Bicarbonate of soda and corn starch are both good carpet deodorizers

• For smelly drains, boil 200 ml of vinegar and pour directly into the drain. Leave for ten minutes before using the drain.

• Fishy plates and utensils? Add a tablespoon of vinegar to the washing up water. Rinse thoroughly before drying.

With so many simple and natural options available, there really is no need to bring artificial scents into your home. Choose one of these healthier methods to keep your home fragrant and enjoy the security that using natural products brings. Your body will thank you and so will your family!