I love Martha Stewart. I always say my dream is to be Martha and Rachel Zoe in one package (with an Oprah-sized reach!). So whenever I can, I watch Martha during the day and browse her site for tips and how-tos. Something I’ve been wanting to research was how to make my house smell good without using harsh chemicals. Right now I’m in love with Bath and Body Works’ wallflowers, but because artificial fragrances tend to be unhealthy, I wanted to find another alternative. I checked out MarthaStewart.com and found some interesting tips:
- Place a bowl of vinegar where the stinkiness exists for a day or two. This should absorb much of the smell (such as cigarette smoke or smelly foods). (Gosh, I love how versatile vinegar is!)
- Zeolite, a natural mineral, can also be set out to absorb any unwanted aromas.
- Open the windows! Even in this cold weather I’ll open the windows every so often for about ten minutes to circulate the air. Not only will this help your home smell better, it also helps clean the air of allergenic particles and other unwanted pests.
- Use beeswax and soy-based candles, and avoid those made with paraffin.
- Surprisingly, Febreze Air Effects Air Refresher contains no pthalates (the toxic ingredient in scented fresheners), so that may be an easy alternative. My mom actually first shared this with me and I’ve been using it every since.
Try out some of these tips in your house! I know with our new puppy, things haven’t been quite as “fresh” as usually, so I think I’ll be trying the vinegar trick very soon. Enjoy!
Got any other natural and safe ways to keep your home smelling great? Please share!
~Maria
Janine
4 weeks ago
Weird about Febreze not using pthalates! I never would have thought. Good post!
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admin Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 11:00 am
I know, right?! Also, my friend just told me Martha Stewart has a green cleaning line, have you heard of it/tried it yet?
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