Freshen Room: 9 Easy and Plastic-Free Tips

Plastic-free products to freshen room can help us to live greener and more environmentally-friendly lives.

250 million Americans used air freshener sprays and room deodorizers in 2018. While we don’t know what percentage of Americans are using waste-intensive versions, one can infer. A quick online search for air fresheners yields a long list of plastic-packaged products with few exceptions. But we know there’s nothing inherent to air fresheners and room deodorizers that necessitates plastic, or really waste of any kind! Not only do homemade cleaning products reduce your plastic waste, they are far safer for your health, too. Last year, a study revealed that regular use of cleaning sprays is comparable to smoking a pack of cigarettes every day, because of toxic chemicals. As you can imagine, these chemicals aren’t doing the environment any good either.

Here are just a few options proving that you can freshen room without any garbage.

9 Plastic-free Tips To Freshen Room

1. Open the windows — air it out

This is the important and easiest way to freshen room. Our apologies for this too-obvious suggestion, but we’d be remiss to overlook the cheapest, zero-waste-est, and arguably most effective option.Airing out clothes by installing a window in closets was actually a method of cleaning clothes in the olden days. Have you ever hung a smelly textile to swing in the breeze? It worked, did it not?

2. Make your own room spray

If you’re spraying down textiles and upholstery, a simple mix of water and vodka can effectively disinfect and clear away smells. If spraying into a room, add your favorite essential oils to equal parts vodka and water. Freshen room will be more easy with a room spray.

3. Melt the remnants of old candles to make a new one

Perhaps you’ve noticed that you often burn through wicks of candles before the wax is completely gone? If you have a lot of nearly spent candles around your home, you can melt them into one new candle! To melt the wax, we recommend using the double boiler method – adding the nearly empty candle to a pot of about an inch of water and bringing to a boil. You’ll simply need a jar and a new wick to make your new candle. You can find candle wicks at your lock craft store.

4. Hang eucalyptus branches in your shower

Hanging eucalyptus branches in the shower (not directly under the nozzle, just close enough to get a good steam), can help relieve upper respiratory issues, and is a great way to clear the air when you have a cold or allergies.

5. Make your own essential oil diffuser

If you have disposable wood or bamboo skewers or stir sticks laying around, you can easily make your own essential oil diffuser by adding 1 part carrier oil (almond, jojoba, grapeseed, safflower, or any other oil that doesn’t have a strong scent), 1 part vodka, and essential oils to a glass bottle or jar. Drop in the sticks and enjoy.

Another great non-conventional way to diffuse essential oils is by adding them to cotton (if you have an inexpensive and package-free means of getting your hands on organic cotton, that is).

One final way to DIY a diffuser is to heat essential oils in water over the stove. Heat on low to avoid bringing to a boil. Essential oil diffuser will encorage you freshen room more often!

6. Burn sage

Burning sage, or “smudging,” is a Native American ritual for clearing negative energy in a space. But it has other benefits, too. It releases a fragrance that can uplift and soothe stress, and anti-microbial properties in sage are believed to help fend off viruses.

Some indigenous people have criticized wide-spread sage burning as profiting off their spirituality, and taking a small piece of their culture and twisting it to suit one’s liking. If you’re opting to participate in sage burning, we recommend you do a bit of your own research into its intended meaning and source your goods responsibly.

7. Make your own potpourri

Repurpose your food scraps and plant clippings to freshen room! Gather flower heads, herbs, and citrus slices. Lay them on a baking sheet and spray with essential oils diluted in water. Heat in the oven at 200˚ Fahrenheit for about 2 hours.

8. Burn incense

Incense is relatively easy to source package-free and freshen room. You might even find it in bulk at your local drug store. Not only can incense make your room smell amazing, but depending on your scent of choice, it can soothe stress, increase focus, and stimulate creativity.

9. Invest in a reusable scent diffuser and make it last

This is a lower-waste alternative to disposable plug-ins, but even so, any electronic system has a limited shelf life and a complicated disposal process. Invest in a diffuser that is great quality, and follow all the care instructions. If it breaks a few years in, try to repair it instead of replacing it.

Let us know if you have any other great ways to freshen room!

.

Source: Internet

———————————————————————-

The mission of Zero Waste Initiative is reduce the use of disposable plastic products, provide people with safe, convenient, eco-friendly, recyclable and zero waste products, trying our best to save our planet

Together we can make a difference!

Would you like to join with us?