A Country Cottage on Laundry Day

Though I am a fan of Febreze and plug-ins to spruce up the smell of my home, the price always makes me cringe.  When I am looking to save some money on my grocery shopping, those are the sort of niceties that are immediately tossed to the cutting room floor.  Yet, even though I keep a clean home, I still love those pleasant odors that leave you feeling clean.

How can we make our homes smell as nice as a country cottage on laundry day without shelling out the money for man-made aromas? 

Here are a few tips I like to use around my home, especially when I have company coming.

Essential Oils.  A small bottle of essential oil can be found for as little as $5 but it can last you for years.  Because of the potency, a couple of drops can go a long way:

• Sprinkle essential oil over old potpourri to freshen up the scent.
• Sprinkle a couple of drops on your vacuum cleaner filter to fill each room with the aroma every time you vacuum (make sure to only use on paper, replaceable filters because the oil will ruin cloth, reusable filters).
• Sprinkle some in water and heat it up on the stove to fill the whole house.

Spices.  Your everyday spice rack is good for more than just adding flavor to your menu:

• Place a pot full of water on the stove over low heat and sprinkle in some of your favorite spices (I prefer nutmeg and cinnamon) then allow to simmer for hours, adding more water if it starts to get too low.
• Boil a washcloth in water, remove and sprinkle some vanilla extract onto the cloth.  The warm vanilla will smell like you are baking cookies.

Citrus.  Used to freshen homes for years, citrus scents always leave you feeling clean:

• A fun idea that makes a great craft for the kiddos is to take an orange and poke whole cloves into the skin about 1/2 inch apart, covering the entire orange.  It will smell wonderful and look great in a decorative bowl.
• If your microwave vents inside your home, fill a microwave-safe cup with lemon juice and microwave on high until boiling to freshen your home with a citrus scent.
• If you have a garbage disposal, toss a quarter of a lemon or lime into it and turn it on.  It will fill the home with the scent and spruce up your disposal.

Do you have any techniques that you use to freshen your home?

For more great frugal tips, check out: Frugally Sustainable