It’s no surprise that there are some pretty scary chemicals in commonly used household items (want to read more? click here, here, or here). Every day we use toxic chemicals without even really being aware of it. I’m totally guilty of loving my Target-bought cleansers, sprays, and air fresheners. They are easy and cheap, it’s no wonder they are so pervasive. But, as we learn more about the harm done by these kinds of toxic chemicals, I am trying to cut down on how much we use them in our household.
My first step was with this DIY all natural air freshener. There are so many naturally yummy smelling things in this world, why not use them to freshen up the house? In fact, I had several of my favorite smells right under my nose (pun intended!) so it was easy to whip this up.
My favorite clean and natural scent? Lemon!
Another favorite fragrance of mine? Rosemary! We have a rosemary plant in our container garden and sometimes I go and check on it just to enjoy the scent. Yeah, I’m weird.
So I cut a few springs of rosemary for this project, super easy.
I tossed them in a medium saucepan along with lemon and orange peels leftover from juicing.
I then covered everything with water and let it simmer away over medium-low heat on the stove. The natural oils and fragrances immediately filled our house. The citrus gave off a clean and sweet aroma while the rosemary lent a more musky and green scent.
When all of the water had evaporated off I just filled up the pot again. I did this about 3 times and let the pot simmer for about 3 hours. Mmmm, inhale those wonderful smells!
If you’re interested in living a more chemical-free life, here are some great resources:
- EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database – a search engine dedicated to profiling the ingredients in common cosmetic and personal care products
- US Dept. of Health & Human Services Household Product Database – lists common household products, givens safety ratings, and health effects
- HealthyStuff.org – another searchable database of consumer products that lists and rates items with toxic chemicals
Domestocrat 
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