I decided that going through my entire renovation in one blog would be just short of madness, and so I've decided to go with little bits of fantabulous and thereby stretch it out. Yay!
To start out, I thought I'd cover a topic which tons of articles have been focusing on lately: air fresheners. Here's an excerpt from
just one of those articles:
"When the chemicals emitted from the air-fresheners are combined with ozone, pollutants of serious health concern are produced. These include
formaldehyde (a known human carcinogen and a respiratory irritant with a very low threshold for health effects) and ultrafine pollutant particles. Also of concern is the production of acetaldehyde, organic acids, other oxygenated intermediates, hydrogen peroxide, secondary organic aerosol, and hydroxyl radicals."
(
emphasis mine)
Yuck! Okay, this just sucks, because my happiness levels are directly connected to the smells around me. When I got my first apartment, my favorite thing my mom got me was a Hawaiian-themed scent that made my place smell like a tropical paradise all winter long. Coming in from four feet of snow and being hit by smells which reminded me of last summer's vacation was really awesome. I don't think I could live happily without being surrounded with nice smells.
When I decided to go all-natural, this was a big consideration for me. When I redid my bedroom I had to think about this a lot. Design is important to me; I didn't want a box of baking soda sitting on a shelf. I decided to try something out which wound up working really well, and I'm excited to share it.
The big fancy secret? Salt! I already knew that putting out little bits of salt would absorb moisture...well, lots of times moisture and odor go together. I tested it out, and it has worked really well for me. You might be thinking that I'm sort of weird, not wanting baking soda out but being fine throwing salt around. Well, there's sort of a more tasteful way to do it. Let me show you the end result first so you don't think I'm crazy. :)
See the pretty bottle? That's a limoncello bottle I brought home from Italy, which has been upcycled into an odor-absorbing, scent-infusing, all-natural weapon of awesomeness. How does it work? It's really super simple. All you need is some sea salt (or really any kind you want), but you might also be interested in grabbing some food coloring and some scented oils, herbs, or even just your favorite flavor of tea.
I'm lucky because there's a lovely place owned by a woman in Port Angeles where I picked up some sea salts when Branden and I last went camping. I also managed to pick up some lavender when we went through Sequim which has now dried out really nicely. That might be a good option for someone who really loved the scent...lightly crushing the buds and mixing them with the salts would be perfect.
Use any combination of coloring, scents and textures you want. In my lowest layer, I took some thick fat salt beads and colored them blue. I combined them with some lemon and lime zest. My second layer was a mixture of finer-pounded salt, uncooked rice, and one of my favorite brands of vanilla tea. My top layer was blended with vanilla extract and flecks of vanilla bean pod. Just combine these in a bowl or whatever...they want to blend. :)
Really expand and use whatever you can think of...it's about creativity. Since I have a beach-themed room (or would if themes weren't so lame...*cough cough*) I used the blues, sands, and corals to pull it together, and I really like the way it looks.
Don't like the "sand art" look of the jar? Need a bigger opening to absorb more odor? No problem. I worked with those issues too. Here are some alternate options for you if you're looking for the freshness.
If the salt isn't for you, there are other ways to mask odors and give nice scents to a room without investing in the destruction of your air supply. Try buying an oil warmer or a votive holder and put a few cotton balls soaked in vanilla extract in them. Hide a few charcoal briquettes, or use a bowl of coffee grounds or baking soda in your design. Once a week slice up a lemon and let it set out on your bedside table on a pretty plate.
The important thing is really to think about the scents that make you happy and find ways to incorporate them into your space
naturally. Have fun with it! :)
