How to make a homemade air freshener

Want to make your house smell wonderful on a budget? Learn how to make air fresheners with materials you have on hand.

Updated August 16, 2022

When it comes to our homes, we’re always looking for ways to ensure that it’s both clean and fresh; especially when guests visit. Air fresheners are one of the best ways to add some pleasant aroma to your home and creating a DIY air freshener is easier than you think.

From creams to bleach sprays, the Cif range offers dependable cleaning power for all around your home. Once you’ve got all your surfaces looking fresh, using a homemade air freshener is one way to keep your home smelling as good as it looks.

Why should you use a homemade air freshener?

There are three great reasons to use a homemade air freshener.

At times of the year such as winter months, when you can’t open windows to let out unwanted smells, using a homemade air freshener is a great alternative.
Making a DIY air freshener means you’re in control of the ingredients so can ensure they’re natural and safe for you and your family.
Homemade air fresheners can help to save you money, as they use items commonly found around your home.

What do you need for a DIY air freshener?

When creating a homemade air freshener, there are a number of key components you’ll need, some of which you may be able to find around your home. These include:

Mason jars
Breathable mesh or fabric
Spray bottle
Wooden bowl

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How to make air fresheners

There are some easy ways to make a homemade air freshener. Lemon is a key component in some of the easiest homemade air freshener recipes, as citrus smells will last the longest. Here are three top recipes when it comes to knowing how to make air fresheners:

A Mason jar air freshener diffuser can both look and smell great. Mixing the lemon zest from one to two lemons with fifteen drops of lemon essential oil and a ¼ cup of baking soda creates a zesty homemade air freshener that will last for around one month. Cover the jar with a small breathable cloth and secure it using brightly coloured ribbon.
Spray bottle DIY air fresheners can be put together in minutes, used all over the house and then saved for later. Fill a medium-sized spray bottle about halfway with distilled water then add a ¼ cup of vodka and ten drops of essential oils. Mixing it thoroughly creates a great homemade air freshener.
Potpourri is easy to make by combining dried leaves, flowers, and petals with between ten and twenty drops of essential oils. Place the mix into a jar, screw on the lid, and leave it alone for around seven days; allowing the dried leaves, flowers and petals time to soak up the scent of the essential oils. Once the process is complete, simply place your potpourri into a wooden bowl and place it in your home.

Now you have a few ideas to get you started, you can keep your house smelling fresh without breaking the bank. Another great way to keep you home smelling fresh is through the use of candles; so now you know how to make a homemade air freshener, consider learning how to make scented candles at home.

Keep your house clean with products like Cif to prevent odors.
Make homemade air fresheners in spray bottles to use all over your home.
Consider burning fragrant incense or candles to keep odors at bay, ensuring you do so safely and keep them away from flammable materials.

Do you want to learn which household cleaning tasks cause the most stress? Then read our Heated Household data analysis.

Frequently asked questions on homemade air fresheners

How do you make a bleach scented candle?

If you're trying to keep up with the latest trends and give your house that ‘just cleaned’ smell, you may wish to learn how to make a bleach scented candle. Warning! Avoid using real bleach as inhaling the fumes is obviously a bad idea. To make bleach scented candles, you can use alternative ingredients to recreate the smell. Our top choices are lemon oil, pine oil, and camphoraceous herbs. First, melt soy wax chips in a heavy duty pan. Next, add your chosen scent enhancer and a few drops of dye if you wish to create a coloured candle. Use a little glue to stick your wick at the bottom of a candle jar, and tie it to a wooden stick at the top to prevent it falling into the jar as you fill it. Finally, fill the jar with wax, allow it to dry, and cut your wick to the required length.

What is commercial air freshener made of?

If you're wondering, “what is air freshener made of?”, we've got you covered. A commercial air freshener will contain 7 main ingredients. The base for any air freshener is water, alongside a fragrance to give your air freshener its scent. The remaining 5 ingredient categories are emulsifiers, propellants, solubilizers, stabilizers, and corrosion inhibitors. These come in a variety of forms depending on what each brand chooses to use but they each have a part to play in making sure your air freshener does the job it is made to do.

What can you use at home as a DIY aircon freshener?

Our favourite aircon freshener is lemon but you can make a DIY freshener with pretty much any essential oil you like. Simply fill a spray bottle with water and add 10-15 drops of your favourite essential oil. Shake well to mix the solution together before spraying it over any aircon vents around your home. It’s as simple as that. Now every time your air con turns on you will have a beautiful scent flow around your home.

How do you make a DIY disinfectant air spray?

To make a DIY disinfectant air spray you need a spray bottle and 4 simple ingredients. We recommend mixing 1 ¼ cups of water with ¼ cup of white vinegar and ¼ cup of rubbing alcohol before adding 15 drops of your favourite essential oils. Why not combine two such as peppermint and lemon to make the perfect homemade scented disinfectant air spray.

How do you make air freshener last longer?

If you want to know how to make air freshener last longer, we've got you covered with three simple ideas. First, make sure you are putting air freshener into cleaner air – it will last longer in fresh air so simply open a window. Secondly, make sure you deal with any nasty odors around your home from dirty laundry piles to rotting fruit as these odors will quickly overtake your air freshener. Finally, invest in adjustable plug in air fresheners that can be set to low and give out a constant stream of air freshener, or one which can be timed to give out a sporadic spray to keep the air freshener scent flowing through your home.

Originally published October 12, 2018