A room with a pleasant smell is inviting and help to bring a level of tranquillity to the space. This is extremely important, especially when I'm in the small living space on my narrowboat. Somehow, when the boat smells fresh and airy, the space feels bigger psychologically, as it triggers me to take deeper breaths. This helps to expand my lungs and enhance my mood while simultaneously promoting relaxation and making me feel more harmonised with my space.
I'm not keen on overpowering musky fragrances, and for many ethical reasons, I avoid commercial air fresheners as they are packed with many harsh and harmful chemicals. I do find light, fresh, and floral scents appealing, especially in the summertime, and sometimes in the autumn and winter, I might go for a more woody scent.
Today, I concocted a portion using some common ingredients from my pantry, and I placed the finished spray in a small recycled bottle that's the perfect size for a short shelf life.
My base scents were tea tree essential oils, an Egyptian Lotus oil, and an Egyptian Amla oil.
My natural spices were nutmeg, bay leaves, cloves, and cinnamon for some depth of an earthy, warm smell.
I included bicarbonate soda, one of my favourite cleaning agents that helps to absorb odours and purify smells. This was also added as a mild preservative.
For a fresh citrusy scent, I love grapefruit, and it combines well with fresh rosemary (and I threw in a few stems of thyme).
This grapefruit was leftover from freshly pressed juice I made, however, lemons would be a great alternative.
One advantage of making my air freshener on the boat is that I can do it all manually.
Utensils
- 1 small glass or plastic jug
- 1 sharp knife
- 1 spoon
- 1 teaspoon
- 1 tablespoon
- 1 strainer
- 1 Mason jar
- chopping board
- 1 wet wipe cloth or paper towel for spills
So, here are my ingredient lists and portions:
Steps
- I first added the three oils - tea tree, amla oil and lotus oil.
- Then I added the bicarbonate soda to the oils, mixing them all for a thick paste-like consistency.
Add remaining ingredients to the jar of oils and baking soda.
- grapefruit
- rosemary
- thyme
- cloves
- nutmeg (you could grate the nutmeg or add it whole)
- cinnamon stick (same as the nutmeg - feel free to grate or add it whole)
- bay leaf
- Add water to cover all the ingredients
It should look something like this. ⬆️
- Stir thoroughly to ensure that the paste does not stick to the bottom of the jar.
- Cover and leave the ingredients to seep for a nice infusion.
If you have a jar with a secured seal, you could share vigorously.
A great tip would be to use a French press.
- I used my plunger to press all the ingredients together for a stronger concentration
- This also served as my strainer.
- Option to use a separate strainer if you do not have a French press.
This mixture can be infused overnight for a stronger scent. However, if you do not have the time. Wait for at least 45 minutes. I originally started with a small portion of each oil; that way, I can simply add little drops of each oil to top up the bottle before needing to remake a new batch. A few light mist emits positive and soothing energies in my living space.
It's fun to experiment with different mixtures of essential and aromatherapy oils, which can be packaged nicely for gifts if you so desire. I'd call this fragrant Millicent - which means gentle strength, a portmanteau of my name and scent.:)
