Table of contents:
- The dangers of chemical air fresheners
- Natural ingredients to make air freshener
- Oranges, cinnamon, cloves
- Lemon, rosemary, vanilla
- Lime, mint, vanilla
- Orange, ginger, almond
- Pine leaves, bay leaves, nutmeg
- Another alternative
Who doesn't love it when a room is clean and fragrant? Of course the condition of the room also affects mood someone. A clean room will make us feel comfortable. Many people add air freshener as a relaxation factor and also a marker for clean room air. However, did you know that chemical air fresheners have toxins that are harmful to health?
The dangers of chemical air fresheners
In 2005, the Bureau European des Unions de Consommateurs published a comparative study on air fresheners. They measured the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and aldehydes present in air fresheners. The result is that levels of neurotoxins (toxins that attack the nervous system) produced in the air exceed safe levels of VOCs (> 200µg / m3), some even as high as 4,000-5,000µg / m3. This can cause eye, skin and throat irritation, dizziness, nausea, asthma, shortness of breath, liver pain, anesthesia, and even coma.
Dr. rer. Nat. Budiawan from Puska RKL (Center for Environmental Safety and Risk Studies) also explained that the use of any product which is a chemical substance, if excessive or in direct contact through the respiratory system, will cause disturbances in the function of the nervous system. Like a case that occurred in Bali in mid-March 2006, a number of elementary school students were rushed to the hospital due to the poisoning of car fragrances brought by one of the students.
Then, should we stop using air freshener? The answer is, of course not. After knowing the dangers of air freshener for health, it does not mean that we cannot make air freshener on our own.
Natural ingredients to make air freshener
Various natural ingredients such as oranges, cinnamon, cloves, lemons, limes, rosemary, vanilla extract, thyme, mint, ginger, extract almonds, pine or spruce twigs, bay leaves, and nutmegs can be alternatives to natural, chemical-free air fresheners. As reported by richtonparklibrary.org, from these ingredients, we can make natural air fresheners that are safe for health with 5 different scents.
Here are five types of natural fragrances that you can mix yourself to make your home more fragrant.
Oranges, cinnamon, cloves
Prepare oranges, cinnamon (cinnamon), and cloves. Slice one orange thinly. Add enough orange slices to the jar. Then, add the cinnamon, cloves and water. You can use cinnamon sticks or powder. This scent can scent multiple rooms at once compared to other scents.
Lemon, rosemary, vanilla
Prepare lemon, rosemary, and vanilla extract. Slice the lemon thinly, then add the rosemary, cloves, and water to the jar. You don't need to add too much vanilla extract to give it a refreshing smell.
Lime, mint, vanilla
Prepare lime, thyme, mint and vanilla extract. Slice the lime into thin strips, then add thyme, vanilla extract, mint, and water. Just like the 2nd fragrance, you don't need to use too much extract so that the resulting fragrance is refreshing.
Orange, ginger, almond
Provide citrus, ginger (either whole or powdered), and almond extract. Slice the orange and ginger into thin strips, then put the slices and almond extract and water into the jar. The resulting fragrance will taste sweet.
Pine leaves, bay leaves, nutmeg
Provide pine leaves, bay leaves and nutmeg. Combine all ingredients and water in a jar. If you are using whole nutmeg, then you will need to peel the skin off to give off a unique nutmeg aroma.
Store the jars in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks (these jars can also be frozen for one month). When ready to use, let it thaw for 12 hours. Make sure you use a jar that is safe for it freezer. To get maximum results, try heating the jars so that the aroma from the jars comes out completely.
Another alternative
Apart from using the various ingredients above, you can also use live plants that can scent the room, such as geraniums, arabic jasmine, citrus, eucalyptus, gardenia, sweet laurel, stephanotis, yellowish, tea rose, corsage orchids, oncidium orchids, hoya flowers, trumpets and frangipani flowers.
