Your Air Freshener May Be Toxic! 6 Organic Ways to Keep the Home Smelling Fresh

My daily routine goes like this: I come home from the office, change into comfortable clothes, and before the army of mosquitoes lingering in the room can attack me, I light a mosquito coil and run out of the room, shutting the door behind me.

For the next two hours, I faithfully ‘allow my room to vent’. Of course, it’s a delusion that the pollution will fade away after all the mosquitoes are driven out/murdered. But it is a delusion I have chosen to accept.

Breathe and let breathe. Opt for a chemical-free, organic air freshener over the toxic ‘solutions’ in the market. Check out our shop for ‘fresh’ options instead.

As much as I try to protect myself from ‘outdoor pollution’, like anyone else, I generate quite a bit of ‘indoor pollution’ right at home. For example, while I don’t smoke, I do diligently spray air freshener after my friends are done.

But since my pollutants were not as visible as vehicle exhaust smoke, the impurities slipped from my understanding.

But no more!

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Take air fresheners – the easiest go-to solution for bad smells. But let’s keep it real – most sprays only work when you spray them persistently and all over the room.

So we empty can after can of air freshener to maintain a pleasant smell.

Can we do without spraying all sorts of chemical pollutants in our own homes? Yes. Yes, we can.

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And here’s how:

• Chemical air fresheners contain a Toluene (a chemical used in some paint thinners) and Ethanol (flammable alcohol) among other organic and compound chemicals. These seem like unnecessary additions to our lives, for the sake of sweet smell. You can always simply buy a chemical-free spray. (Why not start with this one?)
• It seems that the solution to most environmental problems is to plant plants. And indoor air pollution is also one of them – as proven by a NASA study (they conducted it for their space-station, but it works just as well on Earth). These plants are readily available in India as well, and you can plant them in your rooms as natural air filters. The Green Spider Plant, Peace Lily, Variegated snake plant and Aloe Vera are good kickstarters!

• You can also have chemical-free pollutant absorbers in your rooms to get a fresh smelling and de-odorised space. All you have to do is hang these bags in your room. You should also place them in congested spaces like wardrobes, cabinets or even bathrooms. A bigger space demands a more powerful bag – so choose yours appropriately.
• Dog and cat hair can attract a lot of dust and are notorious for finding corners that we cannot reach. If you are a pet parent, be thorough with your regimes of sweeping and wiping floors. As much as possible, do so with chemical-free cleaners, like this one.

• Rearranging your furniture and decluttering things can also help in reducing indoor pollution. Organise the furniture and decor in a way that you can easily sweep or wipe the dust off. There shouldn’t be any ‘no go’ or ‘no reach’ areas.
• Additionally, you should go for home-made potpourri. Not only will it help you recycle withered flowers and citrus peels, but it will also ensure your home smells pleasant all the time! Here’s how you can utilise ‘waste’ flowers into something useful.

Such solutions may not be as simple as spraying a can of spray, but they are more sustainable- both in terms of the environment and the results they show.

Choose eco-friendly and let your home be a more liveable, positive and happy place!

You may also like: Give up Plastic Now! 10 Easy Ways to Kick-Start Your Eco-Friendly Journey.

(Edited by Vinayak Hegde)

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