Sunday 12 May 2013

My Air Fresheners

Last week I mentioned homemade air fresheners, so here's the recipe I use to make them. First a few words of advice:

  • If you're prone to headaches, essential oils can make them worse, so maybe you'll want to use the minimum amount of  oil drops the recipe calls for.
  • Use small containers, like baby food jars, because larger ones may promote mould (mold) even with the salt. Some people use a dash of vodka instead of the salt.
  • Don't pour any of the gelatin down the sink as it will cause a blockage.
Ingredients

4 packages of unflavoured gelatin
2 cups water
food colouring
essential oils
1 tablespoon salt
wooden/plastic sticks (like for ice-cream, for stirring)

First put one or two drops of food colouring in each container. The size jar I used made 4 air fresheners, but yours may only make 3, so prepare 3 jars. Then add between 10-20 drops of essential oil in each container. 

Next place 1 cup of water in a pan and bring to a boil; add gelatin and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until gelatin is completely dissolved. Add 1 cup of cold water and pour into your prepared jars and stir to mix.

Your air fresheners will soon gel. These are especially good for small spaces like bathrooms. 
My favourite oils are lemongrass and citronella, both of which are anti-mosquito, but you can use whatever oils you prefer. 

Hope everyone where today is Mother's Day is enjoying your day. For those of you who believe in prayer, I ask that you remember my friend Judy and family. Judy lost her brother-in-law to cancer this past Thursday. She was going to the States this month for her great-niece's graduation, but, unfortunately, had to go sooner. 

Here's hoping for a good week for everyone. Wednesday is a holiday in Madrid though I'll have to work some. It's a day when most usually we get a bit of rain thanks to St. Isidro, whose holiday it is, and also marks the beginning of the bullfighting season and crowds of people and the noise they make in my area. ¡OlĂ©!        

5 comments:

  1. I always think of Billy Crystal and the movie "City Slickers" when bull fighting is mentioned!

    I am one who gets horrid headaches from strong scents, so I will not be trying to make your air fresheners, though it seems easy and I'm sure they are wonderful. I have to hold my breath when walking through the cosmetics counters in big department stores. There is no perfume in our house, at all. Sigh. I also have to sometimes change seats in church, at the theater, and even on an airplane because of women (and men) who put WAY too much perfume on. Sigh again.

    Stay out of the way of any stray bulls!!

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  2. Some people do seem to bathe in the stuff, and if it's perfume one should only use a dab.

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  3. Thanks for the recipe I think even I could manage that. :-) it sounds reald

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  4. thank you for the recipe-these look fun to make

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  5. Thanks for posting this..I can't wait to try it out!

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