Do you know the history of Febreze? In its original form, it contained only an odor eliminator. It had no fragrance component to it. And it didn’t sell. It only started to sell once they added the fragrance to it. Febreze essentially started that whole industry that makes us all (or most all) believe nothing is fresh unless it has a perfume smell attached to it. Now we think that everything has to have a fragrance. Only problem is that all those fragrances are made with toxic chemicals and are contributing to our toxic load.

This post was inspired by something I saw on Facebook today. It was a recipe for making a cheaper version of Febreze. Trouble with it was that it used fabric softener – just as toxic as the fragrances in Febreze! Here’s a better idea:

1. Start with a clean spray bottle. You can buy one for a dollar or two. Be sure you use one that hasn’t had anything toxic in it.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to the bottle. A funnel will make this easy.
3. Add in a cup of water
4. Add just a few drops of your favorite essential oil (optional). Don’t go overboard – subtlety is the name of this game.
5. Shake well. If you store it, you’ll want to shake it again just before use.

Photo Courtesy jesse? via Flickr