This all natural homemade Febreze is full of natural ingredients to help your home smell fresh without harsh chemicals! Made with natural ingredients and essential oils it’s safe to use and smells awesome!
I have a dog, and cats, and four men who live with me. Do you know what that means?? Things in my house get stinky!! (I of course contribute nothing to the problem, I smell like roses and lilies all the time! 😉
I do a ton of laundry, I clean, I vacuum, I mop… all the things you do to keep your house tidy and smelling fresh. But there are a certain areas that are a challenge to clean and get rid of odors.
I’m talking the cushion of the couch where my dog always lays, the inside of the teenagers stinky gym bag…even the insides of stinky shoes! I used to reach for a bottle of Febreeze or similar product and spray away, thinking nothing of it. Then I started learning a little bit more about the chemicals in cleaning products and have sought to eliminate most of them from my home.
You can go to EWG and find out more about what is lurking in your favorite fabric refresher… it’s not pretty. In addition to not wanting to expose my family to the chemicals the more I’ve gotten away from them, the more I hate the smell of artificial fragrances and cleaning products.
But I still have stinky areas in my house… and a dog, and boys… the struggle is real folks.
So I’ve been concocting… trying to figure out the best combo for an all natural, chemical free, fantastic smelling way to rid my home of odors.
And I’ve found it. This all natural homemade Febreze.
I love how this smells, it’s light, fresh, and clean. Just strong enough to smell nice but not overpowering. Best of all I can spray it on Sydney’s cushion and only smell the essential oils… not the stinky dog.
Me?? Stinky?? No way!
A quick word about the essential oils I’m using here. I will start by saying I hate the smell of Tea Tree oil… really really hate it. However mixed with the other two it is barely noticeable. I included it because it’s supposed to have great antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti-fungal powers, perfect for killing stink causing yuckies.
Cats can be sensitive to essential oils. While this mixture is super diluted and shouldn’t pose a problem, it’s a good idea to make sure your kitty can leave the room where you’re spraying it in case they don’t like the smell. (Quick note here- I am not an aromatherapist or vet, just a pet owner who wants your kitties to be happy. Here’s a great article about cats and eo’s)
Also I used witch hazel for this, you can also use rubbing alcohol it just has a much stronger smell so I like the witch hazel.
Here’s what you’ll need to make your own all natural homemade Febreze –
1- Cup Distilled Water
1- Cup Witch Hazel
10- Drops Tea Tree Oil
20- Drops Lemon or Lemongrass Oil
20- Drops Lavender Oil
1- Tbsp Baking Soda
An Amber Glass Spray Bottle (optional but recommended—> here’s my favorite)
I recommend using an amber or blue glass spray bottle for any mixture with essential oils, it helps keep the oils potent by protecting them from light. You can reuse an old spray bottle or a clear one, especially if you think you’ll use it up within a week or two.
The first thing you want to do is warm up your water, it doesn’t have to be real hot, just warm enough to dissolve the baking soda. Add your baking soda and mix until it’s completely dissolved. Then pour the water into your spray bottle.
Now pour in your witch hazel. Next drip in your essential oils.
Twist on your lid and give it a good shake!
That’s it!! All done and ready to use! It’s a good idea to give it a shake before each use to make sure the oils are dispersed well through it.
Now spray away your homemade Febreze and make your home smell super!! What are your favorite essential oil blends? I’d love to know what you’ll use!
My Favorite Places to Buy Affordable Essential Oils
Citrus Powered Scrubbing Cleanser
DIY Essential Oil Car Air Freshener
The EWG lists are always so helpful. So is this! We just got a new kitten so our house needs some natural Febreeze.
We have many of those ingredients, but no lemongrass oil, I think. Just lemon. And I will make sure the kitty isn’t around. She’s so young and I wouldn’t want this to offend or harm her.
Lemon would work beautifully, I find lemongrass to be just a little bit stronger of a fragrance. My cats don’t seem to mind this blend but I usually have the windows open!
What is the purpose of the baking soda in this recipe? I’ve started having real issues with chemicals and fumes and Febreze is one that really sets me off. This is so great. Thanks so much.
What is the brand of witch hazel used? In in the process of changing all my cleaning products to more natural so I’m a newbie 🙂
You know, I don’t remember. I think it was actually Rite-Aid’s brand, I don’t buy any specific brand so any will do!
Does it have to be distilled water or do you think filtered water from my fridge would be ok?
That should be fine!
I have made this a gazillion times, not to freshen our furniture but to combat ants!!!!! We have tons of ants in the house after it rains (and it is raining right now). It helps to keep them at bay. We have tried EVERYTHING else.
Will this stain couch cushions
I use it on mine all the time and it has never stained. I’d maybe try it on a small area just to be sure, since couches can be made out of a lot of different material.
What can you use instead of witch hazel? Other than vodka…anything?
Can coconut oil be used instead of witch hazel?
I don’t think that would work, the oil would likely stain fabric, you could use rubbing alcohol instead!