3 All-Natural Car Air Fresheners You Can Make at Home
Car air fresheners are common, whether you have a little Christmas tree hanging from your dashboard or one of those vent clips, but they have a couple of downsides. First, they’re expensive. While it may not seem like a lot to drop $5 or $6 on a two-pack of air fresheners, that money can add up — especially when you consider how quickly they run out of scent. Second, the artificial fragrances put into those air fresheners put synthetic chemicals into the air that can actually be pretty harmful. Making your own car air freshener is inexpensive, easy, healthier, and just plain fun.
Here are a few easy, all-natural air fresheners you can make at home:
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3 DIY All-Natural Car Air Fresheners
[wptab name=”Clothespin Vent Clip”]
Clothespin Vent Clip
If you’re one of those people who loves their vent-clip style air fresheners, this DIY project is for you. It’s the simplest air freshener on our list with just two materials: a small clothespin and essential oils in whichever scent(s) you like. Make sure you’re using essential oils and not fragrance oils; essential oils are far better for your health than synthetic fragrances because they are extracted directly from plants. To make this DIY air freshener, just put a few drops of your favorite essential oil(s) on the clothespin and clip it to one of your car vents (peppermint, lemon, and lavender are all great options). As the fragrance fades, you can add a couple more drops to the clothespin — or use a different oil if you’d like to change up the scent — and put it back in the vent.
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[wptab name=”Felt Pine Tree”]
Photo: Tony Alter
Felt Pine Tree
Okay, so maybe you like having the classic pine tree air freshener hanging from your rear view mirror. You don’t have to give that up to opt for an all-natural option; you can make your own with this DIY from Jo Borrás at Gas2. Just cut out a piece of felt in the shape of a tree — or any other shape you’d like — and add some essential oils. Use a single-hole punch at the top of the tree, loop a piece of string through the hole, and tie it to your rear view mirror. Just like the clothespin, you can add more essential oils as the scent fades, or you can change up the scent altogether with some new oils.
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[wptab name=”Mason Jar”]
Photo: McElspeth
Mason Jar Air Freshener
If you have a larger car, this DIY jar air freshener from Simple Life Mom will work wonders. There are a few things you’ll need for this project: a Mason jar, cardboard or construction paper, baking soda, essential oils, and a pencil.
You’ll want to start out with your Mason jar. You can use an off-brand if you’d prefer, but there are two requirements for the jar: it needs to be small enough to fit in one of your car’s cup holders and it needs to have a two-part lid with a metal band. Take the top off of your Mason jar and pull the metal lid out of the band; trace the lid on a piece of construction paper or cardboard and cut out the circle. Next, fill up the Mason jar about halfway with baking soda. Add essential oil of your choice (you can combine more than one scent, if you’d like) — about 15 to 20 drops. Place the cardboard/paper circle on top of the jar and seal it with the metal band (do not put the metal lid back onto the jar). Using a pencil or any other sharp object, poke a series of holes in the paper/cardboard to allow air to flow through. From there, just set it inside one of the cup holders in your car and you’re good to go! The baking soda will help absorb any unwanted odors while the essential oils will put out a nice scent throughout the car’s cabin.
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Sources: The Huffington Post, Dr. Axe, Simple Life Mom, Gas2, The Krazy Coupon Lady
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