Especially around fall and winter holidays, it's hard not to want to add that special touch to your home with fragrance. And if company is coming, you always want to get that lingering pet or fish dinner odor out of the air.

The problem is that commercial home deodorizing and fragrance products are laden with toxic chemicals that aren't healthy for anyone and that can set off asthma, allergies, and multiple chemical sensitivities in individuals prone to these conditions.

Rather than spraying, plugging in, or lighting odor-neutralizing or scented home fragrance products, try the following natural alternatives.


To eliminate odor naturally:

• Sprinkle baking soda in pet litter boxes.
• Sprinkle baking soda onto carpets about fifteen minutes before vacuuming.
• Pour white vinegar or lemon juice into the garbage disposal before running it. Or freeze these liquids into ice cubes and toss them into the disposal before running it.
• Put an opened box of baking soda in the fridge.
• Place bowls of white vinegar in odor-afflicted rooms.
• Use the AllerAir Tub O' Carbon Odor Buster in bathrooms or near litter boxes to absorb odors naturally.
• Try EcoDiscoveries AirZyme Air and Fabric Deodorizer as a safer alternative to mainstream deodorizing sprays.

To add fragrance to your home naturally:

• Soak some cotton balls in vanilla extract and put them in a small bowl in the fridge or in inconspicuous places around the house to add subtle fragrance.
• Boil some cinnamon sticks in some water on the stove.
• Sprinkle some cinnamon and sugar on a baking sheet and put in a warm oven to infuse your home with the holiday scent of baked goods.
• Start a new family tradition by making orange pomanders, which will fill your home with a citrusy sweet, natural, holiday fragrance.

Image courtesy of SJarmeredeJul.