Room Fragrancers

[MissMuffins]

I have several different types of room fragrancer (yeah, yeah, I know--they're wasteful and they cause cancer). Anyhoo..

I'm getting mixed results with the wax potpourri warmers that are "the thing" now. I received a gift of one that uses a 7 watt incandescent bulb. I've used the brand name wax, and I've used soy wax fragrance cubes from the local discount department store.

Is it me, or do those things only last about two weeks?

MM

 

[Faith]

I agree, they're wasteful and they cause cancer.

I can't speak to the issue of soy wax candles because I never use them, but I can expand on your thread title/topic.

I use room sprays made with essential oils by Aura Cacia, in two fragrances: Orange Bergamot for the bathroom and Lavender for the bedroom.

I also keep a simmer pot going on the stovetop when I'm going to be home long enough to keep an eye on it. Water, lemon peels, cracked allspice berries, whole cloves, cinnamon stick, and a thin slice of fresh ginger. Since I drink glasses of lemon water all day, I keep tossing more used lemon wedges into the pot. It all smells so lovely. I buy the spices from the natural foods store's bulk bins, so each simmer pot costs mere pennies.

The bonus is that the simmer pot warms and humidifies the air... good for my skin and for my nose, especially during the cold & flu season. Otherwise, cold dry winter air dries out the nasal passages, which leads to micro fissures in those dry tissues where bacteria and viruses can easily gain entrance.

 

[MissMuffins]

Faith, have you got a recipe for a vanilla simmer pot?

Vanilla promotes rest and helps with nausea. For some reason, that guy who lives here isn't sleeping well and feels queasy from time to time. ;-)

MM

 

[Faith]

Hm, I guess I would just try cracking a vanilla bean and adding the seeds and pod halves to the pot. In the past, I've tried vanilla extract and lemon extract, but meh. I think cracked whole spices and citrus peels are the best by far. I've also tried essential oils but they are rather short-lived when heated. Also the oils are quite volatile and pose some risk if used near a flame.

 

[MissMuffins]

Hm, I guess I would just try cracking a vanilla bean and adding the seeds and pod halves to the pot. In the past, I've tried vanilla extract and lemon extract, but meh. I think cracked whole spices and citrus peels are the best by far. I've also tried essential oils but they are rather short-lived when heated. Also the oils are quite volatile and pose some risk if used near a flame.

I was thinking the same, for simmer pot: crack a bean, if I can find vanilla bean around here, and skip the oil. They're temperamental. I'll worry about it when my fragrance cubes are used up.

I guess it's not a complete wash...even though they don't do jack after about 2 weeks in the warmer, they retain enough scent to make the trash smell better.

Like I said, I received it as a gift. You know how it is: if you get it for a gift, you have to be gracious. Then I won one in a drawing, which I'd entered only to be polite. I should have re-gifted, but I was brought up to consider such things as "regifting" to be quite rude.

I'm trying to put "march of the soy wax cubes" to the beat of "dance of the sugar plum fairy" and it isn't working...

MM

 

[gorillagirl]

oooh, faith, post all your recipes here? sounds divine!!!!! and faith, it actually sounds like a p/t business enterprise!

i just put essential oils into small glass vials and open them up around the house

 

[Faith]

i just put essential oils into small glass vials and open them up around the house

That reminds me...
Before I vacuum, I soak a cotton ball with essential oils, usually a combo of lavender, lemon, and rosemary. Then vacuum up the cotton ball, and the exhaust nicely scents the rooms.

 

[thatoneperson]

I use Scent-Plugs from Yankee Candle: Scent-Plug® Refills - Yankee Candle I usually get apple or pumpkin scents. There was an apple & pumpkin scented one this year, so I bought that too.

I already had cancer so I guess I'm clear in that regard

 

[MissMuffins]

In addition to being a pleasing fragrance that promotes relaxation, lavender also repels insects. Those pretty little dried sprigs and sachets filled with dried blossoms have a practical purpose, too!

MM

 

[gorillagirl]

peppermint oil on cotton balls is supposed to repel mice. just soak cotton balls with p-mint and place them around areas mice frequent. bye bye mice.

 

[gorillagirl]

faith- you could write this book...all natural air fresheners...nice pics, great recipes.

 

[Faith]

Everything I know about simmer pots I got on the Internet.

Rather than write a book, I would encourage you all to experiment with different combos of your own favorite spices and a few wild cards. It's more fun that way! Buying small amounts from bulk bins makes it cheap and easy.

 

[Faith]

We've been hit by a surprise cold snap, which is very rare in SF. But the air is terribly dry.
So I've got a nice simmer pot going today, which not only adds humidity and fragrance to my apartment, but also helps keep it warm and comfy-cozy.

 

[SheLikesKitties]

Eucalyptus oil lasts for a very long time. Even days! It evaporates quite nicely.
I combine it with some other oil like lavender.

 

[Faith]

I only use eucalyptus when I have a cold and stuffy nose. Otherwise, it's a bit too strong for me.

I like combining two or three scents. But sometimes one scent of essential oil is just right. For example, lately I've switched from lemon to lemongrass, which has a subtler, more nuanced fragrance and stands up nicely all alone. I have a dried flower wreath hanging on the inside of my front door, and I dab a few drops of lemongrass oil on it every other day or so. Whenever the door opens and closes, a lovely scent wafts past.

Another tip...
White vinegar is excellent for removing nasty stale smells from the air, especially smoke. Just set out a few shallow dishes of white vinegar and it will absorb the odor. Your room might smell a bit like a salad bar at first, but once the smoke smell is gone, you can dump the vinegar down the sink and then start fresh with some essential oils.

 

[MissMuffins]

I laughed at myself when I saw I'd begun this thread.

The answer to my question is: yes. Those little wax potpourri cubes really do only last about 2 weeks in a "warmer". When one is accustomed to plug-ins that last 90 days or candles that provide a visual cue as to when the fragrance will end, the basis for comparison to the wax potpourri is a bit skewed.

I have moved from using petroleum wax candles scented with synthetic oils to soy wax candles scented with essential oils.

MM

 

[christina923]

saved your melted wax when the scent is gone...remelt...add your preferred scent to the wax. either save the tray the cubes came in, or use an ice tray to re pour the cubes. some scents don't "throw" as well...but fun to do.