As homesteaders, we love to plan and dream for the obvious parts of our homesteads: gardens, barns, outbuildings, animals, and more.
But, I think we often forget about one of the most important aspects of our homestead way of life: our homes.
It’s wintertime in Wyoming, which means that I am spending much more time inside than usual. As much as I love summer, I also enjoy the winter months for the chance to focus on my home and relish in a slower pace.
I invite you to join me on a journey as we strive to make a home that is welcoming, comforting, and inspiring, not only for our own family, but for our guests as well.
Over the months of January and February, you can expect a variety of posts that will feature homemaking as a part of developing our homestead way of life.
First up, I want to discuss a concept that I call “Homemaking for the 5 Senses”.
There are countless ways that we can help to make our homes more welcoming and friendly. In an effort to simplify these ideas and make them more manageable, I’ve broken them up into the 5 sensory groups: smell, sight, hearing, touch, and taste.
Today, we are jumping right in and talking about how we can use the sense of smell to create a welcoming atmosphere in our homes.
The Aroma of Homemaking
You might be thinking this is a silly place to start. Maybe you were expecting tips on decluttering or organization– you know, the “big” stuff. But take a moment to think about some homes that you have visited that have made you feel welcome and at ease. What are some of first things that you notice when you walk in the door?
For me, I love it when I walk into a house and it smells cozy and warm. When people enter my home for the first time, I want them to instantly be put at ease.
There are many ways to freshen up the scent of your home. In the past, I had an addiction to plug-in air fresheners and room sprays. It’s been years since I’ve purchases those items, thanks to my now-natural lifestyle, but that hasn’t kept me from keeping my home smelling fresh!
Natural & Frugal Ways to Freshen Your Home
1. Candles- this is an obvious one, but I love my candles. Not only do they fill my house with wonderful scents, but a flickering flame can “cozy-up” most any room. On those cold winter nights, you’ll always find at least one candle burning at my house. I especially love the warm scents like sugar cookies and vanilla, as well as the “spiced” ones such as apple cider, pumpkin, and cinnamon.
2. Vacuum and Mop- A home that is clean will usually smell that way. I always mop my floors with a simple mixture of vinegar and warm water- you could even add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to boost it’s scent. But even with just the plain vinegar solution, the air always seems fresher when I’m done.
3. Target “stinky” trouble zones- A few of the worst offenders in my house are my garbage can, diaper pail, dishcloths (am I the only one who get stinky dishrags??), and the garbage disposal.
I try to make sure that I empty my trash can frequently (and I avoid throwing away potentially smelly food scraps by feeding them to my goats or chickens instead) and give the diaper pail a good scrubbing whenever I wash diapers (I use cloth).
I haven’t found a good remedy for smelly dishrags, other than simply swapping them out often. If you struggle with the occasionally smelly garbage disposal, check out my 3 frugal methods for freshening your disposal.
4. Open a window- Air just seems to get stale after a while. Open several windows to create a cross-breeze and allow things to air out. This can be a little more difficult in colder weather, but even in the winter I usually can find a day here or there that is warm enough to allow for some “window time”.
5. Bake- Who doesn’t love the aroma of warm baked goods wafting from the kitchen? I think many of us have good memories connected to those scents. When we have company over, I often like to wait to bake any breads or dessert items until right before they are scheduled to arrive. That way, they are hit with the smell of freshly baked bread right when the walk in the door.
I don’t know about you, but homecooked food always makes me feel welcome. My Soft Molasses Cookies and Sprouted Chocolate Chip cookies will do an excellent job of making your kitchen smell cozy.
6. Make your own air fresheners- Forget the expensive, gimmicky chemical sprays and oils at the store and make your own. There are TONS of different ideas and recipes online. Most of them are incredibly simple, frugal, and a great project that the kiddos can help with.
- I love this idea for a simple air freshener made out of a mason jar and baking soda. How easy is that?!
- If you are in a pinch, you can simmer some spices (cinnamon, cloves, etc) or a bit of vanilla extract in a cup or two of water on your stove.
- Here is a recipe for homemade “gelly” air fresheners. These would make great gifts, too!
- Reed diffusers are all the rage right now. Skip the expensive store-bought ones and make them yourself instead.
- Save old spray bottles and fill them with your own concoctions for homemade room spray. I’ve included my recipe for Peppermint Room Spray below.
**Updated Version** Peppermint Room Spray
You will need:
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 10 drops of peppermint essential oil
Combine the water and vinegar. Add in the peppermint oil.
Place in a re-purposed spray bottle and use liberally whenever a room needs a little freshening up.
Simple Peppermint Room Spray
Notes:
- Give the bottle a good shake before you use it each time.
- I orginally posted this recipe as calling for baking soda. However, I have since changed it. I was noticing a “mysterious” white substance all over my table and countertops, and finally figured out it was the previously airborne baking soda (D-U-H). So, I switched to the vinegar instead. Still deodorizing, but not as chalky.
- Feel free to experiment with different oils and extracts (lavender or orange would be lovely too). The sky is the limit!
- I love this spray because it definitely freshens a room, but isn’t overpowering or “perfumey”
Be sure to subscribe to The Prairie Homestead so you don’t miss a post in the Homemaking on the Homestead series! What’s coming next week? We’ll chat about homemaking for the sense of sight, as well as showcasing some repurposed decorating ideas!
This post is shared at: Frugal Friday, Living Well Blog Hop, The Better Mom Link-Up, Monday Mania, Fat Tuesday, Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays, Handmade Tuesdays, Teach Me Tuesdays, Domestically Divine, Frugal Days Sustainable Ways, Raising Homemakers, We are THAT Family, Women Living Well, Simple Lives Thursday, Proverbs 31 Linkup,
I cannot handle using dishrags anymore. I ONLY use the scrubbing wands now. Whenever I am at a friends that doesn’t have one my hands wreak when I am done.
Just ordered some essential oils so this is timely for new ways to use them!
Never tried scrubbing wands- might have to look into getting one of those instead!
I use these wands http://www.amazon.com/Company-650-12-Scotch-brite-Heavy-Duty/dp/B00450LLYA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1325869165&sr=8-5 They last a good amount of time and just like a sponge you can wash it in the dishwasher or pop it in the microwave for a bit in a bowl of water with some Solumel http://www.melaleuca.com/ProductStore/Product.aspx?sku=130 it is a Tea Tree Oil product.
I can’t and don;t want to use bleach. We have switched over to all cleaning products that do not require a safety cap. In fact my son started spraying something the other day, it was so nice not to worry about poison being all over him and me.
What kind of spray bottles do you use. It seems like every one I have used stops working very quickly, it gets all stopped up and not longer squirts. Maybe it is just because I am cheap and by the $1 or travel ones and those aren’t good quality.
I totally agree- I love the fact that my 20 month old can play under the sink and the worse thing that she could get into is vinegar or baking soda.
As far as the spray bottles- I’m in the same boat as you right now… I’ve ruined several “repurposed” ones by clogging them up with my experiments. So far, I’ve just been using the cheapo ones, but would like to find a better quality options. Will have to start looking around!
we put our dishrags in the laundry each night after the kitchen has been cleaned. Start everyday with a fresh one. I love these airfreshener ideas! Those you buy are so perfumey that they irritate my nose!
I put mine in the washer every 2-3 days in the winter. But in the hot summer, I usually end up washing every day. They get worse much faster then!
When my dishes are done, I put just a few drops of bleach in my water, swish my rag around and then hang it to dry. It’s nice a fresh smelling the next morning….
Dish rags will smell less if you wash them out completely with soapy water hang them to dry after each use. Let them dry out completely even before washing them in a washing machine. I know everyone wants to just ball them up and forget about them until laundry day, but the molds that grow and ruin clothing with spots and a smell is deposited that can never be taken out . The pathogens contained dish rags are composed of old food particles, from swiping out the sink and so forth. If you wouldn’t give your infant one of those dish rags to suck on, its dirty and needs to be taken care of. Sorry, this is a sensitive topic for me.
If you wouldn’t give your baby the rag to suck on, what makes anyone believe that same rag is good for washing the dishes we eat off of? I’m extremely allergic to the molds that grow in smelly dish rags so we need to be extra careful that they don’t go ‘off’. Once a week we do use bleach on them, but you can use peroxide instead if you don’t want to use bleach. Boiling them in water after washing them can help as well. There is nothing more treacherous to my health than washing a dish I may use with a smelly rag. Guests won’t enjoy the off putting smell either.
Thanks for sharing Angela! In the past, I have been guilty of balling them up and forgetting about them. Eek. But, it’s been a little better since I started rinsing them out well after I use them and spreading them out to dry. As mush as I hate bleach, I think I just might have to use it for my dishrags!
Hi! I too have stinky dishrags, even after rinsing and laying over a rack to dry at night. I soak mine in white vinegar every few weeks, I just combine 1 part cold water with 1 part vinegar so that I have enough liquid to cover the dishrags and soak them 30mins or so. I don’t remember where I read this tip, but it has worked wonderfully for us.
Will have to try this for sure! I’m up for anything that uses vinegar. Love the stuff!
Thanks for starting with this. Our main entry is through our mudroom… past the barn boots and clothes. Because of the layout of the house and land, we have no other option. But as you can imagine, smell is always an issue!
That is how our house is, too! You have to pass through our piles of barn boots and winter coats before getting into the rest of the house. It can be challenging for sure!
I love to make our house smell cozy too. I have a steamer on our coal stove for humidity and I put a few drops of essential oils in the water. I can change the fragrance daily if I choose. The heat from the stove radiates the smell through the whole house.
I love that idea Rebecca. Oh how I wish we had a coal stove… We are stuck with propane for now.. :/
Do you have a microwave? You can microwave dishrags. 1 minute for dry ones, 3 minutes for wet ones (though I have accidentally scorched a few–oops) it kills the bugs and the smell. I try and use a new rag every day, but if they get smelly this works too. I’ll do it before butting it in the washing machine too, because just washing it doesn’t always get the smell out.
Actually, we do have a microwave (for the time being anyway). Never thought of doing that. I’m kind of uncomfortable with what a microwave does to my food, but I suppose it can kill all the icky bacteria that it wants!
I really enjoyed this post & am looking forward to trying out these recipes for homemade air fresheners. Thanks! Holly
I am also a big fan of cleaning with vinegar. It smells so fresh in my house after I give my bathrooms and kitchen a good wipe down with a homemade cleaner I am make using vinegar.
Twitter: Laurelofleaves
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What a cool series you’ve started! I so agree, I notice the scents and smells of a house as well. It can be hard when it’s your own though, since you become so used to it over time.
Candles are one of my favorite things in the winter months. I try to only burn soy or beeswax candles since the paraffin can release toxins into the air.
Nope, we don’t usually have issues with smelly dishrags. When we do, it’s usually in the summertime.
Or whenever Jason forgets to wring it out and drape it over the edge of the sink lol
I also use vinegar and baking soda for most of our cleaning. Only thing we use chemicals with is the bathroom. It’s hard to get the well water rust-colored stains out otherwise. But we use environmentally friendly cleaners in there. Maybe if I was just willing to put in the extra elbow grease, we wouldn’t have to use them LOL
Thanks for sharing that air freshener recipe! I very much look forward to trying it once I have an empty spray bottle handy!
I like this series you’ve started! Jason and I have homesteading dreams, but we’re not there yet. We’re slowly working our way there though, for sure!
First thing I notice when I go into a persons house is the smell. Sometimes its not so nice and I often wonder if my house smells good. Thanks for the great tips.
I myself have had issues with smelly dishrags. I found a couple things that worked for me. Of course changing it out every day helps. Spreading it out to dry , like over the divider between the sinks. One thing that made a big difference is sprinkling baking soda on the rag and letting it sit, or even dry on it. Sometimes mine would stink even with washing, but this pretty much eliminated the smells. Sometimes I leave the baking soda to dry on it and then throw it in the towel pile with the soda still on it.
Another thing I found that works is bamboo dishcloths. I think they may be hard to find though. I had bought some from Kohls (Food Network brand) a few years ago and the bamboo blend really made a difference! If you knit or crochet you could make your own with a bamboo yarn..
Ooooh, I like the baking soda idea! Will have to look into the bamboo cloths. I don’t knit, but maybe I can find some in town. Thanks for the ideas!
What a good idea…..we never think about how simple things are to make. We just fill our buggies with products that are so harmful for us. I would love for you to share this at my first Linky Party this Friday @ 9:00pm over @CountryMommaCooks….Hope to see you there and have a Blessed day!
Love all the ideas, so simple and easy! I love a good smelling home!
What great ideas! I’m going to have to make up some of your air freshener. I often set a small pan of water to simmer with cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. – citrus peel is nice, too. The downside is that I then have a pot to clean when it’s all done, and I have to remember not to leave it on the stove for too long – yikes! Burnt spices are not so nice, speaking from experience
Wow, I love this air freshener idea! Thank you!
(Found you via SortaCrunchy’s Green Resource hook up.)
FABULOUS SITE…. THANK YOU
I don’t use dishrags at all! I found these wonderful scrubbers called Spagetti Scrubbers by goodbye detergent. They are made from peach pits and corn cobs, absolutely WONDERFUL and they last for months! ( they dry quickly and so they also don’t harbor any of the nasty smells like a sponge or dishrag)
I have a short term trick for smelly dish rags and icky sponges. After each use I spray them with a littlr lydol and toss them in the microwave just long enough to dry them. My sponge is usually about a minute and two for my rag.
a dry sponge is a happy sponge.
Wow. Auto correct really took over. I meant *a little Lysol.
I recently just started a more frugal living and love the idea of making my own air freshener. Thanks for the recipes and other ideas!!!