Homemade Gel Air Freshener
A cheapskate alternative to RenuzitĀ®
I'm typically outside most of the day tending plants and critters, but since my father-in-law moved in, I've been spending a lot more time than usual indoors. Thus, I have finally discovered why people use air fresheners. I bought a RenuzitĀ®, but found the smell to be overpowering and a bit cloying. It also turned into a useless, hard little lump of ickiness in a shockingly short amount of time, so I really wasn't keen on spending good money to replace it. So I decided to try the DIY route. I looked at a bunch of web sites and eventually came up with my own concoction - and it actually works!
A cheapskate alternative to RenuzitĀ®
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon agar agar powder
- ~2 tablespoons essential oil (I used peppermint)
- 1 tablespoon salt (anti-mold agent)
- Food coloring (optional - I went for green)
- A collection of jars
Instructions
- Place the water into a pan and add the powdered agar agar. Bring it to a boil while stirring continuously, until the agar is completely dissolved. Take it off the heat and stir in the salt, essential oil, and food coloring. Stir until salt is completely dissolved.
- Pour mixture into jars. Allow to set (about an hour at room temperature). I used a bunch of baby food jars so I could store the ones I'm not using in the fridge until needed. I poked a few holes in the metal lid for a constant subtle scent, but I remove the cover entirely when I need more power. š
Recipe Notes
My future daughter-in-law walked in after I'd finished and was wondering why the kitchen smelled like mint chocolate chip ice cream. I guess that's a success (she likes mint chocolate chip)! š
Recipe by
Jeannine
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Comments (11)
Wow very interesting! Thanks for sharing š
You're welcome! I enjoy practical science experiments. š
That is pretty awesome! I wonder if I can use jello? šš¤
From what I've read, you can apparently use unflavored gelatin - one site pointed out that the sugar in flavored jello acts as a mold magnet. While chia pets are cute, I doubt that fuzzy air freshener would be a good thing. š
š¤£
I may need to do this. Air fresheners can get expensive
It's super easy. Most of the sites I looked at recommended using gelatin, but I used agar because of my vegetarian tendencies (plus it's what I had in the house)...
That is good to know. Hey, use what you have
I like this! This will save me š°
Now you can buy more pastries instead. š
Yes! šš„ŗ