Air fresheners

As you can cope with the 'expensive' oil-type diffusers I expect that you're just being a snob!

I don't like aerosols but I think it is good to have some kind of air freshener available so when a 'pump type' spray was empty I refilled it with very cheap vodka and essential oil. I don't think that would cause any allergies. I know those solid ones can make people feel strange.

I only use one in the bathroom for when the toilet has been used... I do not like them in the house, for fresh air I open windows every day , why introduce chemicals into your house unnecessarily? If you open windows each day the house is refreshed. Mostly the smells are overpowering and sweet and cloying.

Ouch -that's a bit sharp Riverwalk.
It really is a genuine question and there is nothing snobbish about going into the house of a friend and having to come out a short time later gasping for air. I mention the type of oil as perfumes, scented candles and things like hand moisturisers can all have the same effect, but I have more tolerance for some than for others. I've wondered if it's because these are made with natural, rather than chemical compounds - which are possibly going to be more expensive. Is that snobbish?

I use the reed type, which seem to give a gentle perfume to the rooms. For the bathroom I make up my own air freshener with a few drops of lavender essential oil and water in a pump-action bottle. Works nicely. Not too keen on aerosols.

grannyactivist - I totally agree with you. I do not have any problems with the scent of most aromatherapy oils but the synthetic smell of aerosols and blocks sets my asthma off as do highly perfumed skin products.

As tanith said I mainly open windows both summer and winter to keep the house smelling fresh - along with regular cleaning.

Does anyone else have any problems when passing Lush shops - even from the outside the smell starts me coughing.

Yes, Lapwing I sometimes have to cross the street when passing a Lush shop. I did attempt to go in once to buy something for my daughter, but had to leave, coughing, before I could complete my purchase. The very sweet assistant followed me outside to check I was okay and the transaction was completed on the pavement.

I have an air freshener in the downstairs loo and up until recently just relied on opening windows to keep the air fresh. Sadly my old dog has started passing wind quite frequently and having tried a variety of freshness have decided scented candles work best for me. I've found some quite pleasant orange scented ones.

I hate them and even worse is those sprays one is supposed to use instead of washing cushions , dog beds , hubbies fav coat etc , the ads make me heave

Anya I can understand your wanting to mask that particular smell.

Freshener in the bathroom. Anywhere else is open windows, a quick mop of the floor with well diluted flash, and occasionally a scented Yankee candle.

I can't stand them either, or scented candles, so don't use them (but I will defend to the death your right to use them, as someone didn't quite say). About 10 years ago, I think, there was some research to suggest that they contributed to postnatal depression and new mothers were advised not to use them, but I don't know if that's still the case.

Another thing I don't like is the smell of fabric conditioner (which I also don't use and can't see the point of), which comes belching out of tumble drier outlets, including that of my next-door-neighbour. It makes part of the garden a no-go area, and she seems to do a lot of washing!

I too find most air fresheners give me a headache. If we have curry, I often use an oil burner with essential oil of lemongrass. Love the idea of the home made lavender spray - must try that.
It's just another marketing making money thing - all the ads for air fresheners etc.

I have heard that certain air fresheners can be linked to causing cancers. I don't use them. I will use, if needed, an essential oil in some water and shook up and sprayed around but mainly just open windows. I also use tea lights or treat myself occasionally to a scented candle but usually at Christmas etc.

I hold my breath going past Lush and Body Shop - the smell is so overpowering.

Considering their products are supposedly natural I wonder if they use one of those 'ambient retail scents' that pump out manufactured smells.

I do think that the cheaper candles use a nasty wax, rather than a natural one. Which is why they are cheap, of course. I have heard that they are a risk to health, too.

I hate the artificial smells that plug ins, aerosols and those candles emit. DH calls them "itchy smells" and I know what he means. A little essential oil here and there is best, or opening windows.

Scented flowers provide a lovely smell all around the house. Especially the hyacinth bulbs, at the moment. x

I once stayed in a B and B that had those plug in airfresheners in the room. I unplugged ours and put it on mantelpiece as I wanted to use the plug to charge my phone and I hated the smell. The oil or whatever is in the airfreshener leaked out and stripped a circle of paint off the mantelpiece. Goodness only knows what chemical it contained, obviously something corrosive, can't be doing the lungs any good.

Lots of household things will do that Susie . I once left a bar of baby soap on a window sill over night and it took the paint off. I used the very minimum of soap on my baby (DS1) after that and none at all on DS2 as he had eczema.

I never use air fresheners because most of them are full of nasty ingredients like phthalates, benzene, formaldehyde, parabens and petrochemicals. These can cause all sorts of health problems. The NRDC in the US (National Resource Defence Council) produced a report warning against using these in the home. If you just look up Air freshener in Wikipedia, you'll find a good explanation but there's lots of information through Google too. Essential oils in a burner do the same job without the dangers.

As to candles, the cheap ones made from paraffin wax can cause asthma and cancer. See this BBC report news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8211543.stm
It is less alarming than some reports you can find but it does make the point that you should make sure a room is well ventilated when you burn a candle.

Candles made from beeswax are not that expensive and are lovely.

I once saw an article about Febreze (I think it was).
They had created an air freshener that did just that, freshened the air with out leaving any other smell. It didn't sell well and when they did research on why that was, they found out that a lot of people with smelly houses didn't notice the smell and didn't notice the improvement either.
They, as well as people whose houses weren't smelly to begin with, liked to have a perfumed scent.
I'm in agreement with everyone on here who is saying 'what's the point?'. I might try the vodka & lavender oil idea for the bathroom, tho, for when it's too cold and/or windy to have the window open.
(Or I might just drink the vodka so I don't care about the smell!)

With you on your last point, Farnorth Cheers!

My attempts at using vodka and lavender oil was a resounding failure, waste of vodka, so am with you on that FarNorth! I usually leave the window open but living on the top of a hill it's often too much fresh air!

I'm getting too much fresh air even with the windows shut, at the moment.