10 Simmer Pot Recipes To Give Your House A Refresh

Whether you're giving your home a spring clean, getting ready to welcome friends over for a get-together, or just want the whole house to smell fresh and inviting, there are several wonderfully invigorating simmer pot recipes for making fragrant homemade air fresheners. 

Not sure what a simmer pot is or why you would need one? Well, a simmer pot is essentially a stovetop potpourri bowl, meaning you put your smell-good ingredients in a pot of boiling water, let it simmer, and allow the fragrance to drift throughout your home. According to I Am A Food Blog, since simmer pots and homemade scents use all-natural dried spices and herbs, they are better for your health and much less expensive than scented candles. You may even already have the ingredients you need right at home. 

This recipe from Home Cooking Memories calls for 2 quarts of water, 1 sliced lemon, 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, and 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract. If you have cinnamon sticks in your spice cabinet, feel free to toss a couple into the pot as well. Then bring the pot to a simmer and enjoy the clean, fresh scent.

Lemon is one of the most powerful scents in your arsenal. Not only does it smell good, but according to WebMD, it can also improve your mood. Rosemary, on the other hand, is invigorating and earthy and can help clear your sinuses, explains Medical News Today.

Lime and mint aren't just a great combo in a mojito — they can also be used in a great invigorating simmer pot scent from Gathering Dreams. The recipe calls for 3 limes, a bunch of fresh mint and thyme, and some finely sliced ginger. Ginger, an herbaceous plant, is uniquely spicy, while the lime and mint are both bright, clean smells. The thyme gives the mixture an earthy edge. The vibrant smells of citrus, spice, and earth are said to give you an energy boost first thing in the morning, something that candles just can't compete with. 

Before you discard your holiday tree, snip off a few sprigs and store them in a jar in your pantry. Alternatively, you may be able to collect fallen pine needles and cones from around your neighborhood. 

When you find yourself missing those warming smells of the holidays, take a few of those sprigs and put them in some water on the stove. To make it a touch fancier, A Beautiful Mess recommends adding a 1/4 cup of chopped orange rind, 1/2 teaspoon of whole or ground cloves, 2 tablespoons of chopped apple peel, and a 1/4 cup of cranberries.

While there are few things as cozy and warming as a cup of hot apple cider, you probably can't bring yourself to drink it all year round. With this nifty simmer pot recipe, you won't need to actually make a pot of cider to get that delicious smell. Willow and Sage recommend slicing 1 apple and combining it with 3 whole cloves, 3 cinnamon sticks, and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice. Alternatively, you can also use star anise in place of the cloves for an equally intoxicating yet spicy scent. 

For this floral-scented recipe, Get Green Be Well suggests using 1 lemon, 3-4 oranges, dried or fresh lavender (around 1/4 cup dried or 1/2 cup fresh flowers and stems), and fresh thyme (around 1/2 cup fresh stems). Roughly slice the ingredients, bring the pot to a simmer, and let the smells of a green spring garden drift through your home. You can tweak this recipe to have more or less floral tones, depending on your preference. 

You don't need a wood-burning fireplace or an outdoor fire pit to make your home smell like a crackling fire with this smoke-free simmer pot recipe. Home Made Lovely recommends using mesquite wood chips, pear slices, and cedar sprigs to get your house smelling warm and cozy. This is a great scent for winter or summer, and anytime you want those classic charred notes in your home. 

When you think of citrus scents, you probably envision lemons, limes, and oranges, but their pink cousin, the grapefruit, delivers a tantalizing and energizing bitter-sweet scent. Lavin Label's recipe calls for 3 sliced grapefruits, 4 to 5 sprigs of lavender, and 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract. Cover the contents with water and simply bring to a simmer. We also recommend zesting a bit of the grapefruit peel into the water to bring out the earthy, bitter notes of this beautiful pink fruit. 

Love the smell of coffee but daren't have another cup after lunchtime, or maybe you just want to bring the smell of your favorite coffee shop home? Then this is the simmer pot recipe for you. To make it, all you'll need is 1 cup of coffee beans (whole or crushed is fine, but whole makes for easier cleanup), and a cinnamon stick or dash of vanilla. MTPak recommends using dark roasted beans as they tend to be oilier due to a longer roasting process. 

Few scents conjure up memories of being in a late summer garden like fresh basil and strawberries. This combo is delicious, not only on a salad or in a pitcher of icy water, but it also makes for a lovely simmer pot. Just take 4 to 6 sliced strawberries, a bunch of basil (don't skimp), and a splash of lime juice, suggests The Crowned Goat. This is also a great way to use up herbs and berries that are about to go bad. 

There's nothing basic about this fall favorite scent. With this simmer pot recipe, you will get the deliciously spicy smell of pumpkin spice latte throughout your home. Simmer 2 tablespoons of pumpkin spice (or equal parts ground nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves), a 1/2 cup of coffee beans, 1 cinnamon stick, and 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract. Or for a coffee-infused alternative, try this riff on the classic pumpkin spice scent from TfRecipes.