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These Kitchen Ingredients Are The Secret To A Fresh-Smelling Home
BY RACHEL ANN MELEGRITO
Keeping your home's air fresh is not always simple, whether it's the lingering odor from drains, the mustiness from mold and mildew, pet smells, or various other sources.
Citrus fruits like oranges have a strong scent that neutralizes odors, and salt, especially rock and Epsom salt, absorbs moisture, making them excellent natural deodorizers.
Create a healthy, economical deodorizer by cutting an orange in half, scooping out the pulp, then adding several spoonfuls of salt into the rind.
For extra fragrance, you can add rosemary, mint, thyme, flowers, and essential oils. You could also use a different citrus fruit, like lemon or grapefruit.
Make sure to place your deodorizer out of reach of pets and children, and replace it every week to keep your house smelling fresh.
To create a potent deodorizing spray, submerge the peels of two to four oranges in 4 cups of rubbing alcohol in a glass jar and leave it in a cool, dark place for a week or two.
Combine one part of the mixture with one part distilled water, add 10 to 20 drops of orange or another essential oil for extra fragrance, and spray it in the air or over linens.
Alternatively, cut sun-dried or oven-dried strips of orange peels into smaller pieces and mix them into your potpourri, or use them to keep pests out of your plants.
To make pomander balls, stud a whole orange with cloves, decorate it with ribbon, and dry it in a paper bag for a few days. Use these balls to scent closets, drawers, or shelves.