Non-toxic air freshener - does it exist?

[instituute]

Please could you recommend a non toxic air freshener to me if there is such a thing?

Hope so!

I use one of those electric oil burners (from muji) and get nice oils from Neil’s Yard.

Oh and my sister used the oil and stick things.

Would have thought burning oils were more toxic

I would like an aerosol type thing that I can use that's not too terrible for our lungs or the environment

I also use pure essential oils in an electric diffuser.
It sends out puffs of air

I chuck essential oils on a few pine cones in a bowl. Low tech.

Burning anything at all is going to be toxic.

The safety of even essential oils isn't certain (many are toxic to pets also do be careful with that if you have pets).

We have gone for pure essential oils with sticks in a few rooms though as I think I am comfortable that the risks.

Some people use diffusers which don't burn the oil but I still think this creates a lot of particles in the air. One of the key risks of using essential oils is that limonene turn to formaldehyde and other pollutants when mixed with air. Lots of essential oils contain limonene.

Essential oils are likely safer than synthetic fragrances, and it's likely better not to burn/heat the fragrances but nothing is totally safe.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132312001394

If you want to improve indoor pollution (so perhaps offset some of the essential oil use) you can get lots of plants which can help filter some if the toxins. Regular airing is also a good idea (unless you live somewhere with high levels of pollutants outdoors).

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/lifehacker.com/this-graphic-shows-the-best-air-cleaning-plants-accord-1705307836/amp

Open the windows?

Read on a page yesterday if you put some orange peel and a cinnamon stick in a pan of boiling wate and let it boil, it will make a nice smell! Suppose it depends if you like the smell of orange and cinnamon though lol.

I burn incense sticks and scented candles. My cats are still alive.

Crabtree and Evelyn room fragrances are nice. I always think they are made with natural rather than synthetic products but they don’t seem to have anything about this on their website. They come in glass bottles with a spray pump. The smell doesn’t last for hours but it definitely freshens a room.

I came on to say open the windows as well

Doesn't answer your question OP but agree with pp - open the windows! I never understand people's obsessions with having scented homes.

"I never understand people's obsessions with having scented homes."

Neither do I. That said, I live in a village with very little air pollution. The only times it is unpleasant is when they are muck spreading on the fields.

You’ve obviously never had dead rats in your attic or behind walls. Or a leaky septic tank (or a dog that has fallen into the septic tank and done a victory dance around your kitchen).

Don’t you ever cool fish or lamb? They stink the whole place out.

Actually we have - dead mice under the floorboards, and a leaky septic tank, both of which we sourced the problem and dealt with it rather than mask the smells.

No, I don't cook fish because of the smell, and I don't find the smell of cooking lamb offensive.

Its hard to get horses, cows and sheep to wear nappies. The buggers just won’t keep them on.

Using vapour/burning/spray "air fresheners" only adds more scents to the place, doesn't fix anything. Work on the root problem - damp or dead things or badly ventilated kitchen or whatever. Your lungs will appreciate it far more.

Try living above to people who seem to live off fried fish and liver. Boak. And the cigarette smoke, oh yuk. And the smell of hookers (smoke not human) the smell of that even woke up the people above us.

That sounds vile. I'll give you that.

It’s quite awful sometimes. It smells like the 1970s when mum discovered those orange breadcrumbs for fish and she used to boil liver and heart for the dog.

Fair do's Fekko - my sister lived above a fish'n'chip shop for a couple of years and basically had to have the windows open continuously or it'd build up. She moved, after the lease was up. It was very cheap though!

We have an air purifier from silentnight, I love it. It’s on all day in the kitchen, our house doesn’t get much of a breeze through it.

As previously suggested, you must get essential oils with an electric diffuser.

It's more for my babies toxic waste. I hate hate hate fake air fragrances but, sometimes, one must make a choice