DIY Natural Room Deodorizer

This homemade room spray (with 3 different scent options) smells so good, is made with natural ingredients, and is much, much safer than the store-bought stuff!

Homemade Air Freshener

Goodness, I love a good room spray! It wasn’t until I discovered all of the potential dangers of the chemical-laden fragrances used in store-bought sprays that I realized that I really needed to make my own (or purchase safer options — they do exist!).

This room spray is made with 3 really simple ingredients (one of which is water!) and checks all of the boxes: it actually works, it’s kiddo and pet safe, and is incredibly easy to make (I’m talking dump everything into a spray bottle and shake, easy). Let’s get to it!

What makes this room deodorizer better than store bought?

A couple of things actually! First of all, it’s much safer than store-bought, conventional room spray. Most of the air freshener sprays you’ll find at the grocery store are laden with mystery “fragrances” that can cause (or contribute to) all kinds of potential health issues. It’s worth noting that, as with all things that we put out there, this conversation is centered on simply giving you information so that you can make the best, most informed decision for yourself (no judgment one way or another).

Besides the potential health risks of regularly using products with chemical-laden fragrances, this room spray is significantly cheaper than store-bought products. Yes, there’s the upfront cost of the essential oils (that’ll be the most expensive part), but even those will outlast any store-bought room spray you can find!

Ingredients for Homemade Room Deodorizer Spray:

Here’s what you’ll need for this easy homemade room spray:

• Water – to start, you’ll need 2 cups of water. This will act as the base of your room spray!
• Cornstarch – cornstarch is really powerful at controlling odors! 1 ½ teaspoons will do the trick here.
• Essential Oils – now that the odor is controlled (thanks, cornstarch!), 10 drops of each essential oil (choose a combo below!) will help to add some *good* smells to the room or surface that you’re deodorizing.

Essential Oil Scent Combinations

• Citrus: 10 drops bergamot + 10 drops lime + 10 drops lemon + 10 drops grapefruit 
• Fresh Linen: 10 drops lavender + 10 drops lemon + 10 drops rosemary
• Floral: 10 drops geranium + 10 drops lavender + 10 drops sweet orange

How to make a DIY Room Deodorizer:

The process is incredibly easy! Simply add the water, cornstarch, and essential oils to a spray bottle (we use THESE), shake to combine, and then spray to your heart’s content! It’s important to know that the essential oils will rise to the top of the bottle between uses and the cornstarch will settle to the bottom of the bottle, so you’ll need to shake it before each use.

Where can I use this homemade room spray?

This spray can be used for a whole lot more than just open rooms. Feel free to spray it on clothes, furniture, shoes, stuffed animals, blankets, etc. 

Is natural room deodorizer stronger than store bought? Does the scent linger longer?

I actually have found that the scent lingers longer than store-bought room sprays. I don’t know the exact reason why — I suspect it has something to do with the potency of essential oils — but I’m really happy about it! 

What are the benefits of using a homemade deodorizer spray?

Fragrances can have a negative impact on our health. They may seem like such a small toxin exposure in the grand scheme of things, but there is a large amount of research that suggests otherwise. Fragrances are classified as potential hormone disrupters, allergens, asthma triggers, neurotoxins, and carcinogens, and running the risk of exposing my family to these kinds of things is just not worth it to me. Using a homemade, safe option means that my family is not exposed to these potential health risks (or at least, not *as* exposed).

Besides that, homemade room sprays are a lot more cost-effective than store-bought sprays. Bonus that they’re so easy to make!

Can I cater this recipe to have a different scent?

Absolutely! If you don’t like the combinations listed above (citrus, fresh linen, and floral) or you just want to change things up, feel free to experiment with your favorite essential oil combos! This recipe is super forgiving. My only advice would be to start out with less essential oil than you think you’ll need — you can always add more, but you can’t take any away!

How many uses can I get out of my DIY Room Deodorizer?

The short answer here? A LOT. The long answer: I don’t know the exact amount — that’ll depend on how many sprays you use per use, how often you use it, etc. Based on some light research, an average spray consists of about 0.85 milliliters, giving a 16-ounce spray bottle about 514 sprays. 

How to store Homemade Room Deodorizer? 

Store your room spray wherever you store the rest of your cleaning products — under the sink, in a closet, etc!