DIY Car Freshener With Essential Oils
Car fresheners may promise the smell of ocean breeze or trees, but they rarely deliver. Instead, cars end up smelling like the sharper versions of the aromas car fresheners are trying to mimic. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Store-bought car fresheners contain harmful chemicals that nauseate a lot of people.
Luckily, essential oils provide an alternative to these harmful chemicals. They are nature’s fragrance and deodorizer. They also have a bundle of health benefits, in contrast to the harmful chemicals in commercial car fresheners. If you want an alternative to traditional car fresheners, try this DIY car freshener with essential oils recipe.
Dangers Of Traditional Car Fresheners
Traditional car fresheners are made with synthetic fragrances. Often, these ingredients are not disclosed, so it’s difficult to tell how safe they truly are. Some synthetic fragrances, however, may be made with chemicals that cause diseases, birth defects, or aggravate conditions like dermatitis. They are dangerous because they can be absorbed into the bloodstream through prolonged exposure.
Benefits Of Essential Oils
Essential oils have different properties just as they have unique scents. You can combine different essential oils depending on what you will use them for and what type of aroma you prefer. Not only will you get all-natural, non-toxic fragrance from essential oils, but you will also receive various health benefits.
For a car freshener, a blend of spearmint, peppermint, melissa, tangerine, and rosewood is ideal. This blend helps reduce fatigue, stimulates the mind, relieves headaches, and boosts energy. This is perfect as a car freshener as it can keep you alert and help you stay calm while driving at the same time.
- Spearmint – Antibacterial, antiviral, reduces stress, and alleviates pain
- Peppermint – Antibacterial, reduces stress, and alleviates pain
- Melissa – Uplifts the mood, calms you down, and promotes healthy digestion
- Tangerine – Antifungal, antiseptic, uplifts the mood, calms you down, and energizes you
- Rosewood – Antibacterial, antiseptic, uplifts the mood, and helps with nausea
A DIY car freshener is also much more affordable than store-bought ones, and they can last just as long. A car freshener made with essential oils can last somewhere between 2 to 3 weeks.
Types Of DIY Car Freshener
This DIY car freshener recipe can be stored in different containers. You can use a small glass bottle with a wooden cap, a felt diffuser, or a spray bottle. There are pros and cons to each.
Glass Bottle
This may be a bit harder to find, but it is optimal for dispersing a car freshener solution. The wooden cap serves as the diffuser. The air freshener solution slowly evaporates through the wooden cap and spreads a subtle scent throughout the car. However, you can control the intensity of the scent by tilting the bottle so that more of the solution is absorbed and diffused.
Felt Diffuser
This is a particularly nice and colorful option. It works great for aromatherapy essential oil necklaces, but you can use it as a car freshener as well. You may need to add a few drops of essential oil every few days to keep the scent fresh.
Spray Bottle
A spray bottle gives you full control over the amount solution you disperse in your car. This method is long lasting and you won’t need to use it more than a couple of times a week.
Portable Nebulizing Diffuser
The Mobile-Mini 2.0 Nebulizing Diffuser is a great way to keep your car fresh. You can leave it in your car or you can bring it with you each time you commute or also move it from vehicle to vehicle. Using a diffuser gives you the full benefit of the essential oils while driving. This diffuser is strong and powerful and you may only need to turn it on for five to ten minutes at a time and the scent can linger for many hours if not subtly for days.
The four options we’ve mentioned are the easiest, most cost-efficient methods for storing and dispersing a DIY car freshener with essential oils. Regardless of which one you go for, you will still benefit from the scents and properties of the essential oils in the solution.
How To Make A DIY Car Freshener With Essential Oils
The Ingredients:
- 5 ml denatured alcohol (you may also use vodka)
- 5 ml Energy essential oil blend (spearmint, peppermint, melissa, tangerine, and rosewood essential oil)
The Steps:
- Prepare your chosen diffuser.
If you’re using a glass bottle or a spray, make sure it’s clean and dry.
If you’re using a felt diffuser, cut 3 pieces of felt in the shape of a circle or whatever shape you prefer and sew all the pieces together. Punch a hole in each of them and tie a string through them. (Note: if you’re using a felt diffuser, mix and store your freshener solution in a bottle for easy access later on.)
- Pour the denatured alcohol into the container.
- Pour 5 ml of Energy essential oil blend or equal parts spearmint, peppermint, melissa, tangerine, and rosewood essential oil.
- Stir the solution and cover the container.
- Hang your DIY car freshener inside your car.
Enjoy the fragrant scent of your homemade car freshener every time you drive your car.
Thank you for the excellent recipe. Would using isopropyl alcohol instead of denatured alcohol still work? Thank you.
I hope, you will come to the correct decision.
I’ve been looking for a recipe for a homemade diffuser for the car and this is perfect. I hate the artificial almost chemical smell of bought air fresheners. Can’t wait to try this.
I love peppermint and rose essential oils !
this is cool!
Much better option than artificial car refresheners. Both for one’s health and the environment.
Great recipe! 🙂 Synthetic scents in an enclosed environment I prefer to avoid.
Eww harmful chemicals, I didn’t even know.
Una gran noticia, seguro que la pongo en práctica
I’m going to try this with mine! Great idea.
muy buena información, Abra que ir pensando para tenerlo en el coche.
This is awesome! I never thought about using essential oils as car fresheners. I’m going to have to try it.
That sounds like a powerful blend. You may have just solved road rage! 🙂
Lovely scent (that is not toxic) without being overpowering is so important
What a great idea we all know especially in the heat too and with lots of travel lots of things being stored in the car all cars can get that weird stink!
this is so cool
I’ve always hated car fresheners but this one sounds amazing!
Perfect blends to inspire relax indulge the semses – really great info
great idea, it will help me a lot because I smoke in the car and it smells bad
It had not occurred to me to be able to make the car air freshener, thanks for the information, I will
Mmm love the smell of tangerine and it makes me think of a warm tropical beach, especially when it’s cold and gloomy outside. Would love to make a car air freshener with tangerine essential oil! I bet such homemade car air fresheners would make nice wedding favors or even Christmas gifts for the neighbors.
Thanks for the ideas and how to make ourselves!
Great ideas! Thanks for sharing these! Too many times I have stepped into a friend or family members car where they have those “little trees” hanging from their rearview mirror and I just know I am going to step out of the car with a headache. I was thinking this would make a great gift idea!!
very good information, the synthetic fresheners give me a headache
I am going to do up a little spray bottle for the car
Great ideas. Thanks for the share. I found it useful to dilute my oil with grapeseed oil otherwise the aroma is too strong for a small space.
This Portable Nebulizing Diffuser is amazing!
Thanks for the ideas! I love the mobile diffuser; it’s perfect for the car!
I just started using a felt diffuser in my car and have different color pads that I use different essential oils on depending on my mood that day. It is nice to be able to switch it up.
What a great idea!!! I never thought about making my own car freshener! Maybe because I don’t have a car, lol, but my husband does. And he LOVES the blended mixes of essential oils that I brew up! I call them witches’ brews because I put a little of this oil and a little of that oil, and VOILA! Instant heaven! And now, thanks to this great article, I have a new DIY project that I am so excited to try! Thanks so much for this great article!!! xoxoJJ
never thought about using the Mobile-Mini 2.0 Nebulizing Diffuser in my car, but wow! it sounds like a really great idea 🙂
I love the scent of tangerine in my car! 🙂
I use a spray bottle in my car. I like using lavender and rosemary.
I am into natural oils now for physical and emotional healing. I did not know about these Traditional Car Fresheners being dangerous because they can be absorbed into the bloodstream through prolonged exposure. That is scary. My granddaughter is pregnant right now! I will be telling her about this!! Thank you for sharing!
I love using essential oils as a car freshener. I have also used some drops on a handkerchief and put it under my driver’s seat, and that has worked amazingly well. I do need to add fresh drops now and then, but it is fairly long-lasting, and I get a lot of compliments from my friends who ride as passengers!