Vinegar works best to disinfect the air naturally and destroy bacteria. Take an empty spray bottle and fill it with one part white vinegar to four parts water and spray it into the air to freshen any room. To remove cooking smells from the kitchen, place a bowl of vinegar in the room. You can add lemon or orange peels to it but remember to dispose it off by the end of the day.
SPRINKLE
The good old baking soda comes handy to combat smell of any kind. It is also considered to be an all-round deodoriser, but it works best as an odour neutraliser by getting rid of those smells associated with acidic substances like pet urine or sweat. To remove the dampness in fabrics, carpet or upholstery — sprinkle some fresh baking soda on the area and leave it overnight. Just vacuum it the next morning. Sprinkle those foul- smelling shoes, socks or smelly gym clothes with this magic potion.
BAKE
This works best to get rid of kitchen odours. Just slice two lemons, and bake them in an oven for an hour or more. Turn off the heat and leave the oven door open for the soothing smell to spread into the rooms. The next best thing is to bake a batch of brownies. The warm aroma will waft not only in the kitchen but through the entire house.
SIMMER With just a few ingredients in the kitchen, you can create your own natural air freshener. Take spices like star anise, nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, cloves along with orange peels and lemon peels. Put them with water in a pot to boil for an hour. As the liquid evaporates, the stale kitchen air will give way to a lovely aroma. After the liquid cools down, strain it into a spray bottle and use it as and when required.
Make Your Own POTPOURRI
Potpourri not only makes for a nice decoration but is also acts as a pleasant air freshener. It gives the entire house an uplifting, spicy-citrus scent and can be used to fight strong cooking smells. You can customise yours by adding dried fruit, herbs, spices and essential oils. For homemade fruit and spice potpourri, thinly slice an orange or an apple and bake them for an hour and a half till they dry up. Once they cool down, add cinnamon sticks, cloves and transfer it to an airtight jar and leave it for 24 hours before using.
