Seasonal scents are such a delight to the senses. The aroma of pine at Christmas, pumpkin spice and apples in fall, and spring flowers at Easter time instantly gives the home a seasonal feel. But there are so many things not to like about many air fresheners on the market. Let me take you on a sensory adventure as we search for the best eco-friendly air freshener options.

A plastic-free dilemma

For years, I was addicted to that candle store at the mall. You probably know the one I mean. I spent more than my fair share of money there over the years because every time I went in, they had something new that I just had to have.

When I decided to adopt a greener lifestyle, I had a dilemma. The scented candles they sell are pretty toxic, and the car jars and fragrance spheres I loved so much were plastic—and non-recyclable plastic to boot. Add to that the fact that some of the overpowering scents wreaked havoc with my scents-itivity, and I clearly needed to find better eco-friendly air freshener options.

Eco-friendly air fresheners

Some plastic-free swaps are easy. I have to admit that finding eco-friendly air fresheners was not at all easy. I tried several things to replicate those wonderful seasonal scents I could just buy in a jar—or plastic package—at the candle store. Some were a complete waste of time and money. Others worked better. My goal for today is to save you some trial and error—and maybe a little money too.

DIY options

My first thought was “let’s try DIY” so I eagerly searched Pinterest for options.

One of the first things I found was a simple idea of putting rice in a jar and scenting it with essential oils. It sounded easy enough and, as luck would have it, I had a jar that would fit perfectly in the holders I used for my fragrance spheres.

This one was a big fail. I couldn’t smell anything. I tried adding more drops of essential oils—still nothing. What sounded like a good idea turned out to be a waste of completely good rice and essential oils.

Not wanting to abandon DIY, I decided to make my own reed diffuser. I found a couple of different methods on Pinterest. The first used a mixture of almond oil, alcohol and essential oils. I mixed it up, put in the reeds and waited for the wonderful scent to materialize. It didn’t. I turned the reeds and used them to stir up the liquid. Still nothing.

I did some more research and found a different recipe. This one used hot water instead of oil. Despite adding way more essential oils than the instructions called for, it didn’t fill my bathroom with that wonderful scent I had experienced with store-bought reed diffusers.

Resigned to the fact that DIY was not going to work for me, I moved on to other options.

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Natural candles

I do like to burn candles and I’m still using up several that I bought at that candle store. I have to admit they make the house smell nice, but most mass-produced candles are made from paraffin wax. In addition to paraffin wax being a byproduct of oil refining, the fumes from the candle and the wicks may contain toxins. I’m always a bit nervous when I see the black smoke that comes off the wick when I blow out the candle.

After I use up my existing supply, I’ll switch to greener options made from soy or beeswax. Heck I might even try making my own, although DIY hasn’t been going so well for me so far. 

But, even with natural candles, you need to be very careful because of the potential fire hazard.

Ceramic flower diffuser

I found a ceramic flower diffuser at a local store. I liked the idea that it uses essential oils, and doesn’t need to be plugged in. It also looks pretty on my bathroom window ledge.

I tried filling the chamber with essential oils and couldn’t smell anything. Then I tried putting a few drops of essential oils on the flower. Still nothing.

Oh well. It still looks pretty on my bathroom window ledge. Now what?

Room spray

I picked up a natural room spray at Molloy’s—my favourite local, eco-friendly business. I keep a bottle in both of our bathrooms. It works pretty well—as long as I remember to give the room a spritz or two every time I go in. They also sell the room spray in bulk so I can refill my bottles. I like that it’s a low-waste option.

Plug-in diffusers

After trying all these eco-friendly air freshener options, I was feeling a little discouraged. I still hadn’t found anything that worked and there’s no way I’m going back to the plastic options from that candle store. I had a gift card from HomeSense so I used it to buy a couple of plug-in diffusers.

The plug-in diffuser on the left works really well in the bathroom. I simply add a few drops of essential oils and turn it on. It makes the room smell great. It does get fairly hot, though, so I’m careful only to use it during the day when I’m around.

I also love the tabletop cool-mist diffuser that I keep in my living room. A small bottle of essential oils lasts a long time. It’s a safer alternative to candles, and the coloured lights give the room a nice ambiance. It has a timer, and two mist settings to control the amount of scent being diffused.

Let’s not forget the car

I really did like those car jars I used to get at the candle store. Attempting to replicate the scent, I bought these car vent clips. They have little felt pads that you put a few drops of essential oils on. Then you clip them on your car vents. The idea is the fan will diffuse the scent and make your car smell wonderful.

Well, it does make the car smell nice—for about a day. I guess I’ll have to settle for my car smelling like a car.

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After a lot of trial and error, I settled on plug-in diffusers as the best eco-friendly air freshener option. I’d love to find something that doesn’t use electricity but none of the options I tried worked for me. I’ll keep searching and will let you know what I find.

If you’ve found plastic-free eco-friendly air fresheners that work, please tell me about them below!