Welcome to the new series I am starting – Aromatherapy Series. In these series I will share some tips on using essential oils and herbs in your household in a way that is friendly for people like myself who suffer from respiratory allergies; also in a way that is friendly for the babies and younger children.
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You have probably seen tons of sites and blogs that promote aromatherapy and green living. While I am really far from living “green”, I like making use of fragrances, oils and herbs in simple and eco-friendly ways.
As you have read before, we moved to a new apartment. While this building is much newer than the one we used to live in, it seems it has a piping problem and we get very smelly drains in both bathrooms! With smelly drains I’ve tried a number of thing before and nothing quite worked, not even so well-known baking soda and vinegar rinse.
Since we also live in a very high humidity area (as high as 100%!) besides running ACs all summer and during humid seasons to keep the house dry (lots of carbon print here, yes, but I can’t breath in hot and humid air well), we have recently invested into a small dehumidifier that works well for keeping the bathroom dry. And well, it helps with the smell in drains too!
So one thing I learned: high humidity and moisture = smelly drains.
So, tip #1: keep your bathroom as dry as possible.
Tip#2: pouring a cup of water into the drains a couple times a day also helps with washing all the yuck down.
Tip #3: don’t wait on unclogging your drains. That soda + vinegar rinse is a good prophylactic measure against clogging.
Tip #4: make your own simple bathroom fresheners. They are not only natural, they also guarantee nice pleasant smell without any surprises and much more eco-friendly and children-friendly.
Here’s what I made after much research: rice and essential oil/fragrance oil bathroom freshener.
It is SO simple to make and it can be pure fun to make with a toddler (as long as it does not go into his mouth! ) or an older child.
You will need:
A small container or a saucer
Some rice – the cheapest kind
Oil of your choice
I used the folloing mix: 6 drops of Lemon Essential Oil and 4 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil mixed with a teaspoon of Fractionated Coconut Oil for the container in the picture. You can try different oil combination to suit your preferences.
Spread the rice in the container. Drop the oil in and mix with a spoon or a chopstick. Place in your bathroom and enjoy a mild and pleasant fragrance.
If you are new to aromatherapy, use one oil at a time, mixing small amount to accommodate new sensation of rich smells . If you wish like experimenting, do it in a separate bowl mixing oils 1 drop at a time till you get desired consistency (e.g. 5 drops of your favorite fragrance and then 1 drop of another which you want to add for zest. Add another one if you feel it isn’t strong enough).
Also, take your time to add the oils and give a few minuts for the smells to settle: the initial smell when the oil JUST comes out from the bottle may be either very strong or not even felt at first, depending on the oil you choose. But the stronger first smell might evaporate quick, while the almost invisible one can become very strong after reacting with the air. For example, that’s how Sandalwood oil works – it suddenly hits you in a heavy way after being few minutes in the open air.
I hope you enjoyed this simple recipe and tips. Wishing you all health and a pleasant mood!
