Best Non-toxic Room Air Freshener

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These days there are so many options to “freshen” your living environment, but what exactly is the best non-toxic room air freshener option? 

In this blog post I will be sharing the best non-toxic room air fresheners and why you should make this easy and budget friendly switch!

I will be the first to admit that six years ago you wouldn’t find any bathroom in my home without those conventional room sprays we all know and have most likely used. Those scents of “floral breeze” and “ocean mist” oh sounds so good right?!

When I first started into my non-toxic living journey over 5 years ago, artificial fragrances were the first thing to go in my environment because it is one of the easiest to implement! Throw them in the trash where they belong!

What is an artificial fragrance?

If you guessed that there is nothing natural about “artificial” you were correct! Artificial ingredients are just that: artificial and made from chemicals. Most of these chemicals are made from a petroleum base, so whenever you are spraying these artificial fragrances in the air you are in essence spraying petroleum by-product with that. Yum! The scary part is, these artificial fragrances don’t have to be regulated by the FDA which means they can use whatever they want at the consumer’s disposal.

A study from the EWG reports that one artificial fragrance can contain up to 3100 stock chemical ingredients that the manufacturer does not have to report to the consumer.

If you want more info on living a less toxic lifestyle make sure to check out this post on 5 easy budget-friendly ways to get started!

Are artificial fragrances safe?

Artificial fragrances contain phthalates which is a chemical that makes the fragrance last and “stick” longer. Phthalates are a known endocrine disruptor meaning they can wreak havoc on your body’s hormone production.

Another known proponent of artificial fragrances is, benzene. You might have seen benzene all over the news lately with reports of major sunscreen companies and their ingredients with benzene. Benzene is a known carcinogen according to the American Cancer society.

I would not deem artificial fragrances safe.

Formaldehyde, yes the chemical they use to embalm bodies is sometimes added to fragrances as a preservative. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want that floating around my home just to make it smell better.

Respiratory issues such as asthma, Immunotoxicity and mystery symptoms are also known symptoms from the use of artificial fragrances in the home environment. I remember I used to deal with pretty bad headaches when I was using my beloved scented candles and wax burners in the home.

What is a good non-toxic room air freshener?

There is good news! More and more people are now demanding safer options for their health and home environment and more companies are now making safe options that smell even better and have the potential to cleanse our air not just masking it over with artificial ingredients. I will list my favorite non-toxic room air fresheners below.

What air fresheners are safe for humans?

As a consumer, you want to look for any product that uses natural essential oils or plant-derived essences. Avoid any item that contains the word “parfum” or “fragrance” unless it states that it is naturally derived. Avoid any items that contain “PEG” as these are petroleum-based products. The less ingredients, the better! Any items that use charcoal or baking soda to absorb odors are also great!

Is air freshener spray safe?

I will share some of my safe air fresheners but as stated above stay away from any fragrances that contain “fragrance” or “parfum” unless they specifically spell out that the fragrance is naturally derived from plant sources or essential oils. I would also stay away from any fragrance sprays that use propellant as a source for spraying. Propellants can be made from chemicals as well that you also don’t want in your environment.

What plug in air freshener has no chemicals?

There is a lot of greenwashing in my opinion with plug-in air freshener brands claiming to be “clean” and using essential oils but they won’t disclose any other ingredients. That in my opinion is a big red flag. If you aren’t aware of what greenwashing is, the basic idea is that companies are claiming to be “safe” and non-toxic when in fact they are not. I did find a good company called Enviroscent. They have a “never list” which includes ingredients you will never find in their products. The Enviroscent is a plug-in and has an area where you can place the scent pod and is refillable. They have many different options as well including car fresheners and diffuser sticks.

Best spray freshener for car

There are a lot of great non-toxic air freshener options for cars too! As I mentioned before, Enviroscent has a car option, specifically made for cars but a great option for cars is the Fresh Wave Odor Eliminator and spray. It’s made for strong odors and uses natural plant-based ingredients such as lime, pine needle, clove, anise, and cedarwood oils. You can also get a 2 pack for $15.98 which I think is the best bang for your buck!

Ok, now on to the list of the best non-toxic air fresheners!

Grow Fragrance

I have been using Grow fragrance for over two years now and have absolutely loved them. They have amazing smelling scents that actually cover up the bad scent and make your room smell amazing and not lingering of chemicals. They come out with seasonal scents which is always so fun. I always try to grab the seasonal scents when available. I keep one in our bathroom and one in our main room as those are the main areas of odor control! They are super transparent with their ingredients and all of their ingredients are 100 percent plant essence based. Grow Fragrance carries the USDA Certified bio-based product certification. This certifies that the products do not contain anything petroleum-based.

Essential Oils

I honestly think one of the best ways to purify any room or get rid of any stench is to use high-quality essential oils. You can use them in a DIY recipe for a spray or you can use them in a diffuser! A trusted brand I use that does not use any synthetic ingredients(which a lot of store-bought brands do) is Plant Therapy. They have so many amazing essential oil blends tailored to your needs ie: health benefits like immune boosting, or signature fall scents! I am currently loving the pumpkin spice! Another component I love is affordability compared to other leading essential oil companies on the market.

Enviroscent

As mentioned above, I love that Enviroscent offers a plug-in option for those who love their plug in air fresheners! They offer refillable pods which is also great. Non-toxic plug-in air fresheners are hard to come by so these are a great option.

Aera Mini Home Diffuser Plug-In

This is a very aesthetically pleasing option for the home especially for those who love the plug-in options!  You can adjust the setting to your preference of 1-5, depending on the size of the room and how much scent you want to disperse.

This device works in small or medium rooms depending on airflow and position. The scents all utilize 100% ethically and sustainably sourced high-quality fragrance and essential oils. You can even set it up to use with your Alexa device and can schedule fragrance dispersing times. The scents are all interchangeable as well.

Beeswax Candles

I love burning beeswax candles because guess what? They are beneficial to your health when you burn them! Beeswax candles clean the air by emitting negative ions to pull toxins like environmental pollutants out. They CLEAN your air! When you clean the air there is no foul smell lingering around making it the perfect non-toxic air freshener. Make sure to use 100 percent pure beeswax candles as candles often contain paraffin wax. 

Moso Natural Air Purifying Bag

If you are not into scents at all and just need something to prevent and keep any odors at bay I recommend these air-purifying bags!  You can use them anywhere in your car or home as they are safe around everyone including pets. They ionize moso bamboo charcoal to absorb and eliminate odors. What is really amazing about this product is that it can last up to two years if you perform “routine maintenance” meaning throw the bag out in the sun once a month for one hour. After using the bag for two years you can open it and use the charcoal as garden food and sprinkle over your garden to promote growth!

Fresh wave odor eliminator

I talked about this one above but I will talk about it again! This is a great product budget friendly thay will neutralize and absorb odors. You can use it anywhere from freshening your mattress or garbage cans to pre-treating your clothes before washing them. They have a “safer choice” label from the EPA. This program is voluntary, but companies who qualify for this label have invested a lot to make sure their product ingredients are safe for the consumer. I also love the price point in which you can get two bottles for $15.98!

DIY recipe

It is so simple to make your DIY non-toxic room air freshener!

A DIY recipe that is very interchangeable and very cost-effective:

You will need:

Propolis Diffuser

I saved the best for last! If you are truly trying to rid your room environment of stale, pungent smells, I highly recommend investing in a propolis diffuser. You heard me right, a bee propolis diffuser. Hear me out here; if you have not heard about the amazing health and air-purifying benefits of bee propolis, let me tell you! Bee propolis diffused works as a natural disinfectant and cleans the air you are breathing in.

Studies confirm that propolis, which is very rich in flavonoids, possesses many healthful properties. The flavonoids are then heated by the diffuser and emitted into the air killing bacteria, mold and other contaminants. In essence, this works as a very powerful air purifier.

It works by inserting a propolis capsule into the machine. When you leave it on continuously each propolis capsule lasts about 1 day. I generally turn mine on at night while we are sleeping. It is great for immune boosting benefits and enhancing respiratory function. I have dealt with asthma my life, and since using this machine I have had no asthma-induced issues.

They even have cute diffusers for children’s rooms and even car diffusers. This is my overall pick because you are purifying your air, not just covering up scents. Highly recommend this product, especially in cold and flu season!

You can use the discount code Cleanliving10 for 10% off!

I really hope this post on the best non-toxic room air fresheners has helped you out!