AROMATHERAPY FOR YOUR HOME

By:  Jennifer O’Connor

Toronto Star

I can handle dusty shelves or an upswept floor, but I cannot stand it when my apartment smells stale, or worse, stinky.


That’s why I use lavender and tea tree oils in my kitchen. In my bathroom there’s a dish of dried rosebuds that I got at the health food store. I also get beeswax candles there or at the farmers’ market.

I consider the scent of my home to be as much a part of its decor as a rug on the floor or the knick-knacks on my shelf.

And I’ve learned there are a few simple and not-too-expensive ways to express your olfactory style.

First, says Danielle Sade, director and instructor at Healing Fragrances School of Aromatic Sciences, it’s “very important to understand that we have to eliminate the chemicals in the home, like cleaning detergents.” (The City of Toronto has some enviro-friendly recipes for cleaners on its website, www.toronto.ca/garbage/hhw.)

Also, throw open the windows every once in awhile. “Fresh air,” says Sade, “is one of the best things you can get for the scent of your home.”

Baking soda is also great because it gets rid of odours. Sade recommends adding a few drops of essential oil to it and putting it in the bottom of a garbage can. You can also sprinkle your carpet with some scented baking soda, let it sit for a few minutes and then vacuum.

A simple way to add scent to your home is to put some essential oil — Sade likes the combinations of a couple drops each of lavender and geranium or lemongrass and orange oil — on a cotton ball. Place the cotton ball on the floor or in a little bowl in areas that you want to be scented.

Floral scents such as geranium, lavender, clary sage, rose, jasmine and ylang ylang are good choices, Sade says, as are citrus scents such as orange, mandarin, lime and neroli.

You can also burn beeswax candles. “(They) are amazing,” she says. “They’re very good for the environment as well. It’s great to use them on their own because they’re actually giving off the scent of the beeswax, which is beautiful.”

Before you go diffusing fragrance everywhere, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

“Even though it’s a natural product, you want to know what you’re doing,” she cautions. “There are some oils that can affect animals. There are some oils that you don’t want to put around people who are sensitive or have allergies.”

If you have any questions, talk to an aromatherapist or a knowledgeable staff member at a health food store. Also, although natural potpourris are fine, some people may have allergies to them, she adds.

It doesn’t have to cost a lot to scent your home. I have one 15ml bottle of essential oil that cost $13 (although I’ve bought other bottles that cost as little as $6), but remember you’ll only be using a couple of drops at a time, so it will last quite a while. The price of beeswax candles may also surprise you as they cost $15 to $20 for a pillar. But beeswax burns slowly and one candle can last for many hours. Of course, baking soda is cheap, especially if you can buy it in bulk, and opening a window is free.

The most important thing, says Sade, is to create an environment that smells clean. “Pure cleanliness is the most beautiful scent you can walk into.”