Keep Air Fresh and Sweet

The kitchen and bathroom can harbour unpleasant smells, but there are plenty of low-cost ways to get rid of them. You can make your own air fresheners and room fragrances with inexpensive ingredients that will make your home smell clean and fresh.

• Fill a spray bottle with water and add 10 drops of an essential oil — try rosemary, eucalyptus, pine, lavender or citrus.
• Remove unwanted odours from inside the microwave by heating up a slice of lemon in a bowl of water,or a baking soda solution.
• Remove fishy or garlic smells from a wooden chopping board by rubbing the board with a wedge of lemon.
• Put citrus peel down the garbage disposer to clear smells.
• Simmer cloves in water for a delicious smell that is welcoming in winter.
• Drop about eight drops of a relaxing essential oil, such as neroli or sandalwood, into your bath.
• Place a bowl of vinegar next to the stove to absorb strong odours.
• Warm brown sugar and cinnamon gently on the stove to fill your home with delicious baking smells. Take care that the mixture doesn't burn.

When vacuuming, put a couple of drops of essential oil into the dust bag and the scent will be dispersed around the house.

Put a bowl filled with clean cat litter in a fridge that is going to be switched off for any length of time to absorb smells.

If you grow your own lavender, snip the heads off the stalks, let them dry, then make your own sachets using scraps of muslin or thin cotton.

Keep closets smelling sweet with homemade pomanders. Stud oranges, lemons or limes with whole cloves, then hang from apiece of string. These are especially festive around the Christmas season.

Try a few of these all natural ideas that will keep your home smelling so fresh and so clean.