It’s Hit or Miss Wednesday! Last week I shared some really cute kid friendly pumpkin crafts that were a big hit at my house.
I always want my house to smell fresh and clean. Don’t you? And my husband’s nose hates plugin air fresheners. Those plugins causes him to sneeze and his eyes to water. I thought he was just being over-the-top dramatic, so once upon a time I hid a plugin just to see if it was all in his head, but sure enough, he began to sneeze, etc. Sigh. Sorry.
Then I resorted to Febreze, always spraying the sofa, rugs, etc. when he wasn’t home. It didn’t seem to bother him as much as the plugins did. But I would go through a bottle of Febreze in no time at all! And that stuff is expensive!
And then what happened? I saw all the homemade DIY Febreze copycats on Pinterest. Take me to the town square and stone me, but I just never got on board when everyone jumped on the DIY laundry detergent, shampoo and baby wipes band wagon. Especially when I read all the reports about the baby wipes becoming moldy and I needed a 5 gallon bucket to make laundry detergent. Well, I don’t have a baby and I don’t need 5 gallons of laundry detergent. But the laundry detergent may or may not make my hit or miss list one of these days.
But DIY Febreze? It’s the perfect way to ease into the DIY craze. So I searched high and low for the easiest DIY Febreze recipe because I was bound and determined not to have to special order anything else to make it homemade (as my 3 lb. bag of beeswax pellets sit all alone on the top shelf of my pantry. I do hope it’s never mistaken for food.)
The recipes I found were pretty much all the same and most of the people that shared them got it from a friend (who heard it from a friend, who heard it from a friend . . . . heck, that old favorite song is now in my head). Can you name that song and the band?
You can find the recipe here! It’s just 3 ingredients plus a clean spray bottle.
- 1/8 cup liquid fabric softener
- 1-2 teaspoons baking soda
- Warm water
Was it a hit or a miss?
The hardest part was finding a measuring cup in my kitchen that had a 1/8th measure. Finally I gave up and just filled the 1/4 cup half full. After pouring in the fabric softener and baking soda, slowly add hot water until you reach the top of your spray bottle. Don’t even ask how I know that bit of information. Place the top on the bottle and shake it like it’s hot and you’re done.
I really like the smell! I lightly misted everything in my living room – the rug, the sofas, the pillows and I think I may have misted a grand child or two. The smell is soft and clean, not overpowering at all.
All in all, in my opinion, it’s just an OK substitute for the real deal. I didn’t get excited enough to call a friend.
Helpful Hint: The day after I made the DIY Febreze, I noticed that the fabric softener had separated from the water. I just gave it a good shake before using it. Also, the smell doesn’t last nearly as long as the real Febreze does.
But, if you happen to spot your neighbor walking up your driveway, grab the faux febreze, give it a good shake and spray it in the air. Your house will smell like you’ve been cleaning all day.
Will I make it again? Probably, because I have to use up that bottle of fabric softener. I use the store bought dryer sheets to soften my clothes.
Do you have a favorite homemade household cleaner that really works?
Oh, and don’t forget to shout out the name of the song I mentioned and the band who sang that song! 🙂
