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Gel Air Freshener Recipe

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Gel Air Freshener

Gel air freshener can be made at home with only a few ingredients. Although most recipes result in a cloudy, unappealing air freshener, using a clear gel base will result in a beautiful homemade product. This basic gel air freshener recipe can be used to make a single jar or a large batch of jars, depending on your need. Use the resulting air freshener jars in your own home, or wrap them with ribbon and give them as a gift.

1. Ingredients and Equipmento To make your own gel air freshener, you'll need an odorless and colorless

gel base. Because the gel base is water soluble, you'll also need water-based liquid colorants and fragrances to customize your air freshener. All of these items can be purchased from local craft and hobby stores. It is important that you do not use perfumes or essential oils to scent the gel air freshener, as they can cause the gel to become cloudy.

Other necessary equipment includes a heatproof glass measuring cup, decorative glass jars (any size) and plastic wrap to preserve the finished product. Smaller jars are recommended, as the gel tends to dry out over long periods of time. Clean baby food jars are ideal, but any small glass container will work.

2. Making Gel Air Freshener

o Gather all your materials and have them ready. Once you've melted the gel base, you must work quickly to add the fragrance and color before it begins to solidify again. Choose your color or colors and fragrance, and place them on a working surface near the microwave before you begin. Also, have wooden spoons ready for stirring, and your glass jar or jars with the lids removed.

Scoop the gel base from its holding container and place it into the heatproof glass measuring cup. Measure out the necessary amount, depending on the size of your jars. Microwave the gel for 30 to 45 seconds on medium-high power, and then stir well. Continue heating in intervals of 15 seconds, until the gel is completely melted.

Add the liquid colorant, 1 drop at a time, and stir constantly, until the desired color is achieved. Add the fragrance you have chosen, up to ½ oz. per 8 oz. base gel and stir well to combine. Add a little more or less fragrance, depending on the strength you desire. Once mixed, pour the gel air freshener into the decorative glass jars, leaving about ¼-inch space at the top. Allow them to cool and set completely, which takes about 1 hour.

3. Using Gel Air Freshenero After the gel air freshener is completely set, it should be covered with

plastic wrap and the lid placed over the plastic, if possible. This will prevent the gel from drying out by preventing air from entering the jar.

When ready to use a jar, remove the lid and plastic and place in the desired area. You may also leave the plastic in tact and perforate it with several small holes. Either way, the air freshener works as the gel evaporates into the air, releasing its fragrance and reducing the volume of the gel. If the gel becomes dry, add a few drops of water to hydrate the solution.

How to Make Gel Air Fresheners Using Perfume

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Gel air freshener

Gel air fresheners offer the illusion of having lit scented candles without having to deal with black smoke, fire hazards or unpleasant smells when the candles are extinguished. Make your own gel air freshener with perfume or fragrance oils to create an intoxicating scent for the home. The process requires a few basic ingredients and approximately 20 minutes.

Difficulty:Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need 3 cups gel wax (obtained from craft supply stores) 25 drops perfumed oil (scents of your choice) Glass candle jar (24 ounces) Ceramic heating plate (the type used with flameless candles) Plastic spoon

1.o 1

A decorative glass jar. Coloured Jar image by Bailey from Fotolia.com

Spoon approximately 3 cups of gel wax into a 24-ounce glass candle jar. Leave about an inch of space at the top of the jar. Using decorative jars makes this project more attractive and pleasing to home decor.

o 2

Add 25 to 30 drops of fragrance oil to the gel in the jar.

o 3

Sit the jar on top of the ceramic candle heater and turn it on to melt the gel. Allow the jar to sit undisturbed for approximately five minutes.

o 4

Stir the gel and the oils together with a plastic spoon to thoroughly disperse the fragrance throughout the gel.

o 5

Let the ceramic heater fully melt the gel, and then turn off the heater. Your gel air freshener is complete.

Air Freshener Recipes

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Lemons freshen kitchens

Air fresheners provide a subtle fragrance to scent the home and to eliminate odors from pets, smoke or simply a closed-in room. Available as a spray that is used only when needed, or in dispensers calculated to release a subtle fragrance all day, air fresheners create atmosphere and set the mood for your home. Unfortunately, they can be expensive to purchase on a regular basis. You can make your own air fresheners for pennies.

1. Aromatherapyo Aromatherapy is the practice of using fragrance derived from plants to

promote health and improve well being. Creating your own fragrances with essential oils, and using them as air fresheners in the home helps to

restore balance in your life and creates a delightfully fragrant home as well.

Make your own aromatherapy spray by filling a 4-oz. spray bottle with 1 1/2 oz. of distilled water, 1 1/2 oz. of alcohol, such as vodka (rubbing alcohol is not suitable for aromatherapy), and shake to mix well. Add 20 to 30 drops of the desired essential oil and shake to distribute the fragrance. Strength of essential oils varies, so start with 20 drops. Add more if you desire more fragrance. Spray in the center of the room to scent the area. Avoid spraying on furniture or wood products.

2. Odor Eliminationo Eliminating odors from cooking, smoke or pets can be a challenge, but

with the proper ingredients you can make odor-eliminating sprays for your home or office.

To create a basic all-purpose odor-eliminating spray, fill a spray bottle with 8 oz. of distilled water. Add five to six drops of bergamot essential oil, two drops of lemon oil and one drop of eucalyptus oil. Shake vigorously before each use.

Smoke odors can be eliminated by filling a spray bottle with equal parts distilled vinegar and distilled water. Spray the area on the fine-mist setting. Within a few minutes, the scent of vinegar will dissipate, taking offensive odors with it.

To eliminate pet odors, use six drops of cedarwood and three drops of tee tree oil to one cup of distilled water.

3. Simmering Potso Place a small pan on the stove or use a potpourri pot to simmer kitchen

spices like cinnamon or nutmeg. Add vanilla extract to enhance the fragrance if preferred. The aroma permeates the room and creates a warm, inviting atmosphere.

Freshening Kitchens

o To remove kitchen odors, put a whole lemon down the garbage disposal. This not only freshens the garbage disposal, it releases the natural oils in the lemon and creates a fresh clean scent in your kitchen.

Place a pan of white vinegar on the stove and warm slightly. The scent will eliminate fish odors and leave your kitchen smelling fresh.

How to Make a Solid Air Freshener

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Make a Solid Air Freshener

Making a solid air freshener for your home is a simple project. Using unflavored gelatin, fragrance oil, salt, and water, you can create a solid air freshener comparable to commercial gels. This recipe yields approximately two cups of solid air freshener, which is stored in small jars and can be placed anywhere in your home.

Difficulty:Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need Spring or distilled water Medium saucepan Unflavored gelatin Concentrated fragrance oil of choice Food coloring (optional) Salt Small glass jars

1.o 1

Bring one cup of spring or distilled water to a boil in a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat.

o 2

Add four (1 oz.) packages of unflavored gelatin to the boiling water. Stir until the gelatin is dissolved completely, and then remove the pan from heat.

o 3

Add one cup of room temperature spring or distilled water to the gelatin mixture. Stir well to combine.

o 4

Add 15-20 drops concentrated fragrance oil of choice, and 2-3 drops of food coloring, if desired. Stir well until the oil and color is well combined with the gelatin. Adjust the scent and color now, as desired. Add more oil if you would like a stronger scent, and more food coloring if you would like a darker colored result.

o 5

Add 1 ½ teaspoons of salt to the mixture, and stir well. Make sure it is thoroughly mixed in before moving on.

o 6

Pour the air freshener into small glass jars. Baby food jars work well but you can use anything you have on hand, such as old candle holders.

o 7

Place the jars in the refrigerator until the solid air freshener has set, about 1-2 hours. Remove the jars, and set them out anywhere an air freshener is needed.

Tips & Warnings

Essential oil may be used in place of the fragrance oil to make the solid air freshener, if desired. It is more volatile than fragrance oil, so more may be required. Try adding an additional 5-10 drops of essential oil, if using. Refreshing essential oils such as lemon and orange, or relaxing oils such as lavender and rose are good choices.

Do not ingest the solid air freshener. Although it is made from gelatin, the oils you add render it toxic if consumed. Keep out of reach of children and pets.

How to Make Gel Candle Scents

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Take special care when making fragrances for your homemade gel candles.

If you want to make gel candle fragrances, you need to do it the correct way and take a few safety precautions. Gel candles can be dangerous if you use the wrong kind of fragrance oils, but there's a way to make sure that your candle won't flash or explode while it is burning. You also need to test the difference fragrances you use to make sure they go well together.

Difficulty:Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need Glass test tubes Fragrance oils Mineral oil

1.o 1

Squeeze one drop of the fragrance oil into a glass test tube and mix in three drops of mineral oil. Swirl the oils together. Let it sit for five minutes. If the mixture is cloudy or appears to be separating, the fragrance oil isn't safe for gel candles.

o 2

Test each fragrance oil to ensure each is nonpolar (meaning it mixes with mineral oil) and safe for use with the gel. Even if a fragrance distributor labels its fragrance oils as "gel safe," test them yourself. The gel used for

gel candles is nonpolar, so it can only be mix with other nonpolar substances.

o 3

Mix two drops of the fragrance oils in small glass bottle. Place the lid on the bottle. Swirl the oils together for 30 seconds to mix them thoroughly. Take the lid off after one or two minutes and lightly sniff the top of the bottle. If you like the new scent you've created, mix in equal measurements.

How to Make Candle Fragrance Oil Scents

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You can scent your homemade candles with homemade fragrance oils.

Making candles at home allows you to freshen the air around you and present gifts to your friends and loved ones.. Making candle oil scents to add to your candle formulations is part of creating one-of-a-kind candles. Whether it be fruity, floral or masculine, homemade candle oil fragrances are quick and easy to make when you have the right ingredients.

Difficulty:Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need Essential oil blend, 2 oz.

Carrier oil blend, 2 oz. Plastic pipettes Glass bowl Glass oil jar with lid, 4 oz. size

1.o 1

Fill a four oz. oil bottle with about two oz. of carrier oil. Oils such as coconut, flax seed, sunflower and pure vegetable oil provide a scentless base in which fragrance oil is evenly distributed.

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Create a blend of essential oils to make a scent you are satisfied with. Practice using a plastic pipette for each different scent of essential oil. This prevents you from accidentally mixing the oils in the bottles.

An example of a delightful candle fragrance blend would be a quarter oz. each of lavender, rose geranium, ylang ylang and jasmine. Mix the blend into a glass bowl.

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Add the ounce of mixed essential oils to the glass bottle containing the carrier oil.

o 4

Secure the lid onto the oil bottle, and shake it vigorously. This allows the essential oils to mix with the carrier oil. This thins out the scent a bit so that it can be added to your homemade candle formula.

Tips & Warnings

Store the fragrance oil in a dark, cool area, such as a linen closet or under your bathroom sink.

Don't add more than an ounce of essential oil to an ounce of carrier oil. Too much essential oil causes black soot to rise from the flame of your homemade candles.