Five DIY car air fresheners made for the long road
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March 29, 2021Did you know that the air fresheners we all have grown accustomed to are actually harmful to one’s health? There are studies proven that there exist certain chemicals long used by air fresheners of all sorts to emit the smell you paid for and familiar with. Despite these scientifically proven facts, the global sales of air fresheners are not slowing down anytime soon. Luckily for the health-conscious populace, there are various alternatives to these mass-produced products that they can explore that give a similar aroma or to cover up any unpleasant smell in all vehicles.
If anything, artificiality has been around and in control of every aspect of our lives since the dawn of time, for better and worse. This has been further evidenced by the amount of time we spend indoors these days with electronic gadgets as they make a great pastime in an inescapable reality. So, why not turn the tables around as you try picking up a hobby in making your own air fresheners? With a few tools and online tutorials, you can easily devise your own hazard-free and authentic aroma-filled air fresheners. Here are five types of DIY air freshener for vehicles you can try your hands at today.
1) Wax air freshener
Image source: Gym Craft Laundry
These scented wax cubes in a jar could be made in a few steps and required little tools. It works effectively on warmer days which makes it perfect for Singapore’s year-long tropical climate.
The materials you need are:
- 4 oz or 8 oz mason jar
- Regular daisy cut mason jar lids
- Scented wax melts
- Regular mouth jar rings.
To begin, simply take out and break off two scented wax cubes, then place them into the jar. Once done, secure the daisy lid on top of the jar and screw on the lid ring. There you have it, your own car air freshener. Simple, right?
2) Essential oil air freshener
This one comes in a tiny bottle with wooden caps which you have to tip the bottle over to get the wooden cap to absorb adequate mixture in order to give off more fragrance. Typically lasting for a couple of weeks, but it also depends on one’s usage as the stronger the scent desired will require more mixture to wet the cap.
To get started, you need:
- 12ml air freshener bottle with a wooden cap
- 5ml denatured alcohol
- 5ml of essential oil of choice.
First, open the bottle and pour in the 5ml alcohol. Then, fill the rest of the bottle with an essential oil of your choice and make it a 50/50 mix. Once done, put on the wooden cap and tip the bottle over to let the cap wet with the mixture. Lastly, hang the bottle from the rearview mirror with a cord. Simply tip the bottle over to get the cap soaked again if you crave more of the fragrance!
3) Clothespin air freshener
Image source: One Good Thing
What you need:
- Wooden clothespins
- Essential oil of choice
- A Ziploc bag
- Fresh herbs (optional)
To start, put around 5 drops of the essential oil onto each clothespin.
After that, place the clothespins inside the Ziploc bag, together with the optional fresh herbs and seal the bag. If you wish to further enhance a certain scent such as orange, combine some minty herbs and it will do the job just nice. That said, if you prefer to skip the herbs, simply store the oil applied clothespins in the bag until they come in handy.
Lastly, clip the clothespins onto your car’s air vents with the A/C turned on for the aroma to disperse! As the scent will evaporate over time, simply repeating the aforementioned steps will do the job accordingly.
4) Muslin bag air freshener
Image source: Gym Craft Laundry
What you need:
- A muslin bag, clothespin
- 1.5 oz of aroma beads
- A mason jar
- 4 drops of lavender essential oil
- 4 drops of ginger essential oil
- 2 drops of spearmint essential oil
- 2 drops of peppermint essential oil
- 4 drops of sweet almond oil.
First, blend the aforementioned oils in a bottle, and shake well. Then, put the aroma beads in the mason jar and pour the oil mixture. Shake to blend everything. Give the beads a few hours to absorb the mixture by shaking the jar once in a while.
Once the beads are dry, pour them into the muslin bag. Finally, clip it on the turned on A/C vent with the clothespin for the scent to disperse.
When the aroma has evaporated, simply reuse the beads and repeat with the same formula again. Bear in mind to never leave this air freshener on a hot dashboard as the beads may melt. So, it is best to leave it clipped to the A/C vent.
5) Felt air fresheners
A certain aroma emitted by any design of shape and colours of your choice, doesn’t that sound better than the mass-marketed ones already?
What you need:
- Wool felt
- Essential oil of your choice
- Glue
- Scissors
- A design template.
First, print out the design template and cut out the shapes you want. Next, line up the cut-out shapes against the felt, and secure them as you start cutting the felt according to the shapes.
Next, line up the cut-out before glueing them to ensure the final product forms cleanly. Once everything checks out, start glueing them piece by piece accordingly. And now, you should have yourself a nicely designed felt piece in your hand.
Then, apply the essential oil of your choice as the scent.
Lastly, punch a hole at the top of the felt piece and tie a cord into a loop, and your air freshener is good to go! Like the others, this design can be reused simply by reapplying the oil when the smell has worn off.
As much as it is important to be economical while keeping your vehicle smelling great, you should also prioritise the overall condition of your car to keep it as good as new, both in and out. With more than 12 years of experience in the automotive industry, you can trust us with your car maintenance services and performance tuning.
Is your car due for a service? Book an appointment with us!