While it may seem simpler to reach for a bottle of bleach or a commercially prepared bathroom cleaner when things start to look icky and smell yucky, you might want to reconsider. Many commercial, chemical-based bathroom deodorizers and cleaners have toxic side effects. Instead, try an all-natural, "green" approach to sprucing up your bathroom. Using ordinary ingredients found in your grocery store, you can naturally turn a smelly bathroom into a fresh-smelling haven.
Natural Air Freshener
What many people don't know is that bathroom air fresheners often use chemical agents that target your nerves, deadening your sense of smell. Instead, simply place saucers or bowls of vinegar in your bathroom. The acidic fumes from the vinegar help cancel out airborne smells naturally. Set them in inconspicuous spots, such as behind your toilet.
Rug and Bathroom Mat Deodorizer
Bathroom mats or rugs in your bathroom can pick up funky smells, since they're constantly exposed to odors as well as moist, humid conditions. You could launder them or, if you're short on time, deodorize them. For natural bathroom mat odor elimination, combine 1 cup of borax with 2 cups of cornmeal, then sprinkle the mixture on your rugs and mats. Let the powder sit on the rugs for 60 minutes, then vacuum the powder away.
Shower Door Freshener and Cleaner
Shower doors can get a buildup of slimy scum, which looks bad and can smell even worse. Instead of using bathroom cleaning sprays, wipe your shower doors with a moist rag upon which you've added three or four drops of essential lemon oil. The oil's acids help to cut through scum for a brighter, cleaner surface while also imparting a fresh, citrus scent that doesn't rely on artificial additives. For the best results, do this once every couple of weeks.
Musty Towel Freshener
If guests are coming for a surprise visit and you need to haul out the linens and towels that you've been storing in your bathroom for months, you may not have time for a full laundering. Instead, break out the vodka. Spritzing a thin layer of what's essentially pure alcohol and water eliminates that musty odor that can build up in your bathroom cabinets.
Toilet Bowl Deodorizer
Your toilet is, quite understandably, the common culprit when it comes to bad smells in your bathroom. Essential oils can banish those pesky scents. Combine 2 cups of tap water with 2 tsp. of tea tree oil. Spray the mixture on and in your toilet. Let the mixture soak there for 30 minutes, then scrub and flush. Tea tree oil has natural antiseptic properties that kill odor-causing bacteria while also immediately masking any existing smells with a minty breeze.
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