Fragrant homemade room spray with essential oils is quick and easy to make. Included are 3 different air freshener recipes that can easily be adapted for whatever scent you want. These simple essential oil recipes will teach you exactly what you need to make your non-toxic and natural room spray at home!

Natural homemade room spray recipes

I’m so excited to show you my EASY method for how to make homemade room spray. Even though opening a window is the best way to shoo away unpleasant odours, a DIY air freshener spray is the perfect way to freshen any room and fragrance your home!

I’ve always loved homemade air fresheners. And, these room sprays are so refreshing. They are made with essential oils and natural ingredients that eliminate odours and offer wonderful aromatherapy benefits – completely without aerosols, heavy perfumes and synthetic chemicals!

Natural air freshener spray in glass spray bottles

DIY sea breeze room spray in a bowl with sea shells and flowers

Reasons to make DIY room spray

Toxic ingredients in commercial room sprays

While commercial air fresheners smell nice, I recently read a study from the Natural Resources Defense Council about potential health concerns from exposure to commercial air fresheners.

Some of the compounds (benzene, formaldehyde, butane) found in synthetic air fresheners can cause headaches, migraines, nausea, rashes, and may aggravate asthma and allergic reactions.

Even more troublesome is a group of dispersants called phthalates, which are linked to hormonal issues, reproductive harm and developmental disorders, which is a particular risk for babies and young children.

The NRDC study found that even products labelled “unscented” or “all-natural” did contain these potentially harmful chemicals. That’s because companies are allowed to hide all sort of ingredients under the umbrella term “fragrance.”

Benefits of homemade room sprays

What’s a girl to do when she loves natural air fresheners? Make natural room spray that’s what! Let me show you some of the benefits of DIY room spray:

natural, non-toxic ingredients
no harmful chemicals
ecofriendly since no aerosols have to be used
customise the scent according to your preferences
enjoy the aromatherapy benefits of essential oils

Citrus air freshener spray with fresh citrus fruit

Flower air freshener spray on a wooden board with flowers

DIY air freshener ingredients

Let me show you what materials you need to make the best natural room spray. Some ingredients are optional but helpful to make your homemade air freshener even more effective. Scroll to the DIY box for the exact measurements.

High proof alcohol

Alcohol serves 3 purposes in homemade room spray. For one, alcohol acts as a preservative hindering the growth of microorganisms and mould. Secondly, it also helps to dilute and blend the essential oils in the room spray. And lastly, alcohol helps the scent molecules to disperse in the air.

What kind of alcohol do you use for room spray with essential oils?

Ideally, you want to use an odourless, high-proof alcohol. Here are some ideas:

perfumers alcohol: The best option for natural room spray is perfumers alcohol, which is a clear, unscented alcohol that produces the best smelling air fresheners. Buy it here: US, UK
grain alcohol: Grain alcohol is a clear liquid without colour or smell. You can buy grain alcohol from brands such as Everclear, Century, or Graves.
vodka: Vodka can also be used, the higher the proof, the better.

Isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol are not suitable for this essential oil recipe. They impart a very unpleasant smell and can cause headaches and migraine. So stay clear of those.

Distilled water

Distilled water is best for homemade room spray. Otherwise, use boiled, cooled tap water.

Essential oils

Essential oils refresh the air, and provide natural fragrance and aromatherapy benefits. For the best smelling aromatherapy spray, be sure to use high-quality essential oils from reputable manufacturers and sellers.

Baking soda (optional)

Baking soda is an excellent odour absorber and can neutralise less than pleasant smells. To maximise the deodorising qualities, add 1/2 tsp to your room spray base. If adding baking soda, shake the air freshener spray well before each use.

Glycerin (optional)

Vegetable glycerin functions as a solubiliser, meaning the ingredient helps the essential oils and water mix better. It also prolongs the staying power of the essential oil sprays by helping scent particles “cling” to the objects in your home. Glycerin is optional, and you can leave it out.

3 room spray recipes

Now that we know the basic ingredients, let’s explore different home fragrance recipes. I’m sharing 3 recipes that I constantly use to deodorise my home naturally.

Citrus room spray

Homemade lemon air freshener will keep your home odour-free and smelling fresh. It’s the perfect combination of invigorating grapefruit, sweet orange, zesty lemon, and a dash of lavender. The scent is very engergising and will uplift your mood.

The essential oil blend in this DIY room spray looks like this:

Natural air freshener spray in a frosted glass bottle

Sea breeze air freshener

The tranquil fragrance with hints of cedar, eucalyptus and sea salt evokes memories of summer days spent seaside. The fresh smell is centring and calming, perfect when you need to unwind and destress.

Here’s the EO mix for this room spray:

In addition to this refreshing essential oil blend, dissolve 1 tbsp fine sea salt in the water.

DIY flower air freshener with essential oils

Flower air freshener spray

Spray away odours with a lush floral air freshener and fill your home with the sweet aroma of a garden in full bloom. Geranium, lavender, and ylang ylang all melt into a rich flower scent which rests against a warm sandalwood base. I find this floral scent comforting and relaxing, and often use it at night.

The DIY air freshener spray is made with the following oils:

Have a room spray formula you want to share? Please leave a comment, I’d love to know your favourite essential oil combinations for room spray!

Ingredients and materials to make DIY room spray with essential oils

How to make room spray

There are just 2 simple steps to make this recipe for essential oil room spray. Your natural deodorizer will be ready as fast as you can gather your materials. The amount of each ingredient is on the DIY card below. Here is what you do:

The alcohol, essential oils and glycerin (if using) to a spray bottle and shake.
The top off with distilled water and baking soda. Shake until the liquids are blended.

When making room sprays, dilute the essential oils in the alcohol first. Shake well, then add the water. To keep measurements easy, simply use the same amount of alcohol as you do water.

How can I make my room spray last longer?

First, test the room spray recipe with essential oil amounts as written above. If you still prefer a stronger scent, feel free to double the amount. Also, keep in mind that some essential oils (for example, citrus essential oils) evaporate faster than others.

Homemade Room Spray Recipes with Essential Oils

Yield: 1/2 cup / 120 ml / 4 oz room spray

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 3 minutes

Difficulty: easy

Fragrant homemade room spray with essential oils is quick and easy to make. These simple essential oil recipes will teach you exactly what you need to make your non-toxic and natural room spray at home!

Materials

1/4 cup / 60 ml / 2 fl oz odourless high-proof alcohol (perfumers alcohol, grain alcohol, or vodka)
1/4 cup / 60 ml / 2 fl oz distilled water (or boiled, cooled tap water)
30 to 45 drops essential oils (see ideas above)
1/2 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda, optional)
1/2 tsp vegetable glycerin (optional)

Tools

Instructions

The alcohol, essential oils and glycerin (if using) to a spray bottle and shake.
The top off with distilled water and baking soda. Shake until the liquids are blended.
If making the sea breeze spray, dissolve the sea salt in the water first before adding it to the alcohol mixture.

Notes

How to use room spray

Using homemade room spray is silly simple:

Shake well before each use.
Spritz 2 to 4 pumps into the air.
Repeat if necessary.

Do not spray directly on furniture, wood, fabrics, curtains, carpets, or anything that can be damaged by water or alcohol. And never spritz near a candle or open flame.

Essential oil room spray and pet safety

Use the homemade essential oil air freshener with caution if pets area round. This also includes birds, reptiles and fish. Alcohol can be lethal to pets, so do not use the spray if pets are in the room. Many essential oils are toxic to cats and can cause nausea in your furry friend.

Packaging ideas for homemade room spray

A friend gifted me the frosted glass bottles you see in the pictures, and I couldn’t resist using them for this project. But to ensure the best shelf life, fill the essential oil room spray into tinted glass spritz bottles, such as these amber, cobalt blue, ultraviolet spritz bottles.

Cyna created printable room spray labels, which you can download at the end of the post.

How to store natural room spray

Heat, humidity, and light can breakdown essential oils. So, store your DIY room spray in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight, for example, a closet or cupboard.

How long does room spray last?

Keep the free essential oil recipe for up to 6 months. Citrus air freshener degrades faster and will last 3 to 4 months.

Natural homemade room spray with essential oils

Printable room spray labels

Tab or click the button to download your free printable essential oil spray labels!

Download printable

Over to you!

Thanks so much for visiting Country Hill Cottage – we’re so happy you’re here! Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

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Irena xx

Alejandra

Saturday 26th of August 2023

Hi , I have just come across your article and I find it very helpful , I have made a Air spray with 95% perfumers alcohol and 5% essential oil which it smell lovely however it does not last long in the air and after few minutes the smell is gone. what can I use for this formula to make it last longer ? Do you think that using a Solubiliser or Glycerin with enhance the lasting smell , what solubiliser would you recommend for me to use with alcohol and essential oils ? Thank you

Sunday 27th of August 2023

@Irena | Country Hill Cottage,

Thank you very much for your prompt response. I will definitely try that

Irena | Country Hill Cottage

Hi Alejandra! With perfumers alcohol, you don't really need a solubilizer. Instead you won't to add fixative or base note oils.

The essential oil’s weight determines how fast it vaporizes. Lighter essential oils (like peppermint, lemon, and bergamot) are classified as top notes, and evaporate quickly.

But heavier base note oils (called fixatives) take far longer to evaporate. These oils are typically thicker and more resinous, such as balsams, oleoresins, and woods. It’s the same principal taken from perfumery, only applied to room spray.

If your blend contains mostly top notes, it tends to lose its scent faster. But adding more fixatives helps “fix” or anchor your sprays’ fragrance, helping it last longer and smell stronger.

Try incorporating some more of the following fixatives to your DIY room spray scents:

Copaiba Patchouli Benzoin Cedarwood Ho wood Sandalwood Peru Balsam Frankincense Ylang-ylang Amyris

I hope this helps you out and please let me know in case you have more questions!

Kylie

Monday 14th of November 2022

Hi there! I’ve just made some of this spray. You said not to spray it “on” anything like furniture, clothing etc.. When I spray it in the air it drops on the floor like rain would. It leaves wet drops all over my floor . Is this normal? Do I need a different spray nozzle?

Also, I’m confused about the amount. I used 16oz bottles but this recipe calls for equal parts of alcohol and water. It barely fills the bottle. I just wanted to make sure this is right.

Thank you TIA!

Hi Kylie! The recipe makes for 4 oz, so it wouldn't fill a 16 oz bottle. If you want greater amounts, simply double or triple the recipe.

I recommend a fine misting spray nozzle that produces extremely fine droplets and makes the spray like fog. There's nothing wrong if you notice drops, but your spray nozzle is probably on the larger side.

pdm

Sunday 14th of August 2022

Hello,

Thank you for sharing this information. I love it. What are the measurements for bulk amounts such as a gallon of room spray with alcohol and without alcohol?

Tuesday 16th of August 2022

Hi, so glad you're enjoying this post! To make a gallon of product without alcohol, you need 1 gallon distilled water. For a version with alcohol, you'd need 1/2 gallon distilled water and 1/2 gallon high-proof alcohol. And here are the essential oil amounts to scent 1 gallon:

Floral: 1 oz geranium + 0.8 oz lavender + 0.67 oz ylang ylang + 0.33 oz sandalwood Sea Breeze: 1 oz cedarwood + 0.8 oz lime + 0.33 oz spearmint + 0.2 oz eucalyptus + 0.2 oz frankincense Citrus: 1 oz grapefruit + 0.8 oz lemon + 0.8 oz sweet orange + 0.33 oz lavender

Before making these bulk amounts, I d start with small samples to see how you like the scent. Maybe you prefer different ratios or want to include/exclude a scent.

I hope this helps you out and happy making!

Sati

Saturday 11th of June 2022

Amazing recipes. Thank you

Sunday 12th of June 2022

So glad you're enjoying them, Sati!

Zang

Friday 4th of February 2022

Such a nice blend. I used this and add a bit color ( natural pigment epoxi for dye soap) the result was so perfect. Btw i used vodka in this 80 proooof.. Thank you for sharing such a big help…

Saturday 5th of February 2022

You are most welcome!