Keep Your Bathroom Smelling Fresh With A Clever DIY Solution

A bathroom is exposed to many odors that can leave it smelling — well, not so fresh. And a stinky bathroom isn't ideal, especially if you're entertaining guests. One way to avoid embarrassment is to deep-clean your bathroom. But if you really want to elevate the scent, all you have to do is whip up a bowl of extra-special DIY air freshener. The best ones are long lasting and only call for a few common ingredients. A salt-based air freshener is a simple alternative to perfume-y sprays and plug-ins or leaving a lit candle in the bathroom, which can be a safety hazard.

You probably already have the main supplies necessary to create this amazing-smelling air freshener: coarse salt, rubbing alcohol, and fabric softener. For an added boost, you can also add cloves. You're also going to need a small glass bowl or container. If you plan to leave it in plain sight, grab an inexpensive decorative one from a big-box or thrift store to enhance its charm. 

Fill the jar with a couple of handfuls of coarse salt (about half a cup), leaving a bit of room at the top of the vessel for stirring. Pour about half that amount of fabric softener over the salt (approximately a quarter cup). Add a few tablespoons (about three) of rubbing alcohol, and mix everything together with a spoon. If you'd like, you can then place cloves around the top of the mixture, which looks nice and adds an attractive smell that can help repel pests.

Place your homemade air freshener on any level surface in your bathroom. If you want to keep the container hidden, place it on a shelf behind decorative items or nestle it in a basket. It should smell as incredible as clean linens, a scent that should last for a few weeks. Once you notice it's not working anymore, simply put together a new batch. 

If you don't have everything in your cabinet already, they're budget-friendly ingredients, especially when compared to keeping up with other air freshening solutions. The fabric softener is the most expensive part and the main source of the fragrance — making a bathroom smell as dreamy as freshly washed clothes. It's just one of many ways to use fabric softener outside the laundry room. You can use your favorite fabric softener scent every time, or switch it up to enjoy different aromas every month. But the other ingredients have important jobs too. Salt is known for its ability to deodorize, while rubbing alcohol helps spread the air freshener's lovely scent.  It's an easy solution that should help you say goodbye to stinky odors.