The Lemon And Bay Leaves Trick Every Homeowner Needs For A Fresh-Smelling Home

To rid your house of bad odors you can go one of two ways: natural or chemical. If you consider the fact that air fresheners are often counted as one of the hidden health hazards in your home, you may be more inclined to go the natural route. Common air fresheners have been found to increase volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air, which can negatively affect your health by causing airway irritation, headaches, fatigue, and more. Fortunately for you, there are plenty of ways to use natural items to not only freshen but also clean the air in your home, and we have a great one for you to try. 

How to make your home smell good can be as simple as using kitchen staples like bay leaves and lemons. If you are any kind of cook, you likely always have these handy. Bay leaves go in a wide variety of dishes, particularly soups and stews, while lemons freshen up many dinner favorites and often adorn favored drinks. Lemons in particular have been a handy home hack since there are so many ways you can use them to clean your home. Now, you can get even more out of this fruit by using it to tackle bad odors, too. Lemon's citrus scent is strong enough to mask many odors, and its acidic nature can neutralize alkaline smells.  Bay leaves, on the other hand, work by using their antimicrobial properties to combat odor-causing bacteria. When you pair lemons and bay leaves, you've got a really powerful, freshening duo.

This hack is virtually effortless. All you have to do is slice your lemon and arrange it with your bay leaves in any areas of the home you want to freshen. You could boil them in a small pot of water (feel free to drink as a refreshing tea afterwards with tons of health benefits), arrange them aesthetically on a plate (keeps the lemon's acidity from damaging any surfaces), or even artfully stick the bay leaves into the lemon and place them around the home. No matter which way you display them, you'll still get the benefits you're looking for. Lemon's fresh citrus scent will reinvigorate the space while bay leaf's woodsy and herbal scent is pleasantly grounding.

These two items come with bonuses on top of their wonderful smells. Bay leaves' scent has been shown to be capable of helping reduce anxiety, and lemon's citrus aroma can enhance your mood. Both bay leaves and lemons have had positive results in studies investigating their use as insect repellents. When you put together your lemon and bay leaf air freshener, feel free to place some outdoors to extend the good smells, but also to ward off pesky bugs like mosquitoes. Together, these two enhance your home by eliminating gross smells, boosting your mental state, and assisting in repelling unwanted bugs. Now that's a powerful natural home hack!