An average of 18 months of our life is spent in the bathroom, which means visiting it six to seven times a day. According to research, 43% of people say that the bathroom is one of their favourite places to get time to themselves. With this in mind, maybe it’s a good idea to make it the most pleasant experience it can be.
Since bathrooms are often humid, they are a perfect environment for mould and mildew to grow. As a consequence, often unpleasant smells comes from the shower, sink and toilet. Chemical air fresheners are used to fight this, as they are easy to use. However, handle them with care: most of them have lots of chemicals and can damage your health and the environment. With that in mind, Helpling.ae, the leading online platform for household services in the Middle East, gives you six tips to freshen up your bathroom, using only natural ingredients.
Baking soda
Placing a small bowl with baking soda in your bathroom will help to absorb smells. You can add an extra touch and decorate the bowl with flowers, but make sure not to cover the powder as it will reduce its effectiveness. To stay fresh, replace the baking soda in the bowl every month.
Lemons
Another natural ingredient you can use is sliced lemons. They are great at absorbing smells and neutralising ordours. To keep the bathroom smelling fresh over time, change the lemon slices once a week.
Vinegar
A cup of white vinegar placed in the shower when it is not in use will help to absorb odours from the shower area. Also, spraying it on the walls and the shower curtain in the bathroom prevent mildew from growing.
Essential oils
Lavender and eucalyptus oils can do wonders in your bathroom, covering up even the strongest odours. Warm up a few drops in a diffuser and place it in there to refresh the air. Alternatively, you can put some eucalyptus or lavender leaves in a pot or dribble essential oil onto a piece of cotton and place it inside the toilet paper roll and put it somewhere that will remain fairly dry.
Natural air freshener
Combine two cups of water, a tablespoon of white vinegar and a teaspoon of baking soda with 10 drops of an essential oil to make a chemical free air freshener. Leave it in your bathroom and use it as needed.
Rubbing alcohol
Mix three parts of water with one part of rubbing alcohol, add in about 10 drops of essential oil and spray where needed. This trick works as an all natural air freshener, to soak up bathroom smells.