Those little green and yellow car air freshener trees you hang on your rear vision mirror are ok if you don’t mind a pungent hit you in the face scent for a week and then like magic, the smell completely disappears – despite the promise of a long lasting scent! If like us you’re not a huge fan of store-bought car fresheners or your sinuses are sensitive to the synthetic scents, we have put together a list of easy handmade car fresheners you can make at home today that are both long lasting, cost effective and easy on the nose.

The clothes peg car air freshener

As the name suggest, this simple solution is super easy. All you’ll need is a couple of old-fashioned wooden clothes pegs, a small Ziplock bag, your favourite essential oils, and a bunch of optional fresh herbs. Add around 5 – 6 drops of essential oil to each peg and place in the Ziplock bag with fresh herbs (we chose a citrus orange oil and a bunch of fresh mint leaves). Leave in the bag for 24 hours and then clip pegs onto your cars air vent. The scent will eventually fade over time, but the great thing is you can reuse the same pegs and add more essential oils as needed. This is a great air freshener for someone who prefers a subtle scent.

Glass Jar air freshener

For this air freshener you’ll need a small clean glass jar with lid (a small mustard jar is ideal), baking soda, essential oils, a hammer and nail. Add the baking soda to your jar until it’s about two thirds full, then add approx. 20 drops of your favourite essential oils to the baking soda (try lemon, lavender and peppermint). Shake well and then remove the lid of the jar. On a work bench place the jar lid upside down, using your hammer and nail punch holes into the lid of the jar. To use, place the jar in your cup holder of your car or stow it under the seat. Make a fresh batch monthly to keep your car smelling fresh!

For more motoring tips and advice, check out our blog at https://www.autoleaders.com.au/category/blog/