How To: Make Your Own Febreze (And Save Up to 97% Per Bottle)

If you're a Febreze fanatic, you're well aware that the "odor eliminator" can be pretty pricey, and that's reason enough to stop buying it.

There are cheaper ways to stop smells from invading your home, from using lemons to de-stink a litter box or garbage disposal, to using onions or vanilla extract to neutralize paint odors, and vinegar or baking soda to kill kitchen smells.

If you just can't shake yourself away from that genuine Febreze feeling, you should at least try making it yourself at home. Sure, it won't have all of the fancy long names you're used to as ingredients, but it'll cost 97% less per bottle (based on a $5 bottle of Febreze).

Yes, that's as low as 15 cents per bottle, depending on the ingredients you opt for, and how much you end up making in the long run. As for the instructions, there are tons of different recipes for homemade Febreze, but most of them are pretty similar, and the two below are my favorites.

Method #1: Fabric Softener 'Febreze'

The absolute simplest way to make a homemade Febreze substitute is to mix fabric softener and water and pour into a spray bottle. You can vary the ratio depending on how strong a smell you want, but most recipes call for one part fabric softener and two to three parts water.

You can also add a few other ingredients to make your spray even more effective. Baking soda and white vinegar are both great for getting rid of unwanted odors, as previously mentioned. Just experiment until you find the best ratio you like and stick with that.

If you want to go even more DIY with this, and potentially greener, try making your own fabric softener and substituting it with the store-bought stuff.

Method #2: Essential Oil 'Febreze'

If you're not a fan of fabric softener, which has just as much, if not more, unfriendly chemicals to be worried about, you can use essential oils for a more customizable and environmentally-friendly spray. Essential oils are a little more expensive than fabric softener, but you only need a few drops and you can choose any scent you want.

To make the spray, you'll need water, 10 to 20 drops of your oil of choice, and either white vinegar, like the recipe on Keeper of the Home, or rubbing alcohol/vodka like Jessy Ratfink's version on Instructables.

Now that you've replaced your Febreze, take a look at some of our previous posts to learn how to make homemade hand sanitizer, all-purpose citrus cleaner, and DIY screen-cleaning solution. Got your own favorite recipe? Share with us in the comments.