How to Make Homemade Air Freshener With Vinegar

By
Mary Marlowe Leverette
Mary Marlowe Leverette 2018
Mary Marlowe Leverette

Mary Marlowe Leverette is one of the industry's most highly-regarded housekeeping and fabric care experts, sharing her knowledge on efficient housekeeping, laundry, and textile conservation. She is also a Master Gardener with over 40+ years of experience and 20+ years of writing experience. Mary is also a member of The Spruce Gardening and Plant Care Review Board.

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Updated on 08/08/22
Reviewed by
Amanda Rose Newton
Amanda Rose Newton
Reviewed by Amanda Rose Newton
Amanda Rose Newton is a pest specialist, reviewing pest control content for The Spruce's Cleaning Review Board. She is a board-certified entomologist and volunteers for USAIDs Farmer to Farmer program. Currently, she is a professor of Horticulture, an Education Specialist, and pest specialist.
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Fact checked by
Emily Estep
Emily Estep
Fact checked by Emily Estep

Emily Estep is a plant biologist and journalist who has worked for a variety of online news and media outlets, writing about and editing topics including environmental science and houseplants.

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air freshener made from vinegar and essential oils

The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

Project Overview
  • Working Time: 5 - 15 mins
  • Total Time: 1 - 2 hrs
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $5

We all want our homes to smell fresh and clean but pets, cooking, smoking, and just living can get in the way. While there are dozen of commercial air freshening sprays, candles, and solids that promise to remove odors, you can also use distilled white vinegar in many ways to freshen your home.

Distilled white vinegar contains around five percent acetic acid and 95 percent water. Cleaning vinegar is stronger with six percent acetic acid. The mild acetic acid is what can inhibit odor-causing bacteria. Of course, thoroughly cleaning the odor-causing item will eliminate much of the problem.

Learn how to use undiluted distilled or cleaning vinegar to remove odors from surfaces around your home.

How Often to Use Vinegar as an Air Freshener

Distilled white vinegar can be used as often as you'd like to help remove odors. It is less expensive than commercial products, environmentally friendly, safe for use around pets, and contains no harsh chemicals.

Before You Begin

As with any product, there are some precautions you should take when using vinegar as an air freshener. While the acid content is very low, it can be irritating to a child's sensitive skin so be sure to label the bottles and store them in a secure location.

There are surfaces in your home that can be damaged by undiluted distilled white vinegar if used in large quantities. Do not spray the vinegar directly on marble or other stone countertops, waxed wood surfaces, unsealed grout, or houseplants.

Do not use flavored or fruit vinegars like balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle for freshening the air or surfaces. They contain minute particles that can clog the sprayer. Use only distilled white vinegar or cleaning vinegar for misting or spraying. The flavored vinegars can be placed in a bowl to use as an air freshener.

Vinegar does not expire but should be stored in a cool, dark place. If the vinegar appears cloudy from contamination, use a coffee filter in the funnel to strain it before adding it to the spray bottle.

Warning

If using distilled white vinegar to freshen soft surfaces like carpet, upholstery, or clothes, test it in an inconspicuous spot before spraying liberally. Some dyes are unstable and bleeding or color changes can occur that are not reversible.

The 11 Best Air Fresheners of 2023

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Misting bottle
  • Spray bottle
  • Funnel
  • Small bowl

Materials

  • Distilled white vinegar
  • Essential oils
  • Herbs, citrus peel, flower petals
  • Label

Instructions

How to Use Distilled White Vinegar as Air Freshener

  1. Fill the Mister Bottle

    To create the small, fine droplets of air-freshening mist, use a mister bottle usually used for plant care. If you cannot find a mister, use a spray bottle with an adjustable stream.

    Use a small funnel to fill the bottle with undiluted distilled white vinegar.

    Warning

    Do not use empty bottles from commercial cleaning products even if they have been washed, especially those that contain chlorine bleach. There is the possibility of an unhealthy chemical reaction. Opt for a new spray bottle.

    making diy vinegar air freshener

    The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

  2. Label the Bottle

    Always label the bottle so it will not be mistaken for another product.

  3. Add Scent

    If you dislike the acrid scent of vinegar, you can add essential oils to the undiluted vinegar. Choose your favorite scent like citrus, lavender, or woodsy notes. Or, you can create scented vinegar with herbs, citrus peels, or flower petals.

    Adding essential oils is the quickest way to add scent. Adding fresh ingredients requires heating the vinegar and letting it steep for several days before straining out the fresh components.

  4. Spray the Air

    Mist the room as often as you'd like to remove odors. The vinegar scent will dissipate in just a few minutes.

  5. Use a Bowl

    To achieve continual freshening after painting a room or during a party where guests are smoking, fill a small bowl with distilled white vinegar and place it in a spot where it will not be spilled like the corner of a bookshelf or cabinet. Refill the bowl as the vinegar evaporates.

How to Use Distilled White Vinegar to Freshen and Deodorize Surfaces

  1. Fill and Label a Spray Bottle

    Fill a new spray bottle with undiluted distilled white vinegar using a funnel. Label the bottle.

  2. Spray Surface

    Lightly spray the surface of the smelly item. Undiluted vinegar can be used to freshen trash can interiors, stinky shoes, carpets, and upholstery.

    using vinegar to deodorize shoes

    The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

  3. Allow to Air-Dry

    Allow the surfaces to air-dry. Do not rinse away the vinegar.

How to Make Your House Smell Good All the Time
Originally written by
Erin Huffstetler
Erin Huffstetler

Erin Huffstetler is a frugal living expert who has been writing for over 10 years about easy ways to save money at home.

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Article Sources
The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Zinn, MK., Bockmühl, D. Did granny know best? Evaluating the antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral efficacy of acetic acid for home care procedures. BMC Microbiol 20, 265 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-020-01948-8

  2. Vinegar Shelf Life and Safety. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.