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DIY Room Refresher

This is when you learn how obsessive I can be.  This DIY project has a story that unfolded over the course of three months and served to terrorize my husband as I narrated every obsessive thought in my head while striving to make my (our) whole world smell like vanilla and orange.

It started with my obsession with John Masters blood orange and vanilla body milk.  The smell is intoxicating but the price scared me away until a disastrously bad week had me searching for a pick-me-up.  So I splurged and, wonder of all wonders, actually moisturize now (something I previously avoided).

This body milk made an appearance in my post
about the sugar bowl soap dish

But the smell is maddeningly addictive so I went in search of a compatible perfume, which was torture because 95% of fragrances set off my allergies.  I found two I liked (Hugo Boss Sunset & Escada Taj Sunset) and with Hubby chiming in – he does, after all, get closest to me – I settled on the Escada fragrance.  I love it’s mostly orange with hint of vanilla scent so much I wear it at home.

Speaking of home, once my hands and person smelled like lovely orange and vanilla, I wanted the house to smell like it too.  So I grabbed a bottle of orange home essential oil I received as a gift (and had not used after an embarrassingly sting-y incident of trying to wear it.  Hey – it was from the Body Shop, what was I supposed to think?) 

I added one or two drops of it plus one or two drops of Kirkland vanilla extract (mmm Costco) to a small spray bottle, filled the small bottle with water and shook.  Then sprayed.  YUM.  Smells delicious and, after a couple weeks of spraying like mad (I wanted to test before blogging), I am happy to report it doesn’t stain surfaces or create the sticky residue I found Febreeze created on my wood floors.  I made a similar version with a different essential oil & water a year ago and it still works fantastically.  No troubles, no evaporating, just goodness.

P.S. My uncle, currently house shopping, is trying to find a house with a guest half bath far from the living areas to offer guests who need to go number two some privacy (he has weird priorities).  I prefer to shame them:

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11 Comments

  1. Kirsti @Lovely LaLaLand
    December 19, 2011 / 3:01 pm

    Ha! I love it. And I love that you tested it–good to know it won't leave stains if I try it!

  2. Lesley
    December 19, 2011 / 3:03 pm

    You are seriously the coolest!I love the smell of John Masters Orange and Vanilla. Love isn't strong enough. It's such a perfect scent and it's difficult to find anything that else that smells anything like it.I have a boatload of vanilla from Mexico just waiting to be put into something fantastic. I'll pick up some orange oil today!

  3. Faith Pike
    December 19, 2011 / 3:24 pm

    Ohhh……. I bet that smells great. we are still in Christmas-y smells here.

  4. Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
    December 19, 2011 / 3:29 pm

    Even though I tested it, make sure you do too before spritzing near a white sofa, for example. Different oils and vanilla might react differently. I'd say test on a scrap piece of white fabric, to be sure.And I spray the air, not things. Happy spritzing!

  5. Dana@Mid2Mod
    December 19, 2011 / 5:30 pm

    I love Escada perfumes! The only thing that makes me sad is that the minute I find one I'm totally addicted to, they discontinue it and move on to the next seasonal scent.Great idea for the spray. I really like for my house to smell good and have a Lampe Berger in just about every room.

  6. Dora
    December 19, 2011 / 8:24 pm

    After reading this I will definitely try and make my own house perfume 😛

  7. Rosa @ FlutterFlutter
    December 20, 2011 / 5:50 am

    I'm going to try this! I already have the vanilla, so I'm halfway there! 🙂

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      May 2, 2012 / 2:16 pm

      Even if this post is older, I'm still JUST as obsessed. I have not heard of that product line. I'm definitely going to check it out! Thanks for the tip!!

  8. sushiluv23
    July 10, 2012 / 9:30 pm

    I CAN'T wait to try this hopefully soon! And I love it even more because of the Costco vanilla!

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      July 11, 2012 / 3:10 am

      Yay! I needed this project or I might have this bottle of vanilla for the rest of my life. It's like a litre of vanilla, haha! Need to find creative uses 😉

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