Banish Stale Odors with a Powerful Homemade Winter Spice Potpourri
As the winter months stretch on, our homes can become stale. Without the windows and doors closed to keep the cold out, everyday household odors are trapped inside. I never miss a fresh spring breeze more than after my husband cooks seafood or fries a steak in his cast iron skillet.
The exhaust fan over the stove just doesn’t do it. And while I love natural room sprays like my Winter Pine Room Spray, they are best used for a spritz in the kitchen after taking out the trash or freshening up the bathroom.
Room sprays just don’t cut through some odors!
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Make Your Home Smell Amazing with a Simmering Homemade Winter Spice Potpourri
No worries, I’ve got you covered, and it doesn’t require dangerous chemicals either. Did you know the Environmental Working Group rates the average room freshener at a D to F for significant hazards to health and the environment?
I challenge you to banish any odor in the home within 10 minutes of simmering this homemade winter spice potpourri! No joke, it is incredible, and you really only need simple ingredients from your kitchen cupboards.
The combination of whole coffee beans, cinnamon sticks, and cardamom pods will make your home smell like the dreamiest sugar cookie latte. For more dreamy aromas, try flavored coffee beans, like hazelnut or vanilla.
Related: Surprisingly Easy Spiced Chai DIY Candle Melts
Simmering Homemade Winter Spice Potpourri Ingredients:
3 to 5 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon whole cardamom pods
1/4 cup whole coffee beans
2 to 4 whole star anise
3 dried or fresh orange slices
1 tablespoon juniper berries
4 cups water
How to Make Homemade Winter Spice Potpourri:
Measure out dry ingredients and add to a medium stockpot. Pour 4 cups of water over dry ingredients and bring to a boil. Boil potpourri 2 to 3 minutes. Then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer up to 4 hours, adding an additional 1/2 cup of water every half hour as needed.
This simmering homemade winter spice potpourri is my go-to after my husband has cooked until his “heart’s content”. It is hands-down the best solution ever to banish funky, stale odors in the home!
Love this! I’ve been doing this for years…id like to take the credit but my mom taught me everything.. My mom (who’s in her 70’s) when she was younger in Germany her mother would do this when every someone was sick. Using certain ingredients help clean the air also. ?
Absolutely Michelle, there’s nothing like clearing the air after an illness in the family.
I am definitely trying this! I love homemade simmers and yours is different from any I have used. My husband always makes turkey burgers right before my piano lesson students arrive and the house smells! I will have some simmer made up on piano lesson nights so I can banish the burger scent!
Pinning and tweeting this post and also featuring you this week at Thursday Favorite Things!
That’s hilarious, I knew there had to be other wives out there that had the same issue. You’re going be amazed at the difference when you try this week! Thank you for the feature I will be there to share it when ups Thursday!!