A Natural Air Freshening Simmer Pot Recipe

Simmer pots are an excellent natural air freshener! I use this simmer pot recipe in cooler weather to add freshness, humidity, and warmth to my home. Enjoy!

As the weather turns cold and dry, I’ve been using simmer pots to add heat and humidity to my home.
These natural simmer pots create a refreshing aroma throughout my entire home. They also naturally deodorize and humidify your home.

Deodorizing With Natural Simmering Pots

If you have never tried making a simmer pot, you are definitely missing out! They are so easy to do and can almost always be made with kitchen scraps or spices. Think of it as an all-day natural air freshener! It is a truly wonderful way to get a second use out of many kitchen ingredients.

Check out this post with 8 Simple Stove Top Potpourri Simmering Pot Recipes.

Essential Oils in Natural Air Fresheners

I love to diffuse essential oils for their beautiful aromas, but I tend to use them sparingly because they are so powerful. Also, many of my favorite “spicy” essential oils are not safe to use around my kids. I can, however, use cinnamon and cloves safely around my kids in a simmer pot.

While I do love the smell of cinnamon and cloves, I wanted to find a more refreshing and cleansing aroma for my whole home.

Ginger Root Peels

I just so happened to be making some elderberry syrup and had some leftover ginger peels. I just love the spicy, somewhat fruity aroma of a fresh ginger root. It has a great kick and is definitely refreshing. Instead of throwing away the leftover peels, I put them in my large cast iron stock pot with some water.

Eucalyptus

I also keep dried eucalyptus on hand for DIY projects. Ginger and eucalyptus are wonderful complementary smells that blend well. Dried eucalyptus stores well and can be used in steams and baths to help with congestion and muscle soreness.

Since eucalyptus and ginger are pretty potent, I decided to add some brightness to this simmer pot with lemon peels. I also keep lemon peels in my freezer once I have used the juice. I simply pop them in a mason jar and store in my freezer. They work great in simmer pots or for cooking!  You can do the same with orange peels, lime peels, and even ginger peels too.

I find the eucalyptus, ginger, and lemon simmer pot to be one of my all-time favorites. You can let it simmer all day and add water to the pot as needed. At the end of the day, simply turn off the heat and toss the ingredients.

Reusing Simmer Pots is Not Recommended

I have tried to re-use simmer pot ingredients for a second day, but they never smell quite as fresh and often have an off-putting aroma. I suggest using new ingredients each time you make a simmer pot for the best result.

Since I used mainly scraps for this simmer pot, it was extremely economical! It’s my favorite way to repurpose scraps that would have otherwise ended up in the trash.

Have you ever used simmer pots as a natural air freshener in your home? If so, what is your favorite combination?

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