Scientists already know that smell is the most powerful of your five senses. Just smelling something can bring back a torrent of memories and trigger deep emotions. That’s why aromatherapy is such an effective relaxation method. It fills the mind with memories of the ocean, forest and sky.
Research has shown that surrounding yourself with good smells can improve mood, boost productivity and make your happier. An easy way to create a nice fragrant environment whether at home, in the car or at the office is by using an air freshener.
We know choosing the right air freshener from dozens of brands and types is tedious and time wasting. So we went out and looked for the absolute best air fresheners you can buy today. We’ve included several types to allow you to choose the one that best fits your needs.
Top Air Fresheners in the UK
1. Best Home Air Freshener System: Tork 562000 Air Freshener Spray Dispenser
The Tork air freshener spray dispenser automatically sprays a mist of air freshener at certain intervals. There are buttons on the dispenser to help you set the timer and a small screen that displays the remaining battery and spray level.
You can mount the dispenser on the wall in any room. And since it uses a battery, you don’t have to worry about positioning it close to an outlet.
It’s perfect when you need a 24/7 fragrance in your home. Read our full review.
What We Like About It:
- Automatic spraying.
- A timer to provide a customized experience.
- Stylish modern design.
2. Best Car Air Freshener: APALUS Car Fragrance Diffuser Vent Clip
This is a really easy to use air freshener for your car. It has a unique design resembling a turbine and propeller. It looks perfectly in place when clipped to your car vent.
The diffuser uses aromatherapy pads to freshen up your car. Each pad lasts for around 30 days. The clip comes with five pad refills.
You can also ‘recharge’ the pads by adding 2-3 drops of your favourite essential oil. Read our full review.
What We Like About It:
- Cool design.
- Easily refillable pads.
- Easy to set up in your car.
3. Best Air Freshener for House: Air Wick Summer Delights Electric Wax Melter
Scented candles are great for keeping your home smelling nice. But they are hazardous especially with kids and pets around. Instead of burning wax, you can melt it using this Air Wick electric wax warmer.
The warmer uses electricity. It comes with a 1.6 metre cord so you can position it somewhere high and still manage to plug it in.
There are three wax bar refills in the package. Once they have run out, you can buy more bars or use your own wax. Read our full review.
What We Like About It:
- Easy to use.
- Easy to refill.
- Includes an on/off switch for more control.
4. Best Air Freshener for Pets: Zeolite for Pets Natural Odour Eliminator
Having pets is a wonderful thing. But their smell is not always pleasant. Even a healthy pet will leave behind a slightly unpleasant natural odour in areas where they spend a lot of time. The smell is worse around the litter box.
This air freshener uses Zeolites, a type of mineral, to absorb (not mask) the pet odours. Zeolites are naturally absorbent. So they effectively suck up ammonia and other bad pet smells from the air and surfaces.
You can even use it in your car if you give your dog a ride often. Read our full review.
What We Like About It:
- Effective at absorbing pet smells.
- Easy to use. No setup or installation required.
- Can be ‘recharged’.
5. Best Air Freshener for Bathroom: Yankee Candle Signature Reed Diffuser
This reed diffuser is perfect for the bathroom. It doesn’t use any batteries or electricity. So there is no danger of electric components getting damaged by water.
The ‘Fluffy Towels’ scent is just right for the bathroom. Yankee candle calls it a true-to-life fragrance and most users agree about how realistic it is. It’s gentle but very relaxing.
If you are always trying to get rid of musty and stuffy smells in your bathroom, try this air freshener. The jar itself is quite stylish. It will add to your bathroom’s décor. Read our full review.
What We Like About It:
- Easy to setup.
- Authentic and relaxing fragrance.
- Beautiful jar.
6. Best Plugin Air Freshener: Yankee Candle Scent Plug Base Unit
If you want a plugin air freshener, get this one from Yankee Candle. It comes in several colours including white, black, blue and green. Note that this is only the base. The air freshener itself is not included.
But Yankee Candle has over a dozen different fragrances that are compatible with this base.
Some customers also say you can use air fresheners from other brands though Yankee Candle does not recommend it. Read our full review.
What We Like About It:
- Easy to use.
- Different colours available.
- You can change the intensity of the fragrance using a dial on the plugin base.
7. Best Automatic Air Freshener: Remote Control Automatic Air Freshener Dispenser
An automatic air freshener dispenser is great when you don’t want to keep pressing a nozzle whenever you want to make the room smell nice.
You simply have to mount the dispenser on a wall and then put in a compatible air freshener spray. This dispenser by easy Hygiene comes with a remote control with which you can set the spray intervals, choose the spray intensity and set whether the spray is released during the day, night or all the time.
The dispenser comes with three spray refills; mixed berry, baby powder and Belgravia. So it will be sometime before you need to buy more refills. Read our full review.
What We Like About It:
- Customizable time and intensity settings.
- Battery operated, so you can mount it anywhere.
- Lockable door to prevent tampering by other people and kids.
8. Best Natural Air Freshener: 100% Pure Dried Lavender Buds
If you don’t want any of these synthetic air fresheners, this one is for you. These are two bags of 100% natural dried lavender buds.
You don’t need to install them or connect them to anything. Just place a bag where you want a nice smell and that’s it. You can place the bags in a drawer, closet, under the car seats, on your coffee table and anywhere else you want.
You can safely use the bags around kids and pets since it’s completely natural. Read our full review.
What We Like About It:
- 100% natural.
- Can be ‘recharged’ by gentle squeezing the buds.
- Versatile. You can use them anywhere.
Key Considerations When Shopping For An Air Freshener
To help you buy the right air freshener, consider these three factors when shopping.
1. Your needs
Why do you want an air freshener? Different types of air fresheners fulfil different needs. There are air fresheners for simply making a room smell nice. There are those that actively get rid of bad stinks while also adding a nice scent to the room.
If you want a fragrance 24/7, get an automatic or plugin air freshener. If it’s a bathroom air freshener that you will use only occasionally, a spray air freshener is perfect. If your pets are making your home smell not-so-good, get a pet odour remover.
You may even find that you need two or three different air fresheners. Maybe a car air freshener, a bathroom air freshener and a plugin air freshener for the living room.
2. Your family’s health
Always check the ingredients of a certain air freshener before you buy it. You are not just checking for chemicals that could harm your health but also those that could trigger an allergic reaction in someone at home.
Natural air fresheners are usually better in terms of safety and health. Look for those that use ingredients like natural wax, herbs or essential oils.
If you cannot find a good natural air freshener, it’s easy to make your own at home using essential oils.
3. Ease of use
Finally, consider how easy to use the air freshener is. A spray air freshener may require no setting up buy you have to press the nozzle every time you want to freshen up a room. But on the other hand automatic air fresheners need to be mounted and that could take a bit of time.
But once you set it up, that’s it. Some even come with a remote control so you can do everything from your couch.
Others like an electric wax warmer require a bit more maintenance work. You have to scrub out the wax before adding new wax.
Generally however, most air fresheners require very little effort to use. If it’s mounting, you can easily do it in 10 minutes. If it is cleaning an electric warmer, you only have to do it every few weeks.
So go ahead and buy the product that best meets your needs.
Fequently Asked Questions
Q: How do you make homemade air freshener with fabric softener?
A: To make your own air freshener at home, you’ll need the following items. Warm water, a plastic spray bottle, 1/8 cup of fabric softener and 2 tablespoons of baking soda.
Start by making sure your warm water is warm enough. Cold water makes the baking soda clump up. Mix the baking soda and water in the spray bottle.
Next, measure out the fabric softener and add in the mixture of water and baking soda. Once everything is mixed in, shake well and label the bottle appropriately.
Now you have a homemade air freshener that you can top up whenever it gets low or when it starts losing its scent.
Q: How do you make coffee air freshener?
A: Everyone loves the smell of coffee. However, there’s no need to spill coffee grounds in the house or car to get that nice java scent.
Here’s what you need to make your own coffee air freshener:
- Grab a pair of stockings, some string, a plastic cup and coffee grinds of choice.
- Cut a hole at the bottom of the cup to use as a funnel. Pour coffee grounds through this cup into the stockings and work the grounds into a ball.
- Tie the stocking with the string and cut off the stocking.
Now you have a homemade coffee air freshener you can hang in your house or on the rear view mirror of your car.
Q: How do you remove air freshener smells?
A: Air fresheners are great; they help get rid of unwanted smells and bad odours in the house. But what if you’re sick and tired of how your air freshener smells?
To remove the smell, start by getting rid of slow release air fresheners, diffusing sticks or any other dispersal units. This will prevent more of the scent from being released.
Next, open up all the windows and doors to allow for proper ventilation.
If you’ve got a window system on opposite sides of the room, this works great at quickly letting the air flow through the home.
Proceed to clean the house with sanitizer. Concentrate on areas where the freshener was sprayed or located. If the smell persists, spray an air neutralizing spray.
Q: How do you make 100% natural air freshener?
A: Before you reach for an air freshener that might contain potentially harmful chemicals, there are lots of ways to freshen the air in your home naturally.
One of the best and most natural air fresheners is diffusing essential oils. They have natural properties that both freshen and purify the air.
Simply boil some water and add in a few drops of your favourite essential oils.
Similarly, flowers and houseplants make for the simplest and most natural air fresheners. You can create a pleasant potpourri with a blend of beautiful and fragrant dried flowers.
You can also welcome herbaceous scents by placing freshly snipped flowers and herbs in your room. The most fragrant herbs include rosemary, lavender, geranium and peppermint.
