verdamperThere are commercially quite a lot of breeze and others smells for sale that are placed in the toilet. You can make yourself something similar by simply hanging lavender bushes in a bag on a string. Lavender has an attitude to give stronger fragrances as it is touched. (The capsules of the smell cells burst open, and fragrances are set free as a gas.) Attach the string to the door so that the bag at opening and closing, strikes or brushes against something. So you get an automatic "atomizer". Without battery or electronics. (The bag is only meant to hold everything neat and together so you do not constantly have to sweep up leaves and flowers.)

Jasminum polyanthum and hyacinths you can also set up as a houseplant if there is sufficient light. Otherwise, you use two (or more) pieces that you give every day in turn a place in the light. (Well ventilating works better than camouflage of odors or smell covering. Like pleasant odors, unpleasant gas molecules disappear quickly.)

In the living room, a bowl of fruit (quince!) or a bouquet of flowers refreshes the nose.

Of, for example, lavender or basil you can make incense by mixing crumbs with a little water and gum arabic to a syrupy mass. There may also be some charcoal powder mixed. You can roll the result to a (bamboo)stick or into a cone, or use the dry granules as incense.

You can just burn a bay leaf in a bowl and leave the room. After 10 minutes the odor would relax mind and body.

Other fragrant plants:

Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum)

Lemon Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)

Dames's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)

English Rose (Rosa)

Mock Orange (Philadelphus)

Nepeta or Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii)

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum)

Madonna Lily (Lilium candidum)

Mint (Mentha)

Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis ssp. Prost Rates)

Fragrant Snowball (Viburnum x carlcephalum)

 

A smell refresher for the linen closet or living room, you can also make yourself. Take a screw-top jar in which you punch holes with a nail, and put the crushed ingredients of your choice (fruit, spices, cloves, pine sprigs, laurel ...) in it.

Need more smell in the house? Then put the jar over a candle (or on the stove). Because of the heat and evaporation, the effect is stronger. The pots may be re-heated 2 to 3 times before they have lost their odor.

You can get odors from plants (or parts) by adding droplets to molten wax or oil for a lamp, incense, or evaporator. An essential oil, also known as volatile oil is referred to as a liquid, strongly scented plant extract that is usually distilled.

For some (odor, taste and others) compounds are oil and / or alcohol better solvents than water. Alcohol is evaporated at 78 degrees Celsius, water at 100 degrees, depending on the type and purity, and vegetable oil of about 200 to 300 ° C. The mutual attractive forces of the particles is greater in oil. In order to allow escape the molecules from the liquid surface is a higher temperature required. The steam contains after steaming or cooking the ingredients, the dissolved substances. During and after condensation of the steam, the distillate can be further separated. For example, by simply pouring off the upper layer of the oil from the water. Also the water (called hydrosol) includes several fragrant ingredients.

Pressing of citrus peel, or dry distillation of wood or resin also produces essential oil.

Absorbing fragrances via fats in a 'pomade', dissolve them in alcohol and then evaporate, delivers a 'absolue' (for example, jasmine oil). (See also tincture, infusion, decoction.)

You can infuse lavender flowers 3 weeks in oil (shake daily, hot storage) and then seven and press it. Or substantialy heat herbs in vegetable oil in a bain marie, cooling and seven (or pressing). Repeating this several times with new spices is necessary for a more intense smell / taste.

 

The fragrances are used in perfumes, soaps, candy, drinks, food, ointment, candles. (See articles)

Tips to keep cut flowers (longer):

Cut hard stems diagonally (45 °), softer stems right. (An acute angle is less firm, more vulnerable.) An angled cut would absorb more water through a larger contact area. (As if you can drink more or faster through a beveled straw? The diameter remains the same, the capillary action is not bigger.) Diagonally cutting reduces the pressing force on the stem, the vessels remain more open. A straight cut is a smaller injury, but would inhibit water absorption as the cutting edge stands right (!) on the bottom of the vase. I did not found scientific research about this.

Dry transport and exposure to air causes dehydration and death of crushed cells at the interface, and the inclusion of air which blocks the vascular channels. A broken water column can not rise, evaporation continues and the flower dries up. So keep quite a few inches of the stem under water (this prevents air coming in the vessels), cut with a sharp, clean knife. A (pruning) scissors bruises and pinches off capillaries.

Give them meet, lukewarm (room temperature) and pure water. Do not let leaves standing or hanging in the water, it promotes growth opportunities for bacteria and fungi.

Use a clean vase and pure water. A little bleach (inhibits bacterial growth). Do not place them too hot (solar heating) or drafty (dries out). No ripe fruit in the area, which stimulates to 'mature' your flowers. Some sugar (or soda, which is sugar) works as absorbable plant food.

Myths: copper pennies or aspirin in the water have no effect.

Viagra would be hold flowers longer upright. (Someone experience someone?)