Make Your Own Poo Pourri: Fragrance Oil Options

Poo-Pourri is a scented spray that you spritz directly onto the toilet water before you use it. It creates an oily barrier on the surface of the water, trapping the stench beneath the surface. While you can buy Poo-Pourri, it is also possible to make your own at home. Many recipes for homemade Poo-Pourri use essential oils, but can fragrance oils be used instead?

Essential oils create a physical barrier to trap stinky smells

Poo-Pourri is a scented spray that can be spritzed directly onto the toilet water before doing your business. It creates a physical barrier on the surface of the water, trapping the stinky smells below. This barrier keeps the stench from escaping, leaving your bathroom smelling fresh.

The essential oils in Poo-Pourri are what create this barrier. They work by forming an oily layer on the water's surface, which prevents odours from rising into the air. This means that even if you have a "chili cheese dawg blowout nightmare" in the bathroom, no one will ever know!

The essential oils typically used in Poo-Pourri include bergamot, lemongrass, and orange. However, other combinations such as lavender and orange or lemongrass and peppermint can also be used. You can even create seasonal scents, like pine for the holidays or citrus for summer.

To make your own DIY Poo-Pourri at home, simply combine 30-40 drops of essential oils with 2 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol in a small spray bottle. Then, fill the bottle with distilled water, leaving a little room at the top. Shake well before each use, and spritz 4-5 times onto the toilet water before you go.

Not only is this a fun and easy DIY project, but it's also a more affordable and natural alternative to the original Poo-Pourri. So, why not give it a try and experience the magic of this stench-trapping spray for yourself?

Artificial fragrances are toxic

The specific chemicals used to create artificial fragrances are considered confidential business information and protected as trade secrets, making it challenging for consumers to make informed decisions about the products they purchase. This lack of transparency has allowed the fragrance industry to self-regulate, with little external oversight.

The potential health risks associated with exposure to artificial fragrances include respiratory issues, skin irritation, allergic reactions, hormonal disruptions, headaches, and an increased risk of cancer. These risks are particularly pronounced for vulnerable populations, such as people with asthma, allergies, or migraine, and children.

In addition to the harm caused to human health, artificial fragrances also pose a serious threat to the environment. Synthetic musks, commonly found in fragrances, end up in wastewater, drinking water, soil, and indoor air. They bioaccumulate in the fatty tissue of aquatic wildlife and travel up the food chain, ultimately reaching humans.

To avoid the potential toxic effects of artificial fragrances, it is recommended to choose fragrance-free or naturally scented products. Essential oils, which are natural fragrances, can be used as a safer alternative to create an effective DIY "poo-pourri".

DIY Poo-Pourri saves money

Poo-Pourri is a scented spray that you spritz directly onto the toilet water before you relieve yourself. It creates an oily barrier on the surface of the water, trapping the stench and keeping your bathroom smelling fresh.

While Poo-Pourri is an ingenious creation, it can be expensive. Making your own at home is a great way to save money, and it's easy to do!

Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make your own Poo-Pourri:

• A clean 2 oz or 4 oz spray bottle (glass is preferable as essential oils degrade plastic over time, but you can reuse an old plastic Poo-Pourri bottle)
• Rubbing alcohol, witch hazel, or vodka (acts as a stabiliser and helps the water and oils mix)
• Distilled water (or bottled water)
• Essential oils of your choice (for scent and to create the oil barrier)

Optional ingredients:

• Blue food colouring (to see the spray coverage)
• Vegetable glycerin (to create a stronger oil barrier)
• Low-foaming detergent (to emulsify fat/oil and absorb odours)

Cost Comparison

The original big brand of Poo-Pourri costs $9.95 for a 2 oz container, which is almost $5 per ounce.

A homemade version will cost you significantly less. For example:

• Rubbing alcohol: $0.02 (at $2.29 per 16 oz bottle)
• 30-40 drops of essential oils: around $0.50, depending on the oils used
• Water: free (or the cost of your water bill, which remains the same whether you make this spray or not)

The total cost for a 3 oz bottle of homemade Poo-Pourri is about $0.52, or $0.17 per ounce—a saving of over 96%!

Instructions

To make your own Poo-Pourri, simply:

• Combine the rubbing alcohol (or witch hazel/vodka) and essential oils in your spray bottle.
• Shake to mix thoroughly.
• Add distilled water to the spray bottle, almost to the top.
• Shake well again.
• Before use, spray 3-5 times onto the toilet bowl water surface.

You can experiment with different essential oils to find your favourite scent combinations. Popular choices include lavender, lemon, peppermint, eucalyptus, grapefruit, and bergamot.

Tips

• If providing for guests, add instructions to the bottle so they know how to use it.
• You can also make cute labels for your bottle or a sign to hang in the bathroom.
• If you want to be able to see the oil barrier in the toilet bowl, add a few drops of blue food colouring.
• For a stronger oil barrier, add a few teaspoons of vegetable glycerin.

The original Poo-Pourri spray is still the best

Poo-Pourri is a scented spray that you spritz directly onto the toilet water before you relieve yourself. It creates an oily barrier on the surface of the water, so when you do your business, the stench stays trapped under the water. It's a pretty ingenious idea, and it works pretty well.

Secondly, the original Poo-Pourri spray is designed to create an optimal barrier on the water surface. The formula contains ingredients that help the spray coat the water evenly, forming a film that traps the odors below. This feature ensures that the spray is more effective than simply masking the smell with air fresheners, which is what most other products do.

Additionally, the original Poo-Pourri spray is made with natural ingredients and is free from synthetic fragrances, parabens, phthalates, aerosols, alcohol, and formaldehyde. This makes it a safer and healthier option, especially for those with asthma or allergies, as it avoids the use of potentially toxic chemicals often found in fragrance sprays.

Moreover, the original Poo-Pourri spray is easy to use and convenient. You simply spritz 3-5 sprays into the toilet bowl before you go, and it does the job effectively. It is also long-lasting, with different bottle sizes offering varying numbers of uses, ensuring value for money.

Last but not least, the original Poo-Pourri has stood the test of time. It has been around for a while, and people keep coming back to it. The positive testimonials and reviews speak for themselves, with many people claiming that it has saved their relationships and marriages!

While there are many DIY recipes and copycat versions of Poo-Pourri, the original still reigns supreme. It delivers on its promise of trapping odors and leaving your bathroom smelling fresh. So, if you're looking for an effective and reliable toilet spray, the original Poo-Pourri spray is the way to go.

Essential oils are expensive

The yield of the plant is another crucial factor. Some plants, like lavender, produce a high volume of essential oil, while others, such as rose, have a low yield, necessitating a substantial amount of plant material to extract a small quantity of oil. For instance, it takes approximately 250 pounds of lavender flowers to yield one pound of essential oil, compared to 10,000 pounds of rose petals for the same amount.

Additionally, the ease of harvesting and processing varies among plants. Mint fields, for example, can be efficiently harvested with machines, whereas jasmine flowers must be carefully hand-picked at night to preserve their fragrance. This discrepancy contributes to the higher cost of certain essential oils.

The ability to cultivate plants in diverse locations also influences pricing. Plants in the mint family, for instance, can be grown in numerous places worldwide, making them more accessible and affordable. Conversely, certain plants, such as frankincense and myrrh, are challenging to grow outside their native environments, rendering them rarer and more costly.

Furthermore, the part of the plant used for essential oil extraction varies and affects pricing. Essential oils can be derived from flowers, leaves, fruits, barks, or roots, each requiring different levels of labour and resources for harvesting and processing.

Lastly, essential oils are priced according to the complexity and rarity of the plant they originate from. While higher prices do not always equate to superior quality, they reflect the challenges and intricacies of cultivating, harvesting, and extracting oil from specific plants.

Frequently asked questions