I posted last week about DIY toilet fizzers and trying to curb the swamp monsters that grow in our toilets. Hopefully, between those and these air fresheners, our bathrooms will be cleaner and smell better with less of my time spent in rubber gloves, up to my elbows in the toilet. To check out the fizzers, click the link above.
So… I live in a house with three boys. Two of which are toilet trained. One of them is four years old. If you have ever been in a men’s room, or walked by one, they don’t usually smell very good. Granted, I don’t have hundreds of men using my bathrooms every day, but my four year old has… shall we say… less than careful aim. Most of the time, everything makes it where it’s supposed to and the toilet even gets flushed. But, if he’s in a hurry or just doesn’t care, it’s a stinkin’ mess. Literally. He’s old enough to use the restroom by himself, so I don’t always catch his carelessness right away. Which often leaves my bathroom smelling more like a truck stop restroom. Ew.
I first saw this idea on One Good Thing by Jillee. If you’ve never been there, you should really go check it out. In just a few minutes… of course. I saw the idea and that’s about where I took off on my own and didn’t follow the directions, like at all. So, if you don’t like my way, check out Jillee’s for a good alternative.
Materials:
– 2 packets Knox Unflavored Gelatin
– 1 Tbsp Salt (keeps the gelatin from molding)
– 1 Tbsp Baking Powder (helps deodorize)
– 2 Cups Water
– Heat Resistant Jars with lids (I used three 4oz clean baby food jars)
– Essential Oils for fragrance (your choice – I used cedarwood and pine, lemon and lime, and peppermint and lavender combinations)
– Washi tape and paper (optional)
– Cinnamon sticks or other additives (optional)
– Food coloring (optional)
Directions:
– Mix 1 cup of hot water and the salt and baking powder together in a small saucepan on the stove. Stir together until the salt and baking powder dissolve.
– Remove the pan from the burner and SLOWLY pour the packets of gelatin into the water, stirring while you do so. I dumped the first packet in all nonchalant and willy-nilly. It foamed up and nearly overflowed. I went slowly with the second packet and it worked out much better.
– Return to the burner and stir until gelatin dissolves. Remove from burner and add 1 cup of cool water. Mix together.
– Pour the gelatin mixture into your clean jar. If you want to add color, put in a tiny drop of food coloring and mix it until well combined. You don’t really even need a whole drop, I just shook the excess dye off the top of the dropper.
– Add your essential oils. I did about five drops of each oil, ten drops total. I made one with a cedarwood and pine combination, one with lemon and lime and the last with peppermint and lavender. Scents are totally at your discretion.
– Put in any additives, if you want. I broke up a cinnamon stick and put that in one jar. Jillee used some silk flowers in hers. Little figurines would be cute too. If I didn’t think it would cause World War III, I’d have put a Lego man in one for the kids’ bathroom.
– Allow gelatin to set. I put mine in the fridge overnight, just to help it out.
– Punch holes in the lids of the jars with a hammer and nail (or a screw will work too, I was too lazy to go looking for a nail). Put the lids on the jars and decorate if you’d like.
– Place in bathroom and ta-da! Hopefully, things will smell much better from now on…
