The other scenario: you have more mint growing than you know what to do with! (One can only drink so many mojitos, after all.) Either way, we’re going to give you the scoop on all the ways to make your home smell good with mint.
Why Make Your Home Smell Good With Mint?
No matter how obsessed you are with creating the perfect vacuum lines or getting the windows totally streak free, if your home doesn’t smell good, it can be hard to feel great about your cleaning efforts.
A fresh smell is like the cherry (or mint) on top of a cleaning sundae. It’s just not complete without it! Because there are so many hazards of air fresheners made with synthetic fragrance, more people are turning to natural alternatives, like mint.
While there are over 600 varieties of mint, spearmint and peppermint are the most popular. In addition to their amazing smell, these mints are known for:
- Having a positive, balancing and uplifting effect
- Repelling bugs and critters - that's why it's great on patios and near window sills!
- Working as a sanitizer/cleaner
If you want to take your love affair with mint beyond the way your home smells, there are many health benefits of mint too!
Can a Fresh-Smelling Room Make You a Nicer Person?
In a clean-smelling-environment study, aptly dubbed "The Smell of Virtue," researchers found that using a scented spray in a room made people more generous and fair.
For example, when asked to donate money to Habitat for Humanity, 22% of people in a freshly-spritzed room said yes, compared to just 6% in a non-spritzed room. The difference was also significant in tests of honesty and charitable acts like volunteering.
Once the study was concluded, participants were asked if they had noticed a scent in the room. The answer was no, which means the smell can be subtle and not have to hit you over the head in order to subconsciously influence behavior.
Note to self: research scents that will subconsciously make family members pick up their dirty clothes.
Got Mint?
Mint can grow like a weed and overtake a garden space fast, so if you don’t currently have mint and want to try growing it, we recommend planting it in a container on the patio. You can also grow mint indoors.
How to Use Fresh Mint to Make Your Home Smell Good
#1. Make a Simmer Pot With Fresh Mint
Simmer pots, also known as stovetop potpourri, are one of the easiest ways to get a mint smell in your home.
A simmer pot is exactly what it sounds like. You fill up a pot with water, add your ingredients, bring to a boil, then turn the temp down so it can simmer away on the stove. Add more water as needed. You can also add to your crockpot and turn on low so it’s more of a "set it and forget it."
Feel free to think beyond mint here! Citrus especially pairs well with mint, so throw in some orange, lemon or lime peel – whatever you have on hand! Vanilla is also great to invite to the party. For more inspiration, check out these popular simmer pot recipes.
Your homemade stovetop potpourri will keep in the fridge for about a week or you can even freeze it!
#2. Dry Your Fresh Mint
You can dry your fresh mint to make mint sachets for drawers, or you can leave them in open decorative containers to freshen various rooms. Dried mint even makes a great natural carpet deodorizer.
Dried-Mint Carpet Deodorizer
- Mix 2 T. of crushed dried mint leaves with 1 c. baking soda
- Sprinkle on carpets and let sit for an hour
- Vacuum up and enjoy the minty freshness
How to dry fresh mint:
Letting mint air dry can be done, but it’s more difficult, as it’s easy for mint leaves to mold. If you don’t have a dehydrator, the simplest method to dry out fresh mint leaves is to use your oven.
First, thoroughly wash your mint by swishing it around in a bowl of cold water. Then pat dry. (If you have a salad spinner, it’s a fantastic way to remove excess water before you pat dry.) Let the mint leaves sit for 30 minutes, then pat dry again if needed.
Next, remove the leaves from the stems and lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave enough breathing room for each mint leaf.
Pop the tray into the oven at the lowest possible temperature. You definitely don’t want to exceed 200 degrees, as the goal is not to brown or cook the mint. "Baking time" will depend on the temp of your oven, likely around two hours. After one hour, turn your mint leaves to allow for faster drying.
Store dried mint leaves in a container with a lid.
Use Essential Oil to Add a Mint Smell to Your Space
Peppermint oil is right up there in popularity with lavender essential oil. You can diffuse peppermint oil in an essential oil diffuser or even make your own air freshener spray with it.
Note: Sub out peppermint with spearmint if you prefer a milder, sweeter mint smell.
Make-Your-Own Minty Air Freshener Spray
- ¾ c. water
- 2 T. vodka or real vanilla extract
- 8 drops mint essential oil
For a more citrusy scent, add in 8 drops of orange or lemon essential oil. Combine into a spray bottle and let the freshness begin!
Note: the downside of high-quality pure essential oils is the price, but for many, it’s money well spent.
Use a Mint Deodorizer Spray ... Not the Fake Stuff, Though!
If you love the smell of mint but don’t grow your own, or diving into the world of essential oils sounds way too exhausting or expensive, try Oxyfresh All-Purpose Home Deodorizer.
Fast-acting and affordable, this non-toxic spray is infused with the light, just-right minty freshness of both peppermint and spearmint natural essential oils.
Best of all, there are no toxic ingredients like formaldehyde and phthalates that you’ll find in traditional air fresheners.
Only Oxyfresh is formulated with Oxygene®, a non-toxic oxidizer that neutralizes odor compounds on contact, getting rid of the offending odor completely, rather than just covering up the scent!
Spray Oxyfresh All-Purpose Deodorizer anywhere odors are a problem and let the good (and fresh) times roll!
Hello, minty freshness! We hope you’ll try out some of these ideas and enjoy a fantastic and welcoming mint smell in your home. Now if you’ll excuse us, a mojito is calling ...
