 Nature's
Way
with Alan Hayes
Sweet fragrance in the home
The refreshing and aromatic properties of herbs and flowers can be used in many different ways to keep your home fragrantly fresh. They will not only remove those stale and unwanted odours, but will also make your surroundings pleasant. Their natural disinfectant properties will help to control airborne bacteria and viruses that are prevalent during winter. This is especially important when homes are kept shut up for long periods.
In my home one of our favourite ways to keep our surroundings fresh and aromatic is to burn homemade herbal incense. It is not only easy to make, but can be custom-made to suit your personal circumstance.
Herb mixtures such as rosemary and lavender, mint, lavender or sage, and rosemary and southernwood or thyme is suitable. They will not only impart a nice fragrance but will also help to eliminate mustiness and staleness.
To make your incense, reduce one tablespoon of dried, fragrant herb, or herb mixture, of your choice to a powder by rubbing it through a fine wire sieve. Next, thoroughly mix the powdered herb with one tablespoon of very fine sawdust, then add one tablespoon of water in which has been dissolved one teaspoon of Gum Arabic (available from artists' suppliers, craft shops and some chemists). When all ingredients have been mixed together, shape it into small cones and allow to dry.
Place the incense cones on small metal or ceramic dishes, or other suitable objects, and light them. The incense will slowly smoulder, filling the room with its delightful fragrance.
Burning essential oils in a simmering pot (oil burner) is another simple way to keep your home smelling fragrantly fresh, while at the same time killing airborne bacteria and fungi. A simmering pot is a small ceramic vessel with a candle inside. A saucer containing a mixture of essential oil and water sits on top and the burning candle releases its fragrant vapours. Add about 10 drops of essential oil to one cup of boiling water, preheat the saucer by lighting and the candle burning, and then three-quarters fill the saucer with the fragrant water, topping up when required. Oils that have antibacterial properties and a fresh fragrance are thyme, lavender, pine, rosemary and eucalyptus.
You can add a delicious fragrance to your wash by putting three to five drops of lemon grass or lavender oil on a face cloth and then dropping it into the washing machine with your laundry. For a more exotic perfume, try the essential oil ylang-ylang and neroli. When cold and influenza is about, add eucalyptus, rosemary or pine oil to the wash.
For those of you that can think of nothing better than to be lulled off to sleep each night by the calming fragrance of a sweet-smelling herb, then a sleep pillow is the answer. Simply make a small bag from natural fibres, stuff it with dried, fragrant herbs and slip it inside your pillow case.
Dried hops are soft and sweet smelling with a natural narcotic effect that will induce restful sleep, while lavender flowers and rose petals are refreshingly fragrant. Delicately scented pillows also help the elderly and calm fractious babies.
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