Freshen Your Home With This Green Clean Stovetop Potpourri Recipe

Don’t you just adore the scent of a natural, freshly cleaned home? Bright notes of zesty lemons, fresh mints, evergreens, and a hint of lavender combine with a little vinegar to create that green clean aroma that we adore in our homes at this time of year.

Unfortunately, many common cleaning products and fresheners, which may smell good at first, are loaded with artificial perfumes and chemicals, overpowering the natural scents. To create a natural green clean version of stovetop potpourri in your house, grab a pot of water and a few botanical components instead of using artificial additions. 

Stovetop potpourris, sometimes referred to as “simmering spices,” have been used for centuries to fill homes with the enticing aromas of herbs like apples, cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.), cloves (Syzygium aromaticum), and pine (Pinus spp.). The following stovetop potpourri recipe is simple to prepare, inexpensive to purchase, and will undoubtedly add a fresh, green clean vibe to your house!

To spread the pleasant scent of botanical potpourri throughout your house, cook a mixture of aromatic spices, herbs, and fruits in water, either on the stovetop or in a crockpot. You might be surprised to learn how fragrant stovetop potpourri recipes can be if you’ve never created one before.  

Stovetop potpourri, which is unmatched by any candle, can end up being your favorite way to add natural scents to your home all year long. Warming spices like clove and cinnamon can be used in the fall and winter. You can utilize fresh, in-season flowers and herbs from your garden in the spring and summer. There are countless ways to combine natural elements from any season with both fresh and dry ingredients.

Vibrant spring scents for a fresh-smelling home include zesty notes like lemon, lime, and orange (Citrus spp.); culinary herbs like rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), and mints (Mentha spp.); and even a few drops of essential oils used for cleaning, such as eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.) and lavender (Lavandula spp.). There are no strict guidelines for creating your simmering pot, so feel free to experiment with different combinations of these (and other) components.

As the herbs heat up, the scent will be released and permeate your home. Turn off the heat and cover the pot if the smell gets too strong. Uncover the pot and reheat it slowly for 30 minutes to 2 hours when you’re ready for another round of scent. (Occasionally, you might need to add more water.) 

Although it won’t be as beautiful after the first day and the aroma will lessen with time, you can simmer your herbs off and on for three or four days. Put your pot in the refrigerator overnight and take it out again for another round in the morning. Compost your used herbs and spices once you’ve extracted as much of the scent as you can.  

To further enhance your relationship with the incredible power of aromatherapy, be sure to check out The Herbal Academy’s Natural Perfumery Course. It is a scentsational experience that will allow you to blend, infuse, tinker, and spritz your way to creating unique scent combinations for your home and body.