These 3 simmer pot recipes are perfect for Spring cleaning, and they naturally freshen your home for a few days!
During the end of Winter this year, I sort of hit a slump as far as keeping up with our house. The end of the second trimester left me exhausted, and my son’s tantrums were at an all-time high.
Simply keeping up with the basics like laundry, dishes, and toys took all of the energy I had, and the deep cleaning fell on the back burner.
Thankfully, Spring is here! And not only that, I just started the third trimester with baby #2, and nesting urges are kicking in strong!
I’m working my way through Spring cleaning each room of our house from one end to the other. And I don’t know about you, but nothing motivates me quite like a nice fresh scent filling up the home.
Related: DIY All Purpose Cleaner
I do still use wax warmers, but I’m working on cutting back on the artificially scented wax cubes and switching them out for natural scents. I don’t diffuse oils very often because they seem to bother my son a little bit, and I don’t use Febreeze or air fresheners. Basically, I rely on fresh air, keeping every room clean, and wax warmers.
Simmer pots are one of my favorite go-to’s, and usually when I work up the motivation, I make a few batches at once to save myself time later. More on that at the end.
Here are the main ingredients I like to use to naturally freshen my home, especially while I’m cleaning. Keep in mind, you can simply use citrus peels. You don’t have to use the entire fruit.
Any combination of these ingredients will make your house smell lovely, but I’ll share my favorite combinations below.
Related: 21 Natural Cleaning Hacks for a Chemical-Free Home
Simmer Pot Recipes For a Fresh, Clean Smelling Home
Simmer Pot Combination #1 – Lemon Mint Rosemary
Lemon, mint, and rosemary together is my absolute favorite combination using the listed ingredients. It’s simple, and lemon is a top scent for cleaning!
Simmer Pot Combination #2 – Mint Lime Ginger & Thyme
To be completely honest, I don’t care for ginger, so I barely use any in my simmer pot. That being said, it’s a popular choice, especially when combined with mint and thyme. The lime in this simmer pot recipe lifts the entire thing up, making it light and citrusy.
Simmer Pot Combination #3 – Lavender Orange Thyme
First of all, I’m not 100% sure that’s an orange. I can’t remember what I picked up at the store, but this one had no seeds. Regardless, it smelled exactly like an orange, and it worked just fine! Any orange-like citrus fruit will do, and it’s AH-MAZING when simmered with lavender and thyme.
How To Simmer Your Pot of Fresh Ingredients
Just as the name suggests, you simply simmer the ingredients and water on your stovetop to fill your home with a naturally delicious, clean scent. You can keep it going as long as you like, adding water periodically as it boils away.
It won’t look pretty after it’s been going for a while, but if it’s still giving off a nice smell, and there’s plenty of water to keep it simmering, you’re good to go! Some people even reuse it for a day or two.
Think of how good your home smells when you’re baking or cooking.
It’s essentially the same thing, except you don’t actually have to cook. Plus, you’re taking the strongest-smelling ingredients and putting them together to give your home a powerful scent boost. It’s an old school trick that older generations used to do, especially when they knew they had company coming over.
How To Store Simmer Pot Ingredients For Later
There are two ways I like to store my simmer pot ingredients when I make them ahead of time. Because throwing herbs and citrus fruit in a pot on the stove is too much work for me, apparently.
You can add the ingredients to a mason jar, fill with water, and stick in the fridge for up to 2 weeks (though I do recommend using it sooner rather than later so bacteria doesn’t grow).
Or, you can freeze the ingredients without water, taking them out when you’re ready to simmer them. The ingredients last much longer this way!
Have you made your own simmer pot before? What ingredients do you like to use to freshen up your home? Let me know in the comments!
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