Herbs to ensure the kitchen smells fresh

Hi. I am new here but am loving it so far. Just wondering what people use to ensure that the kitchen is always smelling fresh even when there is a dust bin around? Thanks.

Hello Annabelle, welcome to permies!  We like to have mint plants and rosemary plants to sprinkle here and there.

Cleaning with lemon juice, vinegar and baking soda goes a long way to neutralize unpleasant odors and replace them with more pleasant ones. I know there used to be the concept of strewing herbs which were the medieval version of air fresheners. The article http://www.motherearthliving.com/gardening/gardening-projects/strewing-herbs-zmaz91djzgoe has a lot of suggestions on how to adapt the practice to modern homes where our floors aren't carpeted in plant debris anyways.

Not an herbal remedy, but my family keeps our compost in a large screw top jar which keeps those smells from filling the kitchen. This covers nearly every wet material leaving our kitchen. Having mostly dry materials in our trash leaves less opportunity for odors to form. If you're in an apartment and can't compost outside, worm bins can work very nicely. It creates a valuable soil amendment that can be used in potted plants or outdoors. If you've an entrepreneurial bent, there's even a market to sell castings to other gardeners.

edit: adding one more link http://naturallysimple.org/living/2012/10/26/1845/ She explains how to distill your own herbs at home in a regular cooking pot with a couple of mixing bowls. Then you another option for spreading the smells of the herbs without leaving plants laying around.

I am a big fan of potpourri, so I would suggest putting lemon slices, bay leaves, whole cloves and cinnamon sticks in a pan of water and slowly simmer on your stove or you could use a crockpot.

I used to use store bought packages to freshen rooms but I don't know what was in them other than cinnamon and clove.

I am a fan of smoking. It eats away odours. I use mainly artemisias.

Thank you for the warm welcome all the posts. Very useful advice, appreciate.

Angelika Maier wrote:I am a fan of smoking. It eats away odours. I use mainly artemisias.

Since some artemisias are poisonous which one do you use and how do you use it as smoke?  

Tarragon (A. dracunculus) is a very popular edible herb so is this the one you use?

Annabelle Lucas wrote:Hi. I am new here but am loving it so far. Just wondering what people use to ensure that the kitchen is always smelling fresh even when there is a dust bin around? Thanks.

I think the only time my kitchen doesn't smell good is while I'm roasting coffee beans...they don't smell like coffee at that point, just smokey.  Otherwise it just smells like home cooking and I don't worry about covering it up.  

Is the 'dust bin' that you mention, where your  non recyclables go?  Ours never smells as we only put clean dry things in it....any food scraps go in the compost bucket and it gets emptied every few days.  Rarely, but sometimes we have plastic or freezer paper from some bought meat...that gets washed in hot soapy water, dried and then put in the trash...we're one of the few in the neighborhood who's bag of trash doesn't get ransacked by dogs on pick up day

   In his highly-popular book, "How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 Houseplants That Purify Your Home or Office," Wolverton details which plants remove the most toxins, and the level of maintenance required for each type of plant.

Powerful air-cleaning plants

Peace LilyThe best plants for improving indoor air quality include the philodendron, spider plant, English ivy, peace lily, Chinese evergreen, bamboo palm and golden pothos. Some of the more effective plants to clear out formaldehyde include the Boston fern, dwarf date palm, bamboo palm, English ivy, weeping fig and lady palm.

Gerbera daisies and English ivy have been shown to remove benzene, another toxin in cigarette smoke, while the daisies also get rid of trichloroethylene, which is found in inks, solvents and paint. Chrysanthemums are helpful in removing carbon monoxide from the air, and add a cheerful spot of color to the decor.  

Cost effective

Compared to costly manufactured air purifiers, nature's version of cleaning cigarette smells and toxins is inexpensive, requires no electricity, and adds beauty to your home.

Most of the plants listed require minimal care, and can provide years of purifying action with just a bit of watering, leaf-dusting and pruning. Research also suggests that plants add a psychological perk to a home or office, and that individuals recovering from illness do so faster in the presence of plants.  

http://www.mnn.com/health/healthy-spaces/stories/cleaning-cigarette-smells-with-plants

I used to use some products to keep my kitchen fresh. But now I can replace them by cinnamon.

I mainly use yomogi and artemisia pontica because I have tons of them. It is all a matter of dose!

I was a little disappointed that rosemary and lavender do not really smell while growing, instead you have to handle or rub the plant to get the fragrance.

I have been drying my rosemary and removing the leaves from the stems ... my hands smell really nice!

I had a friend many years ago (he has since died) but I remember the first time I went to his home and met him, it was winter time and on his wood burning stove was a saucepan with water and a sprig of rosemary in it just slowly steaming away to help humidify the house. And it smelled good too!

James Freyr wrote:I had a friend many years ago (he has since died) but I remember the first time I went to his home and met him, it was winter time and on his wood burning stove was a saucepan with water and a sprig of rosemary in it just slowly steaming away to help humidify the house. And it smelled good too!

When I was a kid, my mom always had a sauce pan on the stove with water and potpourri simmering slowly.  The kitchen always smelled "spicey".