DIY Savings: "Fabreze"

  I am always concerned about how my apartment smells should anyone come over.  Therefore, I find myself using a lot of Fabreze.  When I am doing a 30-minute clean it takes seconds to just spray down the carpet and sofas as I go.  So when I realized the other day that I was almost out of Fabreze, I turned to the internet to find out how to save money and still keep my apartment smelling fresh.

   There are many recipes for home made "Fabreze".  Most of these recipes involve some combination of water, fabric softener, and sometimes baking soda.  The recipe I used is from tipnut.  There are four options on the page, so you may choose any you wish.  I used #2, and so far I like it.  It seems to work just as well as the real Fabreze.
  So what are the benefits of making my own?  The first is the most obvious: cost.  A bottle of Fabreze can cost $3 or more at your local grocery store.  A bottle of cheap fabric softener can be found at a local dollar store or Family Dollar and will last much longer.  I even used my old Fabreze bottle, so I did not have to pay for a new one.
  The second reason is less obvious.  When buying my fabric softener, I spent a little more money to buy a product called Seventh Generation.  Seventh generation is non-toxic and biodegradable, it uses natural scents, and the softening agent is plant based (most fabric softeners are made from animal fat).  I might have paid more, but it will still come out cheaper than buying Fabreze.  Plus, using the right fabric softener is better for the environment.
*Note: If using on material that is flame resistant, most fabric softeners reduce flame resistance.

What do you use to keep your home fresh?