Humans love things that smell nice. We do not like things that smell bad. For those reasons, it is easy to see why air fresheners are a multi-billion dollar industry around the world. Every single day, thousands, if not millions of people buy air fresheners so that they can make their homes smell like the mountains, beach, or lake.

However, there is a dark side to those smells and it comes in the form of particles call phthalates. These are little particle substances that are found in most air fresheners on the market. In fact, a study last year by the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) found that of the 14 air fresheners they bought at a local Walgreens, 12 had varying amounts of phthalates in them.

The reason there are phthalates in fragrances is because these nifty little particles have the ability to dissolve and carry the fragrances, which is an integral part in using the air fresheners in your home. On the flip side, those nice smells come at the cost of health problems from phthalates, which can include cancer and developmental problems in children.

Another study done by NRDC found that many 'natural' air fresheners have as many as 7,300 parts per million of phthalates. In the massive market of air fresheners, where 75 percent of American households have them, many contain DEP, which is listed by the California EPA's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a developmental toxin.

My wife and I are currently in the midst of going green every day of this next year for what we call, Our Green Year, and we decided it would be best to remove the toxins from the air around us. Therefor, we have gone natural with air fresheners, and it is quite easy to do.

First, you can use vinegar to neutralize the bad smells in the air, or take some baking soda and rub down surfaces like counters where bad smells may exist. Lemon juice also works great, but if you really want to go the extra mile, you can make some scented air fresheners.

Take half a cup of salt, one cup of flour, two thirds of a cup of boiling water and mix it all together. Then, put in some food coloring and essential oils (Lavender works great), and mix it together. When everything starts forming into a big ball, you can shape them into smaller balls. Then, put them on a plate and leave them to dry. After this, you have a great air freshener to put around your house.

If you are going to have a nice smelling house, it should at least be healthy and green too.