Scented fragrance sachets are super neat household items that are primarily used to give a nice scent to drawers and rooms, but can be used in many other ways you never thought about.
How to use scented satchels
To use a scented fragrance sachet you will have to:
- Remove the plastic wrap cover.
- Massage the sachet so it releases fragrance.
- Place the sachet in a dresser or where you need it.
- Massage the sachet again every few days.
- Replace the sachet when it’s no longer scented.
Some sachets are placed inside an envelope, so you first have to open the envelope, remove the plastic wrap, massage the sachet a bit, put it back in the envelope and then place the sachet where you need the scent.
If the sachet has a strong scent right away you can skip the massage part, however massaging it every few days is necessary since the essential oils in the sachets get clumped up with the solid matter, meaning the scents get stuck.
On top of that, the warmth from your hands will heat up the oils inside so they evaporate and spread their fragrance more easily.
How to NOT use scented sachets
Scented sachets are generally very safe to use, but there are a few things you should avoid:
- Don’t let the sachet get wet. It will mess up its composition so it won’t release fragrance anymore.
- Don’t place them on wood, since the essential oils can damage some wood surfaces. Read the instructions on the sachet so you know which surfaces are safe to use and which aren’t.
- Do not open the sachet. Having unobstructed air come in touch with the inside substances will release the scent all at once, instead of slowly dispersing it over a few months.
- If you’re getting sinus headaches, allergies or asthma attacks it’s possible the sachet has a scent that is too strong, or is made completely out of synthetic chemicals containing phthalates or artificial colors. In this situation, try softer scented sachets, or ones that use natural ingredients.
- Keep the sachets away from pets, especially cats. Even natural ingredients can be toxic to cats and since they’re so curious they’ll probably break them open.
That’s the basic of using a scented sachet, but below are a few cool usage ideas to really make the most of your scented sachet.
Where to place scented sachets
There are tons of places you can place sachets, besides the usual suspects:
- Closets and drawers.
- Trash cans.
- Drawer underneath the sink.
- Garage.
- Car. Best underneath the seat, but also in the trunk if it smells poorly.
- Wherever you have musty smells or mildew, such as dishwashing rack.
- Bathrooms, but protected from direct contact with water.
- Inside your pillow case, if you can tolerate the scent.
- On your bed.
- Drawers or closets with linens.
- In the drawer with sleeping clothes. It makes those clothes smell more homely.
- Dirty laundry basket.
- Some sachets can be placed in the clothes drier alongside drier sheets.
- Gym bag.
- Work locker.
- In front of grates that cover air filters, since it disperses a soft scent across the house or room.
- Back of a desktop computer, so the cooling fans spread the scent.
- Basement closets that are damp or have bad odors.
- Inside your house, right by the front door. This way you’ll be greeted by a pleasant smell whenever you arrive.
- Close to the cat litterbox. But make sure the fragrance isn’t toxic to the cat, is unreachable and the cat can accept the scent and won’t be stressed out by it.
Useful stuff you can do with scented sachets
The primary use of scented sachets is to give off a nice fragrance, but depending on their composition and what substances they use a scented sachet can be used in a few interesting ways you probably didn’t think about:
Tip 1. Lavender sachets can act as insect or moth repellents. Especially true if made with lavender essential oils, much less with synthetic lavender.
Tip 2. Essential oils react more with warm temperatures, so they release more scent. During colder temperatures they react less, so less fragrance released.
Tip 3. Scented sachets don’t just cover up bad smells, they absorb them. Use them whenever you need to get rid of foul smells. Be sure to remove the cause of the bad smell first, otherwise it’s just a temporary solution.
Tip 4. If the sachet has zero scent it means the essential oils have completely evaporated. If you want to reuse it, you can open the sachet and soak the dry remains (usually wood or vermiculite) with either a favorite perfume or scented oil. Let it dry a bit then reseal the sachet.
It won’t be as good as new, but the new scent can last anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks.
Tip 5. Generally, you’ll need one satchel per closet or drawer, two for a small bathroom, and maybe three for a whole room. However, these numbers can vary wildly depending on the quality of the scented satchels.
Tip 6. Don’t immediately throw away a sachet if you can’t feel anymore fragrance. It’s possible you’re suffering from scent blindness, but there are a few ways around this. An easy way around scent blindness is to sniff coffee, since it “resets” your smell receptors and gets rid of scent blindness for a bit.
Tip 7. Scented sachets made with essential oils can be used for aromatherapy. Essential oils are natural ingredients that activate the amygdala, the emotional center of the brain. Aromatherapy should give you a pleasant and relaxing sensations.
What are scented sachets made from?
Scented sachets can be made from a huge variety of materials, with each of these having different properties.
Generally speaking, the materials can be divided into “bases” that stabilize the fragrance and help it last longer, and the actual fragrant materials.
Common bases used in scented sachets include:
- Wood flour.
- Cellulose.
- Epsom salt.
- Vermiculite.
- Rice.
- Wax.
- Corn husks.
- Cotton.
- Etc.
Fragrant materials commonly include:
- Essential oils.
- Flower mixes (potpourri).
- Herbs.
- Phthalates (synthetic chemicals).
All of the fragrant materials above are completely natural, with the exception of phthalates.
Phthalates are a large group of synthetic scent chemicals found in various cosmetics such as shampoo, body lotions, shower gels, etc.
Scented cosmetics like those above (such as solid colognes or shower steamers) generally have very short exposure times that are too short to bother you.
However, a scented sachet exposes you to these chemicals for a much longer period of time.
If you want to avoid this, always look at the ingredients list for a scented sachet and see if they’re made from natural ingredients like essential oils.
The advantages of natural ingredients are that they’re safer. The disadvantage is that they’re more expensive and don’t last as long, since they are more reactive.