Someone emailed me MONTHS ago asking if I knew how to make a homemade version of the popular bathroom spray, “Poo~Pourri”. Have you heard of it? I hadn’t, but it definitely sounded intriguing…so I immediately went on a search for it.
Turns out almost everybody who has tried this stuff, loves it! It’s a simple (but inspired!) concept. All you do is spray their proprietary blend of “Lemongrass, Bergamot, Grapefruit and other natural essential oils” in the toilet before you “go”, creating a film on the surface of the water, which traps any odors!
Sounds simple enough! Of course I’m sure their super secret, patent-pending blend probably has some fancy scientific formulation behind it that makes it Poo-rrific! But I believe in the power of essential oils to help just about any condition on their own…so I decided to let them shine in MY “super not-so-secret non-patent-pending blend”….Jillee’s #2 Spray!
Here what you’ll need:
- 10 drops Lemongrass Essential Oil
- 10 drops Grapefruit Essential Oil
- 10 drops Bergamot Essential Oil
- 8 ounces of water
- (1) small spray bottle
Fill the spray bottle with 8 ounces of water, add 10 drops each of the Lemongrass, Grapefruit and Bergamot Essential Oils, and shake.
Here’s how to use:
BEFORE “nature calls”, shake the bottle again and then spritz the #2 Spray into the toilet bowl. Approximately 3 or 4 spritzes should do it. Then do your “business”. The oils will disperse over the water creating a vapor barrier and trapping any offensive odors!
Now, I can hear you all asking in unison…but Jillee….does it work?! You bet your buttons it works! And how do I KNOW it works??? Well, let me try to put this as delicately as I can……….I have been very well-acquainted with the toilets in our house over the last 24 hours because today I have the distinct honor of undergoing my first ever colonoscopy. So suffice it to say…I have tried this…and it works! And for some reason, this whole experience reminded me of the Poo~Pourri idea and I decided to give it a try. Can’t imagine why. :-)
Now it’s your turn. Give it a try and let us know how it all comes out! lol….I’m sorry….that was baaaaaad! Forgive me…I’m in a weakened state! Must rest…big day ahead!
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LOL
Here in Germany we do not have anything similar to that “poo-Pourri” you mention. The concept is completely new to me. But it sounds great. Can’t wait to try this out. :))
Thank you Jillee! :)
xoxo
I’ve never seen or heard of anything like this before either (in Northwest Canada) but am excited (can you believe that? lol) to try it. I find air sprays are hard on my respiratory system and gels are ineffective so this is awesome!
Does it work with other essential oils? I suppose it should? Or not? :)
Yes, Kristina….any essential oil that you like the scent of should work nicely. :-)
I was just going to ask the same question! Thanks!!! I have similar but not exact as your EOs! Can’t wait to give that a go!!! :)
In honor of your colonoscopy, I thought you might enjoy my “reflections” on my first one as well.
http://atypicalpastorswife.blogspot.com/2010/10/mysteries-of-colonoscopies-revealed.html
that was awesome Cyndi! I know eventually I will have to have one as well but, hopefully it will be later than sooner. lol
Awesome indeed Cyndi!
Thanks Vicki! Glad you got a good laugh!
Thanks Denise! I was on my blog and couldn’t believe that it had 194 reads just for that goofiness about colonoscopies! There is an inside joke about my blog-it’s the blog no one ever reads! So I was thrilled to see that people enjoyed it!
The good thing about a colonoscopy?? One sure way to detect and treat it early and Successfully..gotta have ‘em
ahhhhh Cyndi! You are awesome! I am literally heading out the door in 10 minutes and reading this just made my day! :-) Thanks for sharing! Bring on LA-LA-LAND!!!!!!
Hi Cyndi,
Love the article. Can you post a link to your mammo article too? I could find it on your blog because there’s so much cool stuff there. When I have lots of time, I’ll definitely be stalking…….er, checking it out. LOL. Have a great day.
Trixie, the mammo article is mixed in with some other things here:
http://atypicalpastorswife.blogspot.com/2010/10/what-youve-missed.html
If you’re nearing menopause, you might find some of the other things enlightening too.
Thanks for looking at my blog. I’m always amazed that people actually read the thing! LOL! And stalk all you want! Thanks for reading!
too funny last part… wow is all i can say..
I’m LOL-ing at work.
(going to try it, though) :)
I love Poo Pourri and can’t wait to try the homemade version!
I’ve never tried Poo Pourri but I do have another brand that’s mostly eucalyptus oil. I’ll definitely try this one.
I keep a bottle of Eucalyptus oil by the toilets. 2-3 drops in the water before doing your business eliminates any odors. The best thing about it is that the bottle is small enough to stick in a pocket or purse for those emergencies when you are not at home.
Awesome idea Landon, about the portable version!! Thanks for mentioning.
I heard of this stuff but never knew how it worked. And being told in your magical way really made my Friday start wonderfully!! Thanks!!
Good luck today! Prayers coming your way!
How funny! Never thought anything like “#2 Spray” could exist. Definitely going to give this a try. In fact, I have tried several of your ideas and they have all worked, especially the “smelly” towel solution. Thank you so much for all you do to make this blog so great, I love reading it! Good luck with your procedure today:)
I’ve always used matches. Light a couple let them burn for a few seconds then blow out and let them smoke off…then in the toilet they go to be flushed. : )
Talk about multitasking Jillee! You are so funny! I hope your test goes well. :)
Thanks Amy! Came out with the “all clear” from the doc! So glad THAT’S over with! :-)
So glad it all went well, Jillee!! I’ve been with my parents each time they’ve had theirs & they always say the prep is the worst part. Nine more years before I have to start getting them. =)
This young lady wrote an article about this a few months ago on her blog Crunchy Betty You can find it here http://www.crunchybetty.com/the-oil-magic-trick-that-hides-number-two# I am going to have to give this a try! Thanks
That’s where I learned my eucalyptus oil trick.
LOVE Crunchy Betty! :-)
Congratulations on your first colonoscopy! I had one yesterday :)
Scope sisters! ;-) Good for you Jamie! Now I have to talk the hubster and my sister into it!
Thanks! We are actually a colon cancer family so I get one every year since I was 19. Actually this time my mom and I had ours done together. We got qite a bit of attention when we checked in that morning. I hope yours went well. It really isn’t a horrible procedure to have done since you sleep through the whole thing!
You’d need a glass spray bottle-can’t put e.o.’s in plastic. Great timing for this post-with the holidays and all! ;)
good point Karen!
Just wanted to say I loved the graphics on this post LOL
:-) I love making stuff like that! lol
The diversity of this site never fails to amaze me :D Hope your procedure goes well, and everything is as it should be!
Thanks KD. I’m nothing if not unpredictable (according to the hubster!) ;-) All went well and got a clean bill of health! So you guys are stuck with me for a long time to come.
I have a better idea! Make your husband go outside or to a service station. : )
Yes, because having it open to the air instead of flushed away and covered by water is better? Or are you attempting to perpetuate the myth that women are mythical creatures who don’t “Poo”?
Thanks for the great recipe.
Jocelan
Cheeper and better…..keep a box of matches on hand. Just as you flush, strike one match and let it burn a few seconds. Then let is flush down.
I just made some “room mist” for my bathrooms recently and it really does work. I think I added a shot of alcohol to my mist.
I bought the poo-pourri and it works even if you do not have time to spray in toilet before you go. I will spray it after and it works fine. I cannot wait to make my own. Thank you. BTW they sell poo-pourri on QVC.com.
Thanks Linda!
Where would you buy these essential oils? I usually have a candle burning in the bathroom. :-)
I get a lot of mine from Doterra which you can get online. But you can also find them at any health food store.
We do the candle thing too, with some decent results. If nothing else it gives you something to sniff instead of gassing yourself out of the room before you’re done!
We are so pampered! Sounds intriguing. I wonder if it can be rigged in one of those bottles you turn upside down to allow bowl cleaner to drip into the tank. Is there a bathroom etiquette book out there? How would we get our guests to use it? I’m still plagued by the seat being left up. I can’t imagine my guests would know how to use the spray; also cannot imagine a conversation to enlighten them about it, what about a “poem” that you can attach to the bottle. My guess is that by the time they read–they are already seated. I remember the poems in the bathroom stalls when we drove from NJ to Florida– “If you sprinkle when you tinkle, please be sweet & wipe the seat”. What about…
“Don’t you know?
Before you go,
In the bowl a little spray,
Surely goes a long way!”
I am just concerned any poem would sound like something that a boy scout troop would think up sitting around a fire. I am sure they would add something like–”Good to the last drop”. And quotes from Ace Ventura–”Do not go in there!” Jillee- what would your boys come up with (I say boys but mean men too, because let’s face it, they never grow up)? I remember when my boys played “themed Scrabble” and chose a bathroom theme (they even took a picture of it on the commode in my sister’s pool cabana). Plenty of onomonapoeias to go around.
I do like the idea of a travel bottle and a at home bottle at least for personal use.
How about spraying before the guests get there? Then going into the bathroom now and then and spraying again after they’ve used the toilet?
I’m sure you didn’t meat it this way but that gave me the image of the helicopter host who hovers over the bathroom door and barely refrains from asking if everything came out ok. Thanks for the LOL!
I would tell you, “i got the paperwork done!”
Ha-ha! Nope, not that anal. Oops! An unintended pun! Just checking the bathroom now and then if one if that concerned about it. :)
Rita
I was just thinking that this would come in really handy at Barnes and Noble. Something about that store just “moves” me. And if I by-pass the coffee shop, it’s cheaper than miralax! LOL! I just hate “going” in public- (having something to do with my mamma always putting a 3 inch thick layer of toilet paper on every public toilet seat before putting us on it, saying a prayer and a hail Mary while we stood there trying to not to go in our pants and the frightening thought that if I make any sounds that the person in the next stall will laugh hysterically at me-something that happens frequently at our house because I live with 3 teenagers who have had a very “earthy” upbringing.) So I think that I will definitely give this a try-as I do many of the wonderful things you share here! Thanks!
I couldn’t help but think of this article when I read your post re toilet paper on the toilet seat. The title of the article is called “The Stance”.
It can be found here
http://sneakykitchen.com/Humor/the_stance.htm
Marg! That was hysterical and oh, SO true! Thanks for posting it!
I’ve started just squirting hand sanitizer on the seat and wiping it down with tp before using the public toilets. Not sure if it makes a difference or not, but for those slightly longer visits, while it may give your thighs a work out, the stance hurts!
Since perfumes are made out of essential oils, would that work like poo-pourrie? I have a couple of bottles of stuff that was purchased/given as a gift that don’t sit well me, but I hate throwing out stuff. I also use them for sheet sprays and air freshners. I can tolorate the smell as long as it isn’t on me.
My daughter first told my about Poo-Pourri and where to find it – Hallmark stores of all places. Well, none around here had it so found it on Amazon, of course. We tried it, works terrific, nothing else like it. But the cost! Then found they had their own website with different scents…still didn’t want to pay the price plus shipping. So, I went in search of essential oils. Got to Bath and Body and was promptly told essential oils could ruin my toilet! Huh? So, not being familiar with essential oils I “obeyed” my advisor and haven’t tried making my own. I have yet to determine the milky substance of Poo-Pourri that I suspect may neutralize whatever in essential oils would ruin my toilet (apparently they were referring to the enamel). Any info on that?
hunh. that’s the first I’ve heard of essential oils being harmful to enamel. Sounds to me like scare tactics to sell their overpriced products. I’ve used a few drops of sweet orange oil for this purpose for quite a while now. Given what the enamel on bathroom fixtures stand up to, I don’t believe essential oils will be any more harmful than the chemicals in any toilet bowl cleaner.
No worries about ruining the enamel. (actually it’s porcelain and darned near indestructible)…However, I’m not sure what effects +/- the oils may have on a septic system.
I have not read the ingredients listing for the poo pourri but I would make a guess that the milky/cloudy appearance is due to polysorbate 20 being added to the water in order to help mix the essential oils and the water. Fairly harmless and helps keep the mix from separating.
Was just going to comment the same thing – that it was probably due to polysorbate being added to help the oil & water mix
Only you could make a colonoscopy and the pre-colonoscopy ordeal funny! Hope everything comes out all right for you today!!! BBWWWAAAHAHAHAHAHA!
Jillee, thanks so much for this post. And I’ll join the others in wishing you the best on your colonoscopy. I’ve had 2 of those and a flex-sig (prep is the same, but I didn’t get any anesthetic). The most important part of the prep for me is to eat lightly in the days before when I can still eat. Then it’s Snapple, chewing gum, and popsicles. Kind of fun, really.
My question is (and sorry if you already answered this:)) where do you get your essential oils? I can never find the variety that you talk about. Thanks!
Jillee’s sister can hook you up with oil. She’s at Camp Wander and on Facebook (you could private message there). You can also buy them at health/natural stores, Whole Foods, etc.
True story…I work at a doctor’s office, part of my job is to schedule people for colonoscopies. I called a lady to tell her when her appointment was and she said, “So is this an ‘in and out’ procedure?” I am pleased to say that I just said, “Yes. Yes it is,” without laughing. Until I hung up. :)
I’d just like to add, that if you have a cat or house pets in gen. be VERY careful with the oils you use. Citrus if toxic to cat’s for sure. Not sure about the others. The only thing that I know of for sure that’s not, is Vanilla Extract. I know it’s not really an oil and it’s not as strong, but it doesn’t cause liver failure. Lavender, citrus, and many others do. Even the store bought plug in’s etc. can cause prob. It’s a great DIY if you have no pets!
Well, day 2 of experimenting with this and here is my result.
Day 1-All I had was lavender essential oil- I used 3 drops (not enough time to make the spray), the only smell was from the initial release & dissipated quickly and completely by the time I flushed.
This got me thinking–what makes this effective? Is it the scent of the EO or is it the oil of the EO that makes it work.
Day 2- I figured, test the “oil” part of my question. So I used 3 drops of olive oil (only kind of vegetable oil I had on hand). Same result for me. The only smell was from the initial release, & it dissipated quickly & completely by the time I flushed. I did notice that when the bowl refilled, there was already a thin layer of oil across the surface (may solve the “how do you get guests to use it” problem)
My conclusion- I like the EO because it also leaves behind whatever scent you choose– For folks with allergies or breathing troubles the olive oil is the way to go. What of septic systems–don’t have one. What of clogging– I imagine 3 drops would not be a problem. A plumber told me that clogs have more to do with the thickness of the toilet paper used than any other factor. Also, I already use a borax cleaning for the toilet & I am sure that would take care of any build up in the lines. One other possible problem, if you add olive oil to a spray (with or without EO) it might turn rancid.
Lmao get some rose oil and tell your husband your stuff smells like roses
Sooo… Im curious… oil & water dont mix.. If you are putting these EOs in water, then spraying them.. how do you know there is actually oil being sprayed out since it separates when it sits around? I think I would rather put them in a squeeze bottle that you can shake up & put a few drops in the bowl… just thinking.
I made a small batch of this yesterday with Geranium and Lime essential oils (the only ones I had on hand), and I can’t believe it, it actually works! I was able to convince my husband to use it, too, and it is like MAGIC! Plus, there’s the added bonus of not breathing in all of those chemicals from room spray, and stinky sulfur from matches. Genius, Jillee, Genius!
Any oily substance works, even baby oil, hand lotion, hair conditioner, ….even a conditioning shampoo that you don’t like anymore works better than nothing. I wouldn’t use matches at someone else’s house, worried the match smell would make someone think there was a fire somewhere. ( I’m the panicky type and that’s what I would think.) and a candle left burning is good for burning any children or pets trying to play with it, or starting a curtain on fire, or someone’s hair when they lean back against the lid of the toilet. What the plumber is worried about is the oils damaging the rubber components of the flushing mechanism and the rubber seals. You don’t want to cause leaks, obviously. As long as you keep an eye on the condition of those, I think it would be worth it. LOL
Thanks– I have been experimenting with different products. Do you use the lotion/hair conditioner full strength? Maybe I can get rid of the conditioner that didn’t work for me. I have been using Dr Bronner’s liquid soap, super diluted with water & it has been working great.
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Can this be made with fragrance oil, rather than essential oil, which is much more expensive?
Thanks for this one! I linked you in a sort of “response post” that I will post tomorrow. This stuff is a life changer! Thanks again!!
Just saw this on QVC and I was like OMG I have to buy that. I’m so excited to make this and save $. Christmas gifts! LOL. You rock, Jilliee!
Oh boy! There is something to the ‘power of suggestion’!!
I’ve been trying to figure out how to phrase my question delicately, but its just not possible so hear it goes. When my husband uses the toilet, there are always (and i mean ALWAYS) bits left behind and stuck to the bowl. Would this spray work against that, too? The only thing I can get it to come off with is my bleach spray and even when i use that, its just dirty again within 24 hours. I can’t be constantly be cleaning the toilet and with a 2 year old running around, its just not safe to use bleach all the time. i need something to prevent the sticking. Any ideas?
I don’t know if clorox still sells it but they use to have a toilet bowl cleaner with Teflon that worked great for keeping the toilet “sparkling”…just clean it first with something else just in case. I used it hoping it would help keep rust at bay a number of years ago and it actually made it impossible to get the rust off until the Teflon wore off. Worked great for everything else. Now I use borax to clean so it might be off the market by now.
I just bought bottles and oil to make these in. I added oil then water but 8 oz overflowed. Did you make 8 oz worth and then pour into bottles? Thanks!
Where is the best place to buy essential oils?
At my in laws for christmas eve this year and some gave it as gifts to each other and exclaimed with much excitement how this works…I just watched them with that ever so odd look on my face. Now I know what to make my mother in law who truly thinks her poop dont stink! Lol
Hey there! I am new to this homemade stuff. So far I have made laundry sop, fabric softener, dishwasher soap. Love every single one
I even got two of my neighbors and my aunt doing it as well. This is by far the best site. I’m going to try the toilet bowl cleaner next. I to have three boys in the house. Yucky toliets! I was curious if there was a all purpose cleaner out there? Like I said I’m new to this and have not researched yet but if you know of one please let me know.
I’m very allergic to fragrances of any kind. So, I am wondering if any kind of oil can be used in a spray bottle (grapeseed? olive oil?)?
I was just thinking: what about Pam Spray Cooking Oil? I would think it would even be more discreet than having the essential oil smell in the bathroom when you leave it as well? Looking forward to responses…this is fascinating!
I use to sell Poo-Pourri in my store (before we had to close it and it was a huge, huge hit. I often wondered if it would work to make your own, can’t wait to try.
P.S. I’m sure you could try it with other scents as well as now they have about 6 different scents these days.
A couple of years ago, my 80 year old Mother described this product to me and asked if I had seen anything like that. I had not. She apparently had remembered using a product just like Poo-pourri in her young days and she wanted to start using it again. (Everything old is new again…)
After she explained how it worked, I concluded that Eucalyptus Oil would probably do the job.
That week, I was able to try it out with my little bottle. It worked and I told her so!
Gross WARNING: If it splashes on you, it will burn. Yep, a few drops can really bother you.
Jillee, love the site!