So I started to investigate making my own. I already use Essential Oil to make my own soap, fabric softener, shampoo, body butter, and candles. And I use oils for oil burners (no genius there). Why not glade warmers? Same concept right?
So here we go.
Materials:
Essential Oil of your choice (I used Jasmine).
Carrier Oil, such as Jojoba, Almond, or Olive Oil.
Itty Bitty Screwdriver, flathead (I used my Stanley Precision set.)
Butter Knife
Step One : Open the old Glade Oil Carrier
I've found that if you go about this wrong, the old container will crack and will be unusable. So, do NOT be in a hurry when doing this. Use your flat head Stanley or small screwdriver and carefully slip it inbetween the lip of the top of the carrier and body.
DO NOT twist like you're trying to open a container of paint. That will break it. Just give it a little wiggle and move on. You may not feel like you're getting anywhere, but you'll see when you're done that there's a the smallest space between the two.
Now use your butter knife, blunt, non-serrated end, and ease it around with the same gentle nudging motion. Go around the few times. The break gets wider and wider. Now, take your hands and gently but firmly twist them apart. If it won't give, repeat with the butter knife until it does. This whole process only took me a couple minutes.
Step Two : CLEAN
Take of whiff of your carrier. WHEW! Still smells just like the original oil, doesn't it? Not all too pleasant, that phoney smell. You'll need to wash it and the wick out. A few times. I put mine in the dishwasher but ONLY because it has a silverware tray on the door that is away from the bottom of the machine. It would have melted otherwise. You can also use a little tray on the top and low heat cycle. If you have concerns, just soak them by hand. Then make sure they are dried out completely, especially the wick! If not, you'll have water running out of your wick into your oil holder and diluting your scented oil.
Step Three: Add essential oil
When using Essential Oil on the skin, you need a high dilution rate (more carrier, less essential oil). However, when burning oils, the rate decreases dramatically because it's not coming in contact with your skin. HOWEVER. I strongly suggest testing out a small patch of oil on the inside of your wrist and waiting a few minutes to make sure you don't have an allergy. Otherwise, the rest of your day may be extremely unpleasant.
I've seen numerous suggestions to add water at this point. BAD IDEA. The answer why is obvious. What normally happens when you add water and oil? The oil will float on the top and your wick will suck it up and you'll burn it all off in the first few minutes. Not productive for all this work.
When I make fabric softener, I add only 15 drops of essential oil to an entire gallon of softener. The results are a light scent I can smell on my clothes out of the dryer. However, this is going to burn over the course of 30 days at a very slow rate. I added 40 drops of essential oil to the container. You may add more or less depending on the oils and your desired smell.
Step Four: Add carrier oil
Fill the rest of the bottle up with your carrier oil til just about a quarter inch from the top. The wick will take up some space.
Step Five: Shake
Now, go ahead and recap the container firmly with the wick. Push until you hear and feel a definite click. Now shake that baby. Like crazy. Like it's an unmixed paint container. Plug in and enjoy. I'd love to hear feedback and suggestions. Remember, BE SAFE. A good place to research essential oils and their warnings is http://www.essentialoils.co.za/essential-oils/index.htm. Particularly if you're pregnant or have a serious medical condition, look at that site first!!! Thanks and have a great holiday season!
