Today we’re making our very own poo pourri recipe from scratch…. because everyone poops! Or so says the classic children’s book. And because we’re talking about bodily fluids (solids), I’m really feeling a need for my inner 9-year-old scouting self to let the potty jokes fly. That’s what happens when you’re the local Cub Scout Bear leader, I guess. Join with me, this is a safe place.
Every old wench has her own special stench.
We all stink up the loo with our own distinct…
Poo Spray. The most craptastic stuff you’ve ever had the displeasure of needing.
I’ll spare you the rest because it only goes downhill from here.
So, this year for Christmas I bought my husband his own little bottle of poo pourri fragrance spray for the bathroom. He opened it and laughed and I laughed and then it got all awkward and he was like, “What an awesome gag gift!” and I sort of stopped laughing and was like, “Gag gift, nothin’! This is real. REAL!! My years of suffering have finally come to an end!!”
And then it had a permanent place of honor in our bathroom. Anyway, after experiencing this little magic in a bottle I can safely say he’s a fan too.
Poo Pourri Ingredients
After I, ahem, put it to use, I thought I recognized a certain favorite smell: essential oils!! After researching it further, I discovered the poo pourri ingredients are basically comprised of essential oils, alcohol, and water all gussied up in some pretty brilliant packaging. Translation: perfect for an easy DIY’er project.
These poo pourri ingredients work because the essential oils create a physical barrier, trapping the stinky smells below. Basically, you could have a chili cheese dawg blowout nightmare in the bathroom and no one would ever know. EVER. Is that incredible or what? Where was this during my dorm days?
So, I got to work in the lab, errr.. kitchen and came up with a perfect copycat clone.
I’ve had family members try both products (original and homemade) in a double-blind test and the results clearly indicate the DIY is just as effective as the original. In other words, we use them interchangeably and they both work great.
I am a huge fan of DoTerra pure essential oils in all my DIY projects and for health too. The oils they use for the poo pourri ingredients are bergamot essential oil, lemongrass essential oil and orange essential oils. However, I have used all kinds of oil combinations such as lemongrass and peppermint, or lavender and orange. During the holidays I even use a pine smell. If you are interested in buying some of these pure essential oils you can order some here from me.
So, the cost breakdown.
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DIY Poo Pourri recipe vs Original Price Comparison
The original big brand costs $9.95 for a 2 oz. container. And that’s not including shipping. That’s $4.98 per ounce.
Our homemade poo pourri recipe version costs the following:
- rubbing alcohol: $.02 (At $2.29 per 16 oz bottle)
- 30-40 drops my favorite brand of essential oils: around $.50 depending on oils used
- Water: Free. Sure, I pay my water bill every month, but it’s a set amount so my bill would be the same whether I make this spray or not.
Total Cost: About $.52 for a 3 oz bottle. Or $.17 per ounce.
You guys. That’s more than a 96% savings!!!!!! And we didn’t even include shipping! Surely if that isn’t the definition of a Happy Money Saver moment, I don’t know what is.
I think this would be the perfect something to leave in a guest bathroom. Isn’t it the worst to have the #2’s hit while you’re at someone else’s home? This is right up there on the essential hosting needs list. Your guests will thank you. And maybe you’ll thank your guests when they put it your poo pourri recipe to use. Win-Win!
DIY Poo Fragrance Spray for the Bathroom
Instructions
- Pour rubbing alcohol in a 3 oz spray container and add essential oils. Add water to fill the container. Give it a good shake and you’re ready to go! I’ve found 3-4 sprays is enough to cover the bowl and trap all of the stink particles below.
- Add water to fill the container.
- Give it a good shake and it's ready for use.
TO USE
- Before you go poo in the toilet, spray on top of the water 3-4 sprays which will create a film, trapping the poo smells after you go. Then do your business and flush.
Let me know your favorite oil combinations—I think it would be fun to create different smells for each season. Summery citrus, woodsy fall, and cinnamon spice for winter. The combinations are endless!
Here are some other great recipes to create yourself for the bathroom:
DIY Toilet Cleaning Bombs
Homemade Countertop Cleansing Spray
DIY Swiffer Wet Pads
About Karrie
Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...
Comments & Reviews
TERESA says
If you have essential oils that have expired, this is a great way to use them. Most citrus oils expire after 2 years and I use them in household cleaning recipes.
G.G. says
This is great! I made a batch last week for one bathroom and then made a triple batch for the main bathroom today. Thank you for sharing the recipe! Btw, I also have had issues with spray bottles not working. I went to Dollar Tree to improvise. I found a squeeze bottle that’s working beautifully. It has a sports-drink-like top that pulls up and you squeeze the bottle to pour a bit out. Much faster than spraying if you’re in a hurry…lol.
Karrie says
great idea!!
Monica says
Thank you for the recipe. I have a bunch of essential oils and empty poo pourri bottles I’m going to make up. I was just waiting for a recipe for some combinations to do it. Thank you for this
Cathy Watson says
Hi Karrie. I found and have mixed up your recipe for the toilet poo-pourie. I have used it to refill the original Poo-Pourie bottle and will give it a try. Thanks. I also wanted to point out an error in your recipe. You list 3 steps in step 1 and then repeat steps 2 and 3. It’s obvious what the error is so not a big deal. I just thought you might want to know.
Karrie says
Oh thanks Cathy, I’ll fix that for sure!
Suzy says
😂🤣🤪 Not fixed!!
Jessica says
Still not fixed in 2024! But I do look forward to trying this.
Lion says
This is a great recipe, thank you!
I have had two spray bottles stop working, however. Something about the alcohol or oils corroding the spring perhaps?! Has anyone else had this issue?
M A says
Citrus oils will cause the plastic to break down. Either use a glass bottle or no citrus.
Chris says
According to my Poo-pourri bottle the original formula contains “NO Alcohol”. Is it a necessary ingredient in your formula? I haven’t tried to make my own yet but(t) I’m certainly going to as this stuff is amazing and I can’t afford to use it all the time at its cost. Thanks!
Becky says
I find it interesting that you do not reply to comments on your sites. The only exception is about questions concerning how to order DoTerra oils from you. Is this a good practice for your website or your pocketbook?
Karrie says
Hi Becky, I actually do respond to a lot of comments on my site, however I sometimes get 50-100 comments a day and can’t get to them all. So I sometimes see if my readers will answer some of the questions when I don’t have time too. Thanks though.
Jackie Ferreri says
Becky: She does leave comments, perhaps you haven’t looked at enough recipes to see them. I found your comments about the DoTerra oils to be a bit rude. With all the work she does on this site why would you begrudge her making a small amount of money on these oils? You think running this website is free? Think again.
Dana says
Just made the orange/lavender for my daughter whose off to college in the dorms. Only had a 2 oz bottle on hand so its extra strong. LOL Works great! Thanks!
Sherrie says
I tried it! Love it…it stays in my purse…lifesaver!❤️
Thank you!
SweetP says
Is this safe for septic systems? We live in a rural area and not connected to city sewer lines.
Ed says
Yes septic safe.
JP says
What % alcohol should the rubbing/isopropyl alcohol be?
Holly says
Hi JP. I use 70% isopropyl alcohol. I also put in the 40 drops of oils because our bathroom in small! I used our original Poo spray bottle….no one is the wiser! ?
Thanks for recipe Karrie! ?????
Brandy says
THIS WORKS!!!!! I bought rubbing alcohol JUST for this recipe a few days ago at Walmart and guess what? I couldn’t find it anywhere!! SO, I used hand sanitizer! It worked perfectly. I also used delicious lavender and orange Doterra oils that someone sent me recently 🙂 perfect.
Jeanette says
I buy isopropyl alcohol from my local hardware store
Tanya says
I had to ask for the rubbing alcohol from the pharmacist! They keep it behind the counter at my Walmart here in Canada… guess they have a problem with folks drinking it!!
Karrie says
Seriously? Oh my goodness!!!
Brittney Edmonson says
The dollar stores keep rubbing alcohol for a buck 🙂 (dollar tree-not dollar general but there its 2 bucks or something)
lana says
ttttThese look great! I tried them but the fabric paint just wouldn’t spread on the fruit. Too juicy! I did try to dry up but didn’t work. My last resort was to put the fruit in the oven to dry. Will try again tomorrow.
B says
Technically it’s a 2929% savings you have created for everyone not just 98%. In other words, 4.98 cents per ounce divided by 0.17 cents per ounce x 100. That’s how ridiculously expensive PooPourri is! You might want to update your post. ?
Tina says
Actually her math was correct. It’s a bit better than 96% savings.
4.98 – 0.17 = 4.85 savings per ounce.
4.85/4.98 = 0.965863453815261
x 100 is around 96.5%
🙂
Thank you for the recipe! I’m off to make it for my daughter’s dorm life!
Jeanette Duval says
Actually you AND she are both correct. You were looking at what percentage of the original price your savings were… and she was looking at what percent of the original price the actual cost was… which, in retail, is the more correct way. For example… how many times does the cost (.17) divide into the price? The answer is just over 29 times… each time is equal to 100% if the cost because I could make more than 29 bottles of the fauxpourri for the price of one bottle of Pooh-pourri… so a savings of 2900% ish.
Patti says
Thank you for the recipe. I love your sense of humor too. I read it to my husband and thought it was hilarious, and sooooi true.
Sonya says
Im in NZ and ‘poo pourri’ has only recently come onto the market here within the last 8 months and the first advertising they had for it were absolutely cringe-worthy cheesey TV adverts. Now I am going on holiday soon – spending 3 days on a train between Sydney and Perth, Australia so I decided that despite the bad adverts I would get me some for the trip. Not sure what they charge in US but they are like NZD$13-$14! a little bottle here in NZ so I was ‘hell no’ and found this recipe. at my local dollar store I picked up some small cheap plastic travel bottles with spray tops (NZD$1) a small bottle of oil for fragrance burners for NZD$2.50 and then got a bottle of rubbing alcohol/isopropyl alchol at the chemist for NZD$8 for 50ml (1.69 fluid ounces) was quick to chuck together and it works like magic. I have found that I still need to shake the bottle before use though as the isopropyl alcohol hasnt stopped the oil from separating from the water, not sure if thats because Im using a cheap fragrance oil rather than a pure essential oil so will try pure oil another time.
Rachel Walker says
No the essential oils do the same thing but they are better for you than the other?
B says
I find that by using essential oils you really are “pouring them down the drain “! Why buy the purest oils to flush? Do terra seller or not,I find it is better to save your $ on using essential oils for use on the skin & use other scents for the toilet.
Kate says
How so?
Buy the brand of essential oils that has the one you want, you believe is ethically crafted and sold in a responsible, reputable store. No way in h*ll does that include walmart.
I’ve been discovering ways to use EO for decades and need to make my first Poo poouri after saving the bottle 1 of 2 was in. I have IBS; I use this a lot.
2 notes- try boiled or filtered & boiled water. Bottled water is BS. Get the highest % isopropyl alcohol. 91% is 9% water, 70% is 30% water. It’s not just a vague difference.
One more- light grey font? Why? It’s hard to see. I need contrast- this is off-putting.
Amanda says
Would like info on the oils that u use please.
Karrie says
I use doTerra – here is where to go to buy them. https://happymoneysaver.com/purchase-doterra-essential-oils/
Angela says
This is sooo cool. I made it, and it works! I have IBS and makes for self consciousness at work no more! Thanks for posting this. I used my fave oil sweet pea and it’s much more pleasant to me.
Karry S. says
I have read that rubbing alcohol is very bad to inhale?
Tommy says
Just pour it in a bottle to use and dont inhale it…Inhaling will get you in trouble, ya know?!
Lori Deal says
I use vodka. I do not like the smell of rubbing alcohol.
Rebecca says
I didn’t have any vodka on hand, so I used gin! Gives it a nice herbal smell.
Monica says
Question… when you use actual alcohol, does it change the consistency of the spray? I mean, do they mix better… you don’t have to shake them up as much as you would if you used rubbing alcohol? Thanks for your time!
Karrie says
Yes, it makes it mix up better using the alcohol. 🙂
Ed says
Hehe. Vodka? That makes going to the bathroom fun!
(No, don’t drink it, silly boy)
Kathleen Durbin says
Hi
Ive been trying to make my own poo fragrance but I found that when I followed a recipe the final end smell seemed very week and hardly noticeable when sprayed into the loo. Perhaps its the pure essence of lemon oil I’m using. Could you advice me a product which give out a strong smell of lemon when mixed with the other ingredients.
I too would like a lemon recipe for Poo Fragrance Spray recipe
Brenda says
My sister is coming to visit this weekend for a a week long stay. I want to make a welcome bag that includes homemade poo potpourri. If you are combining several oils, what is the ratio of each oil when your recipe calls for 30-40 drops ?
Lori Deal says
I use vodka. I do not like the smell of rubbing alcohol.
jo-anu says
Please subscribe me to your list, for some reason your “did you remember to subscribe” in picture frame with your photo did not work (twice? maybe because it would only let me type in capitals!). My email is… soulfree11.11@hotmail.com … thank you for your wonderful inspiration