Make your house smell fresh by warming a vanilla bean in water on the stove!

Air fresheners may smell great, but what they’re doing to your lungs isn’t so terrific—they’ve been linked to a host of respiratory illnesses, as well as eye irritation. Fortunately, there’s a simple alternative: by simmering a vanilla bean in two cups of water on the stove (adding some cloves or cinnamon if you want a spicier scent), you can perfume the air in your house without putting your health in jeopardy.