A Classic Way to Freshen Your Home

Remember those embarrassing ads where the young woman confides in her mother, “Sometimes I just don’t feel fresh?”

Well, I cook every day, we have a dog and two kids (one of whom is still in diapers at night), and sometimes my home just doesn’t feel fresh. I open the windows when I can, but there are times when the weather doesn’t allow me to leave them open all day or I need some extra help in getting rid of household smells. Thankfully, I’ve just discovered catalytic lamps from Lampe Berger.

Originally developed by pharmaceutical dispenser Maurice Berger in the late 1800s, these flame-less, low-temperature catalytic combustion lamps speed up the decomposition of odour molecules to purify the air in enclosed rooms and diffuse scent at the same time, leaving the air fresher, cleaner, and lightly scented.

I received this elegant pewter Maille lamp to try along with some samples of Lampe Berger’s home fragrances and a bottle of So Neutral, Lampe Berger’s unscented blend.

Here’s how it works. You fill the lamp about two thirds of the way with fragrance (I started with Lampe Berger’s sweet and fruity Black Pomegranate fragrance). For the first time only, you need to wait for the fragrance to soak up the wick and into the stone burner, about 20 minutes.

Once soaked through, take off the cap, light the burner, and let it burn for two minutes until it reaches its working temperature. Blow out the flame and put the decorative guard on. Honestly, it sounds more complicated than it actually is. Each lamp comes with full step by step instructions and pictures, so it’s easy to operate.

It really does work to remove odours from my home, not just cover them up. I find it works especially well at getting rid of greasy food smells, so I’ve been keeping it on my kitchen island. I made some baked chicken the other day, and after 20 minutes of my Lampe Berger going, the cooking smell was gone!

For odour removal, Lampe Berger suggests allowing the lamp to burn about one minute for every cubic metre of room space. The longer it burns, the stronger the fragrance gets. If you prefer no fragrance, Lampe Berger also makes an unscented blend, So Neutral. When you’re ready to put out the lamp, carefully remove the guard (it gets warm, so I use a cloth to protect my fingers) and snuff the burner by putting the airtight cap back on.

The only issue I have with this lamp is that switching fragrances can be inconvenient. You’re not supposed to mix different fragrances (with the exception of adding So Neutral to dilute a fragrance) so you must burn the fuel dry or empty out the lamp, add 50 ml of So Neutral, then burn that for at least 30 minutes before adding the new fragrance. I think that’s a bit of a lengthy process if I just want to change the scent. Alternatively, you could use a second wick and burner, or even a second lamp instead.

The stone burner gets hot, obviously, and the fragrances are 90% isopropyl alcohol which is flammable, so it’s very important to keep the lamp and fragrances up and out of reach of children. While it’s working there is no open flame so these lamps are actually safer than candles, but always keep safety in mind, especially for homes with kids and animals like ours.

Lampe Berger makes a large collection of beautiful lamps to suit any decor, and almost 50 different scents to suit any taste. Here’s a sampling of some of my favourite lamps. Some of them are truly works of art in their own right!

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Browse and purchase Lampe Berger lamps and fragrances online or find a local retailer near you. Connect with Lampe Berger on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. 

Win a Lampe Berger Starter Kit!

Want to try Lampe Berger for yourself? One of my Canadian readers will win this starter kit with a lamp and burner, a 180ml bottle of fragrance, and a 180ml bottle of So Neutral. Enter to win in the widget below. This giveaway is open to residents of Canada only, 18+. All entries will be verified.

Check out my other open giveaways listed in the sidebar or in the menu (for mobile)!

 
Disclosure: I received sample items for review. All opinions expressed are completely honest and my own, based on my personal experience. Your experience may differ.