Nothing is better than walking into a fresh smelling house. That goes for your guests and you. Adding a reed oil diffuser near the door will help, but the scent is only going to last so long, so it's better to neutralize the odors first. Find out how to make your house smell good with simple techniques that'll make you want to do a second, and possibly a third, walk through the front door.
How to Make Your House Smell Good Using Natural Methods
You want your house to smell good! Who doesn't? Not only is it important for guests to be wowed by the freshness, but it's just nice to come home to. That doesn't mean you need to create an aromatic cloud of Febreze. Try a few more natural ways to neutralize odors and add a fresh scent.
- Dab vanilla extract or essential oils on a light bulb. With the lights off, add a drop or two of vanilla extract or essential oils to the outside of the bulb. Let it dry. Turn the lights back on, and the lightbulb's gentle warmth will diffuse the scent.
- Create lighted pot-pourri jars. Line a mason jar with battery operated white Christmas lights. Put in your favorite scented items, like dried citrus peel, cinnamon sticks, pine, and herbs. Turn on the lights for a fresh aroma and a cute decoration.
- Essential oils on a cotton ball. Pull out your favorite essential oil scents and put a few drops on a cotton ball you've placed in a shot glass. Put these around the house to diffuse a light scent.
- Put essential oils on top of a fan blade. Run the fan to disperse the smell throughout the house.
- Simmer baking soda in a slow cooker. Put a cup of baking soda and a good amount of water into a slow cooker. Put the slow cooker in a room that has an odor and plug it in on low for about an hour. The baking soda will neutralize the odor.
- Put bowls of white vinegar in malodorous areas. White vinegar is great for removing potent odors like smoke or kitty litter. Place it in rooms with heavy odors to neutralize the stink.
- Add fragrant plants to your home. Some house plants just smell good. Add them to your decor and get a bonus of fresh garden smell.
- Put baking soda in a sachet bag in drawers. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oils, and put these in drawers to keep smells at a minimum.
- Put baking soda, activated charcoal, or coffee grounds around the house. Put baking soda or coffee grounds in mason jars with holes punched in the tops. They pull the smell out of the air and look like a decoration.
- Add essential oils to filters. Add essential oils to your furnace filter, air conditioner filter, and vacuum bag. It adds aroma to the air every time you turn it on.
What to Boil to Make Your House Smell Fabulous
Boiling herbs and spices is a great way to make your house smell absolutely amazing. However, it's easy to forget to check that the water hasn't all boiled out, which can ruin one of your pots. Instead, try putting herbs in the slow cooker with water. Turn it on low and just let them simmer (leave the lid off). The smell is the same, but you don't have to keep checking the water all the time. Just add more warm water when you're in the kitchen to keep the supply replenished.
Whether you boil on the stove or use a slow cooker, try any fragrant herb or spice to fill your home with scent.
- Cinnamon sticks
- Cloves
- Ginger
- Citrus peels
- Apple slices
- Cedar or pine
- Rosemary
- Vanilla extract
- Cranberries
- Mint
- Thyme
You can just add one of these herbs or a mixture of them. It's all up to your preference and how strong you want the smell to be. Have fun with it!
Commercial Air Fresheners to Try
If you prefer to keep your home cleaning natural, commercial air fresheners probably won't fill the brief. But there are some that just work. When natural methods aren't cutting it, give these a try.
- Home-Pourri - The makers of Poo-Pourri (totally worth the investment) made a home edition, and it's the real deal.
- Glade Plugins - For teen room funk, these are hard to beat.
- Febreze Air Freshener - Febreze is a master of smell cover up, and these provide a nice fresh scent that's not overwhelming.
- Scentsy - Some of their waxes will literally make your mouth water. I just wish they lasted longer.
DIY Cleaners to Add Fresh Smells to Your Home
You aren't exactly sure what smells. Try a DIY air freshener to liven things up. You might also try these pleasantly pungent DIY cleaners to de-smellify things in a pinch.
Surface Cleaner With Lemon
Sometimes you can just wipe down your counters and stove with a bit of lemon and it smells amazing. You can also throw it in the garbage disposal or microwave with water to freshen things up and clean at the same time. For surfaces, do a baking soda and lemon combo.
- Mix equal parts lemon juice and baking soda to create a lemon scrub for counters and sinks.
- Add water to the paste and throw it in a spray bottle for doorknobs and end tables.
Simple Carpet Cleaner to Freshen Room
Maybe it's your carpet that doesn't smell so fresh. Not to worry. You can handle that with a simple sprinkle.
- Put baking soda and your favorite essential oil in a large salt shaker.
- Sprinkle it all over the carpet and other soft surfaces.
- Vacuum it up.
How to Prevent Smells in the First Place
You've probably heard over and over that prevention is the best medicine. Well, with a smelly house, that's the truth. Learn few smell prevention techniques to keep your house smelling fab!
- Clean the smell at the source. Regularly clean and take notice of high-odor areas like garbage disposals, kitty litter, furniture, appliances, etc. You might not realize it, but over time, you become nose blind to these smells.
- Create a no-shoes-in-the-house policy. Keep shoes in a shoe rack or specific area to stop odors from being tracked in.
- Vacuum soft surfaces regularly. Sprinkle baking soda and vacuum soft surfaces regularly to eliminate smells.
- Wipe down the plastic of your refrigerator with vanilla extract to reduce odors and keep it smelling fresh. The porous plastic absorbs the mouthwatering smell.
- Empty garbage cans regularly. Add a newspaper to the bottom and sprinkle a bit of baking soda to help absorb odors.
- Open the windows and let the fresh air in.
- Circulate and clean the air. You may not be able to open the windows in the winter, but you can still make sure the air doesn't get stagnant with box fans, humidifiers, and air purifiers.
How to Make Your House Smell Amazing Without Work
It doesn't take a lot to get rid of odors in your home. A little baking soda here, some coffee there, and you'll be amazed at how fresh things smell. Just remember to keep it up and check the typical smelly areas (like the garbage disposal) when an odd aroma filters in.
