To be totally fed up that my house smells

[NinjaNora]

Just that really, I never seem to be able to shift the smell of yesterdays dinner to the point that to me the house smells really stale. When I'm home I'll open the windows and that helps a bit but when I walk in after a day at work my home always seems to smell a bit yuck.

Plates, saucepans go in the dishwasher straight after a meal and oven wiped plus I've tried various plug in smelly things, sprays that are supposed to remove the smell rather than camouflage it but nothing really seems to shift it.

I want a lovely fragrant house that reminds me of a field of flowers in Tuscany rather than an Italian Pizzeria. Anyone else hate the smell of their house and have found a solution?

[Fomalhaut]

What sort of cooker hood do you have? Good ventilation while cooking is important too. Do you have window vents? They can be open while the windows are shut.
I hate cooking smells too... I take the bins out straight away or put peelings etc into a bag then straight into the compost.

[littleshirleybeans]

I have a severe hatred of cooking smells. I keep the kitchen door shut and open the kitchen Windows, and turn on the fan.
I really really hate it!
So maybe try those tactics?
I have as many windows open as possible, as wide as possible. All the time.
My mum hardly ever opens a window and if my dc go for a sleepover, I have to wash all their clothes when they come back, whether they've worn them or not!!!!! They smell really really musty.
I could never say anything. They're perfectly clean etc. They just hardly ever open windows.

[ConcreteUnderpants]

What you need is a candle that fills the whole house even when unlit.

They cost around £50, but I've heard there might be a cleaner selling on on the cheap...

[ShtoppenDerFloppen]

Having an open shallow bowl of sodium bicarb on the counter can help with cooking smells. I know it sounds like madness, but i have found it does make a difference.

[ShtoppenDerFloppen]

Concrete I was looking for one of those candles myself.

I was going to ask my cleaner if she had a lead on one, but then I rwmembered I don't have a cleaner... or £50

[sizeofalentil]

Buy some Zara Home reed diffusers (wait until they go in the sale!). They make even our pongy cat-filled house smell lovely.

[AllegraWho]

I have a solution - get a dog. The previous owners of our house had a dog, and when they moved, they took Dog, but they left The Smell behind.

I tried everything, but the moment any of the windows had to be shut, Smell would be back.

Eventually, threw the towel in and got a dog to match.

Smell and Dog are happily living together, and I am still hoping that eventually I'll go nose blind.

[SelinaMeyerVP]

Concrete you are naughty - it was the builder!

I think its down to airflow. We always have windows and doors open so the air flows through the house, but we get very little 'flow' in the living room, and that's the room that smells.

[KP86]

Windows open and candles as much as possible.

Clean/replace your extractor filter. I usually do mine with oven cleaner and leave outside for the day and then rinse with a hose or buckets of water on the drive.

[readytorage]

concrete I guffawed at that! I know the feeling OP. I sometimes have that problem

[Titsywoo]

Where are these reed diffusers on the zara website? I cant see anything with that name?

[BluePitchFork]

first things first.
cleaning (especially fat in the kitchen) and vacuuming.
do the dishes immediately after cooking/eating.
open windows, use extractor fan.
some more cleaning and some more airing :)

[Keithyoustink]

My user names is in honour of DDog1 - cooking smells would be pleasant by comparison. I have bought an electric essential oil diffuser which does make a difference when I remember to turn it on.

[BluePitchFork]

allegra has me in tears :o

[Chloe1984]

I hate cooking smells too, you're doing the right thing by opening windows as much as poss, and I really recommend some good quality reed diffusers as they make a huge difference. I use quite masculine/smoky scents in the winter and floral in the summer and get lots of compliments.

[queenofthepirates]

Have you tried an air ioniser? I've had one for ten years and I swear by it. I'm not sure of the science but it seems to clean and scent the air.
I think mine is pretty much this one without the lights
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sentik-Air-Purifier-and-Ioniser-with-Colour-Changing-LED-Light-and-3-Free-Frag-/182011262611

[NinjaNora]

Ah so its not just me then. Thank goodness for that as I thought I was being overly sensitive!

I agree about ventilation and the fact we don't have a door from the kitchen shutting off one of the downstairs room is an issue.

What's so special about the Zara reed diffusers, I've had M&S and Next ones and thought they were great for the first 2 days and then they loose their potency.

[MaryMargaret]

Fitting continuous ventilation has really helped us with this issue - fan that runs at a low speed (so pretty quiet) but all the time, even while you are out. Ours is a large central extract and supply unit with heat recovery but our house is airtight so eextract-only wouldn't work. However you can also get small individual units that fit in the same slot as normal in-off extracts, so poweful one in kichen and shower, smaller one in loo. Make sure the installer knows what they are doing and sets them up to give a decent flow rate though.

You could also consider a cooker hood with a recirculating hood and filter -they arenoisy but they can be v effective.

Personally I find all those scented things just as yukky as cooking smells - and they do count as air pollution according to the Royal college of Physicians!

[hookiewookie29]

sounds daft, but could it be your curtains?? Maybe they're holding the cooking smells and need a wash!

[Waterlemon]

I once won a reed diffuser from "the White company" at a church fair. it was bloody gorgeous and my house smelt lovely for about 3 months! Sadly that fragrance was discontinued and Im far too tight to spend £40 on a fancy air freshener

[ohmygodyouguys]

I'm clearly an oddity, I love it when my house smells of things like bacon!

[kitchenunit]

If you're absolutely made of money look at Alex Simone online. Their reed diffusers and candles are absolutely gorgeous and last for ages.

They got the smell of my previous tenants dog out of the house when it was so strong I'd want to vom on a hot day.

Not cheap though.

[NinjaNora]

hookie no curtains but you are right about things holding smells and everything within sight goes into the washing machine often.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

I keep windows open when I cook and for at least an hour after- all weathers.

I clear away and error down cooker and surfaces.

Empty the bin every night.

I do light a candle () it's a Price's Chef 's one and I put out a small bowl of vinegar to neutralise strong smells if I'm cooking fish or curry.

[MyCatWasRightAboutYou]

Maybe a chef's candle? They're supposed to eliminate food smells. (Plus they're a lot cheaper than £50 and your builder/cleaner won't steal it. )