To ask how you get your house to smell nice?

I could write a book on this but…

wash - cushion covers, throws, coats, scarves, bath mats, anything fabric you don’t think about usually washing
open windows every single day
keep the washing machine door ajar and do a service wash on it with a washing machine cleaner

I use these scent sachets in the wardrobe (fairy scent)
reed diffusers - I like rituals
I burn scented candles and wax melts (not all at the same time)
rhubarb floor cleaner from method
zoflora in plug holes
linen spray on clean bedding (usually just at the foot area so it’s not next to your face but you get a nice whiff of it)

my house honestly doesn’t smell strong because I seem to constantly have windows open but I get regular comments on how nice it smells or how nice I smell

For the washing machine, I never use fabric conditioner, but put just a capful of conc disinfectant in the conditioner drawer on each wash. Washing comes out fresh and disinfected, and I never have any issues with a pongy machine.
No issues with any skin irritation either.
I think that if you only wash at 40 c it isn't hot enough to kill bacteria or mould and fabric softener can act as a food source to these microbes that makes the problem worse.
So that's why you either need disinfectant in the wash each time or a hot wash with washing soda once a fortnight.
I wash the cat beds once a month and have a Vax pet shampooer that I used on the carpets and upholstery about 3 times a year.
I dust and hoover about twice a week, wet wash hard floors once a week and open the windows daily .
Bed linen gets washed at 60c with a disinfectant rinse and the bedroom window is always open an inch or so at night whilst we sleep.
Never have any issues with stale pongs when I come back from holiday.
Perhaps if you are struggling with your carpets you should replace them with laminate or tiles as they are easy to clean and don't hold smells?

Fresh air is the key. I air my house out every day sub degree weather or not. Keep things clean and don’t leave dishes lying around. I use the Ecover yellow fabric softener. I don’t notice much scent from it on clothing and bed linen but it’s definitely nice when washing is drying. I have some posh expensive candles. I light them for a short time in the evening so they tend to last a long time. Houseplants are everywhere (they filter the air) and fresh flowers in my kitchen. I find my house always smells natural and sort of neutral.

Housework mavens will rightly be contemptuous, but I run air purifiers 24/7. One's a proper little workhorse - gets rid of cooking smells within an hour (I live in a flat) - and the other's a combined dehumidifier & purifier. The dehumidifier made quite a difference, as damp smells even if the place isn't discernibly damp.

Open windows obviously do both jobs for free. I'm a wimp, though, mine are closed all winter!

When we viewed our house it smelt amazing , every room had a slightly different smell, no diffusers , plugins etc were visible , a few months later while cleaning I found cotton wool balls and pads behind the radiators , the previous owners had put scented oils on them , the house smelt amazing for months , one room in particular had a smell of orange zest and vanilla. I now do this when my mother in law is visiting !! It gives the assumption that my house is cleaner than it is !

You need to open the windows a lot more than you are already doing.

Get the carpets cleaned.
Clean everything thoroughly and keep on top of it.
OPEN WINDOWS.

I was in hospital for a while last year and I could instantly tell that my DH hadn’t opened the window once.
I was RAGING.

If you are planning to repaint or decorate, wash the walls down first with soap and water, and allow to dry properly. This helped when my old house was permeated with the smell of smoke from a previous tenant.

Following. About to move into a new home, have the keys and access to the house and it smells like old people. Really want to get the smell out before we are settled

Bleach in toilets every time you leave the house

I must’ve done it 100s of times and they’ve been fine. I tried hand washing them and it doesn’t work half as well.

A clean house and regular airing are the best solutions.

I don't like artificial, chemical type home fragrances. I sometimes buy natural ingredients wax melts but generally use some pure essential oils if I want to add a scent to our home.

I also recommend having a dehumidifier in whatever room you tend to dry clothes in. Helps get the drier quicker and avoid musty smells and condensation etc.

Apart from the obvious keeping a clean house and open windows regularly I like having fresh flowers in the house, at this time of year we always have daffodils in a vase on the sideboard in the hallway and you get a whiff of them every time you walk through the house which is lovely. I also have nice solid soaps in the bathrooms because they scent the room nicely. The only 'room' that has diffuser is the cloakroom because it's full of the husband and teenagers' smelly trainers and something is needed to disguise that smell.

Your house must always have a faint smell of bleach. And surely you risk discolouring your furniture/ paintwork.

I don't use softener either.

Just to note, there are fewer choices now when it comes to washing powder and we've had to switch to the liqui tab things for colour fast stuff. Since then I've noticed our washing machine gets gunked up easier.

I hate that washing detergent manufacturers are switching over to liquid gradually, it creates so much more environmental waste in those plastic bottles. How many millions of those are thrown out every year now, instead of cardboard boxes from powder (which you get so many more washes out of than a bottleo f liquid)

Ooh, I've never thought of pushing extractor fan grilles in the dishwasher! Are they all dishwasher safe? they don't buckle or anything? I wash mine by hand but despite a few changes of water there's always a faint whiff of grease on them even after cleaning.

I agree with pp: fesh air. There is no substitute for it.
Make sure your window ventilators are kept open and open windows as much as possible.

I don't recommend getting rid of your pets, but I noticed a huge difference in how my house smelt after my dog passed away. Unfortunately animals (even clean, well groomed ones) are a bit smelly. Other than that, if you want your house to smell nice, you have to keep it clean and air it out daily with open windows. Pay particular attention to soft furnishings, as they hold on to smells.

Is zoflora a good idea. My DD got some once and I threw it away with all the warnings on it.

Dirt and grease smell. Cleaning is the basic solution.

Run washing machine empty on hottest wash possible with a hefty glug of bleach. Pull out and clean the detergent tray and its housing with bleach. Clean out washing machine filter.

Clean all your carpets with a Rug Doctor machine and use some of their solution for pet smells. Or throw out carpets and replace with hard floors/vinyl. Check (smell) your curtains too, they may need washing or dry cleaning, especially if you have curtains in a room which is open plan to the kitchen.

Deep clean kitchen including oven, wash down all walls and cupboards inside and out (including tops) with a strong detergent (I find Flash liquid best).

Go through all drawers and wardrobes, clean them inside, make sure all clothes in them are clean, with no festering pockets of smelly socks etc. Take the opportunity to have a good clear-out of outgrown/worn out clothes.

Whenever practical, leave windows cracked open on ventilate setting, if it's warm, open them wide.

Very hot water with a squirt of bleach, clean cloths, wash down almost everything. Skirting boards, walls, hard furniture, doors, shelving, window frames.

You dont need bleach for basic cleaning. Hot soapy water does a great job.

I'm assuming and hoping that my flat doesn't smell bad but I don't aim for it to smell nice as such, just not smell at all I suppose!

I don't have pets, fitted carpets or heavy upholstered furniture and have windows open whenever possible; my bedroom window is open a couple of inches 24/7. When cooking I have the window open and extractor fan on.

I also think cooking makes a difference. DH cooks a lot of bacon etc and I always feel our house just smells a bit ‘greasy’

For washing machine I throw soda crystals in the empty drum and put on a hot cycle I do this every 2 weeks, You may need to do it on a couple of cycles initially if it is pongy.

Shoe cabinet so smelly shoes not lying about- trainers should be washed.

like pp said clean carpets and removable throws for washing.and Room airing.

i find wiping down the skirting boards with diluted pine disinfectant gives a nice fresh subtle scent.