To ask how you get your house to smell nice?

I think shoes and pets are the worst culprits for a house smelling rank . Sinks and rubbish bins add to it too. I leave the plug in the kitchen sink as food gets trapped and can cause smells . I made my husband leave his work shoes in the garage . I have noticed the house smells so much better . Airing the house everyday makes a difference too.

Why do you say ‘don’t use scented cleaning products’?

Open windows in every room, every single day, for at least an hour. Clean regularly. Don't have pets.

It really is just cleaning, washing and fresh air.
Fake scents are just internal air pollution and a bit like putting make up on a dirty face.

Ooh also, having washable throws over soft furnishings means you protect them from pet hair, but can also wash them regularly and have a lovely smelling sofa and chairs.

Edit to add: febreeze antibac spray is also great for freshening things up in between washes, and also kills bacteria so isn't just masking (test it somewhere not visible first though!)

You’ve had good advice. I’ll just add that the at home carpet cleaners can sometimes soak the underlay and make matters worse - if you can afford to get the professionals in I would always do that. If doing it yourself choose a week later in spring/summer where you can have all doors and windows open all day to help the carpet fully dry. Sofas and soft furnishings really hold smells - have curtains and sofas cleaned too. I know there’s a real hatred on here for artificial scents but I love the M&S fabric spray - it’s actually lavender which would be the last scent I’d ever pick but this just smells so fresh and clean and not overpowering at all https://www.ocado.com/products/m-s-french-lavender-peony-fabric-freshener-spray/620038011?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=21042714229&utm_content=non-brand&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21039389918&gbraid=0AAAAADi6iHmzUksTmtBMVNHd3cVaJAcBA&gclid=Cj0KCQiA2bTNBhDjARIsAK89wlE0PXpupCFfuvUaIj70A54zgDpLOUwAiLWdW-zm67ZtXhwoMEQMKJYaAqIkEALw_wcB#reviews-title

Set a 6 monthly reminder to use a washing machine cleaner, or more often if necessary. Invest in a good pet hair vacuum, we had a Dyson but replaced it with a gtech because it was better and cheaper, Shark are great too. Also invest in a home carpet cleaner and use it once a month, or rent a rug doctor. It makes a huge difference to actually deep clean the carpets. I also open windows to air the home in the morning, and when people are coming over I put on pet odour neutralising scented candles from TK Maxx. Zoflora is your best friend! I damp dust and do all my surfaces with fresh linen or midnight blossom, and mop all my hard floors with it.

Basically this ^^

Get your carpets cleaned.
Run a service wash to clean your washing machine and ditch laundry liquid. Just use washing powder

There’s no cheat or quick fix - you just need to keep a clean house. Everything else just masks the smell and you end up with artificial smelling dirt.

Exactly.
Using scents to mask the smells is a waste of time. Everything needs to be clean in the first place.

Stop overdosing your washing machine with vile fabric softener. Dont use it every time. It makes washing machines stink. Read the handbook & empty the sump. Dry the door seal. Wash out the drawer.

Hire a carpet cleaner.
Wash animals bedding regularly.
Vacuum and dust regularly.
Put cheesy trainers in the washing machine. Chuck out old filthy ones. Store all shoes in a cupboard but not wardrobe. Shoes make wardrobes & clothing stink.
Change bedding regularly. Check pillows and duvets for stains. Use pillow & mattress protectors.
Apply yourself to clearing clutter. Start small, aim for a clutter free home.

*Open windows every day for a short while.
I open my landing window & leave bedroom doors open so the entire upstairs gets aired.

*I open lounge window at front & kitchen at back so air flows right through the house, just for a short while, all year round whatever the weather. Sometimes slightly, other times wide. Try it.

I like St Eval reed diffusers

As others have said, it really is about the cleaning. And opening windows. I’m lucky in a way that I don’t work due to chronic illness which means I can keep on top of it. I loosely follow The Organised Mum method but tweak it for me.

I have Neom candles now, and also some wax melts from a place I buy online, though I only use them sparingly.

I dry clothes in the house (with a dehumidifier as it needs to dry fully) and you can smell that as well. I don’t use fabric softener, just Bold as that is the only one my husband doesn’t react to.

If you clean your washing machine, you’ll possibly need to do a few empty loads because sometimes doing just one only dislodges any build up and can make it smell more. A few more should rinse things through fully. Obviously YMMV.

Start with the carpets, give them a good clean. Have windows open often (we do 10 mins in the morning, added bonus of waking you right up). Obviously litter tray clean daily, but also hoover/mop the area around it.

I used to use incense to make the house smell nice and I loved it, then my dad came in and told me my house smelled like a headshop so now I just have oil burners. Up high away from small children.

Do a really hot wash on your machine with soda crystals and some lavender Dettol 💙

Ignoring the importance of clean carpets and upholstery, you need scents in every space. I have a downstairs smell which is the same reeds in the hallway and toilet and a candle in lounge. All same floral range.

Hallway upstairs has a diffuser. Neom energy. Diffusers in the bedroom are all lavender and put on for an hour before bed.

Always close the kitchen door when cooking.

Don't forget to hoover the upholstery and wash your cushions.

A good tip for bathrooms is after washing showers, throw in some essential oils while the shower runs for a burst of spa scent. Don't use scented cleaning products either!

Oh and use complimentary scented handwash if you can. I use amber glass bottles rather than any particular brand and go for fresh orange scents.

Basically lighylt, complimentary smells everywhere so you move through the mood of the house (sorry, I know I sound like a wanker, but making your nose smell different things without it being clashy or overwhelming seems to be what makes me notice and enjoy my house smell)

Well it obviously starts with cleaning. Your house won’t smell fresh and pleasant if your carpets are dirty, stuff is scattered meaning surfaces and floors aren’t cleaned regularly enough and it’s not aired out.

I have been wanting to know this for years.

I fear the answer is doing more housework than I want to, living with different people and not having pets

Oh, and not wearing clothes and putting them away dirty a few times for just one more wear. And regularly putting trainers through the wash.

Very hot water with a squirt of bleach, clean cloths, wash down almost everything. Skirting boards, walls, hard furniture, doors, shelving, window frames. There really isn't any getting away from the fact that if you run a dirty home, buying some peach air fragrance sticks just isn't going to cut it. I can recommend a lot af add ins once everything is clean, but it'd just mask the niff.

I also have half an hour open windows time every day, even if it's freezing. Rain does tend to keep them closed though.

I love the smell of my house when I walk into it after a few days away, which makes me confident it smells ok day to day!

Agree that annoyingly the only way to have a nice smelling house is for it to be regularly cleaned and aired. Soft furnishings, carpets and pet beds regularly washed / cleaned too.

I hate plug ins and air fresheners in general, but do think Neom candles are lovely and have them dotted about. They smell nice even when unlit.

Old stale carpets - buy a big bag of bicarbonate of soda - it won’t harm pets - sprinkle it all over carpet - leave for at least an hour and hoover it up - should help with the smell

Then hire a carpet washer machine and wash them

You need to have the carpets cleaned first of all, you can hire a machine to do it. The washing machine you can do today, you need to take out the drawer and clean it properly in hot soapy water, then look into the machine, it’s probably mouldy where the drawer sits so you need to clean that and also right in the rubber seal and then run a very hot wash with some washing machine cleanser.
The best thing is opening windows, you need fresh air so open windows every morning, and leave the back door open as well.

How old is the washing machine?

Have you cleaned the filters? Look in instruction manual.

The drain hose at the back, and drain it runs into, might need cleaning, you can’t do this with chemicals it needs to be done manually so all the swamp gunk gets removed - it’s a grim job

.Then run the machine at 90c with white vinegar in the detergent tray

Anything but chemicals pumped into the air. I don’t understand why people buy that cr*p!

Fresh air