How do I make my house smell nice?

[sprite25]

I do try to keep my house tidy and clean (as possible with 2 kids, a husband and being 6 months pregnant) but it never has that lovely clean house smell that you notice when you go into other people's houses. I use candles, the occasional spritz of fabric freshener etc. But how do you make a house smell lovely?

Zoflora on light switches?! Please bear in mind that it is highly flammable!

Zoflora has its uses but it is a disinfectant, not an air freshener.

OP, I dont usually bother with fragrances in the summer as I have the windows open but in the winter I have a plug in by the front door.

wash the floors and soft furnishings. Nothing smells fresher than a house with newly mopped floors and clean curtains and sofas. Failing that, yes, fresh air, favourite fabric conditioner rubbed onto radiators and a very good quality scented candle, such as White Company Fir or St Eval Bay and Rosemary.

Wax melts were a game changer for me,so better than candles

I open my windows when I can, even just for a short while to change the air. I keep the house clean and tidy (tidy as I go and clean once a week) but don’t really like artificial smells. Just now I’ve studded some oranges with cloves for Christmas decs on the mantelpiece and in bowls, they smell festive.

@ivykaty44
Absolutely right👍

I use the BBQ l or a single induction plate I bought years ago.
Fantastic but honestly thought it would sound too weird on MN. Works for us on decking near the back door of our house.

I leave the window open for 15 minutes, in the morning.
I certainly don't have the windows open when the heat is blasting!

The house smells great.
I am very sensitive to smells so am aware.

The worst smell that I smell in houses that I visit is not animals, but deep fried food.

It goes into the fabrics of a house, cannot be removed. Yuk 🤢

Fabric softener in boiling water wafted about - also use in the mop bucket

Yes I’m eager to find out, have tried a few candles but not much difference.

Which reed diffusers are good?

Might give the fabric cleaner behind a radiator and method floor cleaners a go too!

• fabric softener

MIL gave us an old computer years ago. Had to get rid as it had absorbed a deep fried smell from her house and no amount of febreeze could mask it.

Things that smell in a house are - sweaty footwear, bedding not changed often enough, drains, bins, material covered second hand furniture, pets, leftover food, unwashed pots, toilets, dirty carpets, mould and damp.

I think candles and air fresheners just mask the smell. Opening windows regularly after a deep clean seems to be the only thing that really works in my house.

Open windows daily, even if it's just for thirty minutes.

Make sure sofa covers/blankets/soft furnishings are cleaned regularly. All our sofas are covered in throws so they can be washed weekly. We have extras so there is always a clean blanket on the sofas.

Wash bedding weekly too - and always air the bedroom out. Our bedroom window is open year round unless it's really windy outside. Makes the room smell nice and fresh - humans fart and snore and sweat in their sleep and it stinks!

I vacuum daily as well and make sure things like dog leads and coats etc. are washed regularly on hot temperatures to get rid of the smell. Cat litter trays are also emptied and changed regularly.

Also make sure no dirty dishes or wrappers are left around - bin is kept closed at all times and in a locked cupboard to prevent drifting smells! It's also washed regularly so any drips and spills aren't left to fester.

Sounds like a lot of work but it works and I have a nice clean home. We do use scented candles but only because I like the smell, not because I'm using them to cover up any other funky smell!

Agree the Method cleaners are great and smell really nice. I use the wild rubharb one in the kitchen and the spritz the bathroom after every shower with the ylang ylang daily shower spray. Also spray them over the carpet sometimes (we have horrible old carpets so I'm not bothered whether it's bad for them or not!)

Thank you for all the suggestions definitely going to give them a try, please don't get me wrong my house isn't festering as I do change sheets, don't have pets, don't fry food or anything just looking for a way to keep the house smelling nice 😊

wondering citrus peel is more likely to bother your cat, they really hate the scent of citrus.

OP you need to ask a really bluntly honest friend to evaluate your house smell :o You can't smell your own house.

I do think windows open a crack for 5 mins per day works. That isn't long enough to lose you loads of heat either.

For me, the only way to really clear the house is to open the windows wide open for a good thirty minutes each morning.

I tend to throw them open before I walk the dog - get back an hour later and shut them all again! Bedroom window stays open all day though as I can't sleep in a warm room - it gives me awful headaches.

Methods like fabric softener on radiators, scented candles etc. just cover up bad smells - they only really smell good if the house is clean and fresh to begin with.

Before people come over I go over any hard floors with my spray mop BUT I don't spray, I just soak the bottom pad in hot water and drop a few drops of essential oil on.

Running a cloth with fabric softener on over warm radiators also works.

wondering citrus peel is more likely to bother your cat, they really hate the scent of citrus.

Dammit - it seems like nothing is safe to use around cats. And I’m not convinced about fabric conditioner on radiators - I’m too worried about all the toxic chemicals!

I like the mulled wine method of giving your house that festive feel.

Your house probably does smell fresh and clean, but you live there and are used to it. Ask a friend or neighbour what they think - I bet they'll say your house smells fine!

Method squirt and mop/wipe floor cleaner in ginger is lovely and quick!

Super easy to make your own air freshners. Spray bottle with distilled water and essential oils, am currently using neroli, sweet orange and frankincense, it's lovely. Also make my own wax melts and candles, either plain beeswax or soya wax and essential oils. So much cheaper than buying them. We really should care about the stuff we're breathing in, plus synthetic freshners and fragrances do smell synthetic/awful usually.
Other than that I wash sofa covers, cushion covers etc fairly regularly and yes I open windows even on freezing days.

Make sure you are getting the basics right. Empty bins regularly. Change your bedding every week. Clean towels several times a week. Open a few windows and allow your house to air every day even in Winter. Then and only then should you introduce scented candles or reed diffusers.

Super easy to make your own air freshners. Spray bottle with distilled water and essential oils, am currently using neroli, sweet orange and frankincense, it's lovely.

What sort of quantities do you use?

Think the bottle I use is about 200ml, I add about 10 drops of each essential oil, you don't need loads. Just shake before spraying.