How to make my house smell amazing?

[Littleguggi]

Looking for tips on how to make my house smell amazing.

We don't have any pets and we don't smoke. Our house occasionally smells musty/ damp as it's an old house.

Also can anyone recommend any nice smelling candles? We like Jo Malone lime basil and mandarin but ideally something that costs less. We don't like the Aldi dupe.

Just wanting to refresh the house and get ready for a new season.

I really like the incense sold here www.peacewiththewild.co.uk as all of the products they sell are eco friendly.

Or I buy the Satya brand from Amazon as they are made in India and don't use chemicals or any animal fat.

Ha! I hadn't heard of them and was looking for something for my en suite bathroom

My en suite eats smells. You can take a diffuser or candle that is beast mode scent anywhere else and smell nothing in the en suite. So I bought the rosemary and lemongrass (I think it is, I'm not the marketing team ) and put it in there expecting the same

Except I could actually smell it. Been a fan ever since

Yankee candle do plug ins and the clean linen/cotton and pink sands all smell amazing and they last a while.

I sometimes put essential oils on a cloth and put it on the radiator when heating is on if people are coming round, house always smells fresh.

Home Sense do amazing candles at fraction of the cost of Jo Malone and I always have a couple lit on an evening.

I swear I don't work for Valentte😆 Just really rate their products, they get five star reviews from loads of people.

Same! I was very dubious but bought 2 diffusers from Valentte and holy hell, the smell is amazing and lasts! My only criticism is (with all reed diffusers) is that the oil needs refilling too frequently for me which is why I've switched to waterless electric diffusers (as these last longer).

We live in an old house too, so I understand the issue. I think it's often down to people not cleaning their soft furnishings enough and also only washing clothes, bedding and towels only on 30 degrees (the work of Satan).

Curtains, throws and cushion covers all trap stale smells very effectively which creates that 'damp biscuit' fug. Wipe down your bathroom walls, you'll be shocked at how dingy your cloth will be and wash bath mats on a hot wash, often.

Always, always leave your bedroom window wide open every morning to properly air the room. Yes even if it's snowing outside, you must air your bed and the rest of the room.

It's only when you are confident that your house is properly, deeply clean and aired that you can bother with scented candles, etc.

Be careful using the ones that puff out scent if you have pets.
My neighbour didn’t realise using these was causing her dog’s skin condition. Many months and thousands of euros later she realised what the cause was.
And if they did that much damage to a dog covered in fur ( and it was awful to see) what on earth could it have done to a child ?

The same thing happened to my friend's cat.

We sometimes have a musty smell in our flat, especially if we've been away for while. We open the bedroom windows but don't have an opening window in the living room, only French doors and I'm not opening those when it's cold or damp! I use soy wax melts and with an electric burner. It took a while to find melts that weren't overpowering but I think I've cracked it now.

@V60, just seen yours uses essential oils so probably safer than those you buy in a sealed unit that puff stuff out — it’s one of those that damaged the dog. So apologies, no offence meant.

Ooh, thank you. I am going to order some.

I get one White Company winter candle every year. It smells fantastic and lasts for ages.

Carpets made of wool just smell. It isn't exactly a bad smell - it's just a smell we don't like these days. It does smell a bit animal. We have wool carpets downstairs and I cannot get rid of the smell. Wood floors in the next house.

Unless there's a significant issue with damp, I would say that unpleasant odours in the home are caused by bacteria and generally come from ...

Pets
Cigarette / Vape smoke
Bathrooms (Not only the obvious, but also damp towels)
Bedrooms (Bedsheets, worn clothes)
Laundry Basket (Worn Clothes)
Kitchen Bin
Kitchen Oven(s)
Cooking smells (Hob/extractor etc.)
Drying laundry (washed, but musty)
Carpets
Fabric Sofas
Curtains

The latter 3 especially in homes of dog owners.

Candles, diffusers and so called "air fresheners" do nothing other than temporarily masking the smell of the bacteria with overpowering chemicals (often hydrocarbons).

There's no such thing as an "air freshener". Fresh air is air without an overwhelming smell of bacteria of one form or another, not a sweet, sickly, nausea inducing chemical smell, however the famous high street candle and fragrance oil / diffuser retailers would like to try and convince you.

Keeping on top of housekeeping, and focusing on ventillation all year round means the air should always be fresh, without the need for any synthetic chemical substitution.

Yes.

The lowest setting on the smallest ring for about an hour.

There's nothing I can do about the carpet (like I say we've already deep cleaned it twice) but I've gone and brought some new door mats, dining chairs covers, and table placemats today. I've also ordered purdy and figg cleaners.

Oven has recently been professionally cleaned. Hood vents gets soaked in warm soapy water every couple of weeks. The bins get emptied regularly and I give them a good wash outdoors on a dry day.

Cushions and throws get washed regularly as do bed linen and towels. We don't have curtains thankfully.

My house is honestly pretty spotless if I must say so myself, I am self confessed cleaning addict. Saying that, my children aren't the cleanest and I will occasionally find the odd empty yoghurt pot in their toy box 🙄

Thank you everyone for your suggestions, I'm hoping it's been helpful for others too!

Sorry @LightBulbMome Just seen your question. It's the yellow can I use.