to ask a boring house keeping question?

[HugeGlassofMalbec]

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We're renovating a shithole and although it is now infinitely better than it was when we exchanged I'm still haunted my the scent of excrement and urine. It doesn't smell anymore but I want to give the house a scent of its own.

Are there any natural/non-chemical air fresheners that won't leave us all with migraines available to buy?

Use essential oils

Those things with a tea light underneath and oil in water on top. Get a good quality oil and it'll do the job.

What "homely" smelling essential oils are there?

Do you like flowery fragrances or more woody ones?

I buy cinnamon in blk and pour it out on the carpet with baking soda before I hoover.

Wouldn't suggest it on white carpet though obv.

Lavender, vanilla and coffee are all hard for me to OD on, though your taste may vary

There's a very nice witchy thread over at the religion board at the mo p The OP uses sprigs of woody herbs gently simmering in a pan of water as an easy air freshener. I haven't tried it yet, but intend to. I think lavender or rosemary would be nice.

All of them, including essential oils, give me a headache.

Just open the windows and doors and live in the house, with all the products you use - from cleaners to bathroom products, it’ll soon smell like your house. You probably won’t even smell the loveliness, but visitors will. It’s much nicer than anything artificial 😊

Squeeze and microwave a few lemons and limes?

White vinegar spray from home bargains! Takes most bad smells away but with a puppy and a kitten it definitely worked on poop smells x

Oh I read the post wrong! But I would recommend the vinegar spray for getting rid of bad odours

I do like lavender and vanilla. I also like lemon but thought that might be a bit bleachy.

We don't have a kitchen at the minute to boil herbs.

I mainly want my own nose to forget the faecal/urine smell. I'm sure my nose can't get over it.

I wouldn't - open the windows and let the fresh air in.

You say that but we once had a boiled egg in vinegar in the unheated garage for a couple of weeks. Don't ask. About three years ago. This has an up and over garage door and is left open for full days as the kids are in and out. I can still smell that egg in vinegar now.

Yankee candle wax burners are the best. I also have the ambi pur 3volution plug ins. They work really well covering up the smell of the dogs which is mainly why I have them. I also cook a lot of curries so light to put a yankee candle on while I’m cooking to minimise the curry smell!

I love the smell of apple and cherry. Yankee candle do some lovely wax melts

They also do those reed diffusers. My mum has a nice orange one in her house

Bicarbonate of soda is a great cleaning product and odour neutraliser

Yankee do a lemon lavender candle which burns quite strongly but also smells with the lid off. It will help a bit I think

Id also sprinkle bicarb on the carpets and leave for an hour before hoovering. That should really help any remaining smells. If you know of a patch that's particularly bad, repeat this and leave the bicarb over night or get a puppy spray designed to remove urine smells.

If you can't simmer some herbs on a hob then some cut rosemary in a vase may help a little but I agree with lemon/lavender/thyme/rosemary on a low simmer will help

Having the windows open as much as possible will help.

It's a literal shit hole then? I assume animal poo and wee? If it's soaked into floorboards then I would replace them. Professional cleaners may manage it if it's not too bad.
Bowls of bicarbonate of soda might help.

Oh sorry just seen that it doesn't smell any more! Doh!
I like a blend of lavender, chamomile and eucalyptus.

If it's got into the very fabric of the building, then a sprig of lavender won't do much. If you have the time/money/inclination, replaster the walls and paint, new floors etc. I realise that this isn't exactly what you asked but it's what I'd do. At the very least, I'd paint and only then add in new smells. Bake cakes for a week, fresh flowers and reed diffusers.

All the floors have been ripped up and professional cleaners have been in. It doesn't smell of urine/faeces (we do hope it was animal) anymore but the house smell reminds me of the shit... of that makes sense.

It's being painted and new carpets are going down upstairs (waiting for building work downstairs) so it'll smell "new" this weekend. But my nose needs scent-therapy. I need to fill the house with nice smells in the hope I associate the house smell with nice things!

Find a local scentsy consultant it’s gorg