How can I make my house smell nice?

[Gnomi]

What do you all use?

My house too often smells of cooking, food or (worse), DS's nappies. We're very clean, and dirty nappies go out to the bin straightaway but the smell can still linger.

I think we probably need some kind of room fragrance, but I don't like the idea of lots of chemicals being sprayed into the air. I also don't really want to rely on candles as I'm not very good at remembering to light them!

Fart outside.

Actually, I notice a big difference just opening the windows. But, I would fart inside then, as the wind would just blow it back in.

How can the smell of your baby's nappies linger? They can't linger any longer than anyone else in the house having a poo, surely? Change nappies in the bathroom, open the window, flush the poo down the loo.

Opening windows is an amazing and free way to make your house smell nice.

We have pots of bicarbonate of soda in every room. Meant to absorb odours. Slices of lemon is nice, but can get expensive. Best thing I've found is having windows open and letting fresh air circulate all the time. Even if they are just on bleed.

yy to opening windows.
seriously, good ventilation and getting air in is key, otherwise you're just covering smells with more smells and IMO the only thing worse than the stench of poo is floral poo

This time of year definitely throw windows open. I open them upstairs once everyone is awake, then shut them about an hour later to go on the school run. It really freshens the rooms. I have the doors open to outside most of the day downstairs.

I'm at home with my youngest and she's just gone nappy free so I get the lingering poo smell thing more than ever.

I use a drop of essential oil on my vacuum filter. It gives off a light fragrance as I vacuum. I also have some terracotta hearts hanging off the sides of my radiators. I put a drop of essential oil on these once a week or so and when the heating kicks in it slowly warms the terracotta releasing the fragrance.

YY to open windows.
However, I do have air freshener in the toilet. The stench that comes from the males in my house is not human. Even with the window open in there constantly, it reeks. So, I keep a bottle in there.
Very simple to make. All you need a some baking soda, about a tbsp into a bowl, add a couple of drops of essential oil and mix well. Put all this into a spray bottle. Fill with water, shake well to mix everything together and use. When you next use, give a quick shake to mix again.

Open windows, fit a really good extractor hood in your kitchen, close the kitchen door when you cook and do a truly deep clean.

Do you have upholstery and carpets that need a professional clean as they can hold a lot of odours.

Do you have pets?

Also kitchen walls can get greasy. You need to sugar sap them to get the grease off.

sugar soap

Gnomi my house is often rather ripe as I have a 16 month old in nappies, two older boys, a DH and a kitten with a litter tray. Apart from the kitten we're all vegetarian and eat a lot of pulses. Need I say more? I don't like aerosols or fake air fresheners. My trick is essential oils. I burn them, sprinkle on radiators during the winter and, when all else fails, I fling some on the bath mat, stair carpet and doormat. They make the house smell lovely and are totally natural . My favourites are lavender, lemon and geranium. At the moment, Holland and Barratt are doing a buy-one-buy--second-for-a-penny promotion so they don't cost the earth and they last for ages

During the day, open windows. Evenings, use candles. I know you said you weren't as keen on this option but I love Yankee candles and they have lovely, subtle scents. I have a nice summery palm tree one at the moment. Set an alarm on your phone to light it at 7pm and another to blow it out at 10.30. Job done.

Bloodyteenager I'll be making that tomorrow. Genius!

So curious...what is sugar soap?

Simmer lemon or orange peel on the stove top. Or a fragrant herb such as rosemary.

Open the windows. In my experience room fragrances don't smell good either and can contribute to asthma

lovingbeingmum - you can buy sugar soap in any DIY type place (eg Homebase). Its a powder and you dilute it up yourself in water. You can buy spary bottles of it but a lot more expensive.

Its used for getting rid of grease and dirt before painting walls and woodwork.

Very god for getting rid of kitchen grease on walls. It doesn't smell, its not a solvent but do wear rubber gloves and dont get it in your eyes.

I have those fragrance sachets for the radiators and often spray the sofa and curtains with a solution of fabric softener and water.

it's summer so open windows fresh air so much better than artificial

Yes to opening windows, when its too cold to have windows open boil a pan of water on the hob with orange peel and a cinnamon stick, lovely natural fragrance.