Best way to make the house smell nice without toxic chemicals?

[Kazzawazzawo0]

This weekend I visited a house and it smelt amazing! Of lemon cake .. Or lemon zest .. Really lovely. Sadly they weren't around to ask what air freshener they use.

Any idea what I could use to make the house smell nice? I don't want to use an air freshener with toxic chemicals and the natural based one I've tried before didn't last at all.

Is there something I could make myself that will actually work? Has anyone tried the cloves in lemon/Orange and did it work?

I have carpeted floors,a dog and three cats with a litter tray, so a lot of smells to sort out!

Scented candles.

I spritz diluted Hyacinth zoflora and it is lovely.

Tumble dryer scented sheets placed over radiators. When the smell has gone, add a few drops of your own scented oil such as lavender.

Put some sprigs of rosemary and slices of lemon in with water in a pan and simmer.

Lovely natural ideas here

www.theyummylife.com/Natural_Room_Scents

I use bicarb in the same way as you would shake and vac, it neutralises smells and so is great for pet niffs. Open the windows every day to freshen the house and I like reed diffusers - I prefer pricier ones, the smells less synthetic. I am a fan of scented candles too. I have on occasion, bought cheap smelly likey perfumes - you know the ones they claim to smell like Chanel or whatever and spray onto radiators and lightbulbs, not so natural but while the perfume would probably give my skin a reaction, as a room scent they can smell very expensive and not like air freshener. experiment.

Thank you. I wonder how long the scent from simmering lemon in water would last.

open the windows for some fresh air, even 10 mins a morning. The best chemical is dihydrogen monoxide, with some vinegar and bicarb used SEPARATELY for cleaning.

many dogs stink. Cat excreta stinks. Can they be trained to go outside?

scented candles are a fire risk and more chemicals. Perfumes are chemicals.

No, three cats are indoor cats. I clean the litter tray when they go in, but it's not that kind of smell, it's just a general smell. I'd just like my house to smell of lemon like the house I visited

Lemon essential oil in an oil burner? Grapefruit is also very nice for a fresh house scent.

I've also just remembered when DH had a cleaning job, he kept nicking my lemon essential oil and putting a few drops on his duster. He said it works a treat for nice scenting.

You need to be careful with essential oils around cats and dogs.

Open your windows and dust and Hoover often. That will make your house smell fresh. I like simmer pots, but they only really smell while simmering. Any lingering scents are chemical.

yes, essential oils are toxic chemicals.

If I keep the essential oils out of reach in a burner are they dangerous for the pets?

At Christmas an orange studded with cloves smells lovely.

I have a cat, she has never had any ill effects - I have a burner on the mantelpiece which she cannot get to. I tend to just have the burner on for an hour when she is out, it leaves a small but lovely scent for the rest of the day. It's wiped out and left clean after each use, no oil stays in it.

I always do have my Windows open to air the rooms in the mornings first as I think fresh air is healthy and the best way to make the house smell fresh. I use the oil burner when I want the house to smell of a nice scent rather than just air, if that makes sense. I like coming in through the front door and thinking "that smells nice".

At the moment I have a frankincense oil and it smells really festive, but not horribly artificial.

I think carpets hold on to smells, I cant wait for the sales so we can put engineered wood downstairs and on the the stairs.