How do you make your house smell nice?

[stressedtwinmom]

My house doesn't smell bad, but doesn't smell nice either. When I come home there is just nothing. I've tried air freshener but that disappears within minutes and I don't really like the thought of candles burning in my house as I've tried an essential oil burner but got worried the tea light would fall or catch fire on something . Most people I visit have very welcoming scents as I go into their house and I know I could just ask them ohh what's that lovely smell ?but I don't want to look like a copycat so thought I would ask here instead

What about a diffuser? The White Company has a lovely range and if you sign up to their emails you can often get 10/15/20% off as they are a little pricey. Worth going in to smell them before you buy but I love their fruity pomegranate one and also the cassis.

Ps: see autumn scents thread for further inspiration!

You won't ever notice the smell in your own house, good or bad.
But washing is a 'homely' smell to me. So is Sunday dinner cooking.
So long as you keep it aired, it won't have a horrible smell. It will smell like YOUR house. And you'll never smell it.
And even if you try different plug ins and diffusers etc... you won't notice the smell after a while

Zoflora. In a reed diffuser, kitchen sink, candles.

Love the fakeness of it all!!

Reed diffusers. Lots of lovely ones about. Just turn the reeds once a day and Robert's your dad's brother.

Zara home have a beautiful smelling home scent. I spray right by my door. It stays all day. I also make fresh coffee in the morning and that's a wonderful smell to me.

I bought an Aldi plug in last week and gosh it's so good and strong smelling ... I will definitely buy again x

Ooh I love a smell thread. Washing always does it for me. I put a little bit of softener on a duster and do the door frames. You get. Lovely but gentle waft each time you walk into a room.

in winter I rub a bit of fabric softener on the radiators.
I use essential oils when mopping the floors and add it into my anti bac which I use everywhere any way.
plug in air fresheners are nice. just make sure you keep checking they're still fresh. we had one that we had turned off for ages. turned it on and it made the whole house smell like wet dog.

also, spray curtains or blinds with a perfume. I used a cheap vanilla perfume and when the wind blows, the rooms smells like vanilla. only have to spray them once every week or so

In autumn I use shearer candles. Usually Amber Noir but all the ones I have tried have been lovely. Between Nov end Jan I use the red Sainsbury's Christmas candles. I don't usually have scent in the spring or summer.

After a house fire one of the firemen told me that plug in diffusers are their biggest cause of house fires
I also would recommend a reed diffuser.

I am a bit obsessed with all this sort of stuff....

Open windows every morning to air the house

I put tumble dryer sheets behind radiators, room fragrance spray cushions, blinds, drapes etc.

Rub lightbulbs with essential oils (this works brilliantly).

Use Zoflora with washing and mopping floors, bathrooms etc

Scented drawer liners with bars of soap amongst clothes

Also love Reed diffusers and candles.

Room fragrance sprays for doormats and soft furnishings

Am sure there's loads of other things I do too

Dip cotton wool pads in essential oil and place in the radiators or rub over light bulbs - heat brings out the smell

Add fabric softener to the mop bucket and add boiling water - makes the whole house smell of washing

I have a dirty great dog so I'm obsessed with the house smelling nice and not 'doggy'. I use plug-ins but the best thing I've found is a wax melt burner.

Mine is an Air Wick one (from Home Bargains) but I've used Yankee Candle wax tarts and Glade wax melts in it. I get compliments from people about the nice scrntnin my house so it must work!

I've just discovered the candles in Aldi which are copies of jo malone! So cheap and really similar to the originals and at 3.99 ish I don't mind burning them all day! Like bail and mandarin, pomegranate noir and blackberry bay.

I've just cleaned the toilets and sinks today, and DH came in front work commenting on how lovely and fresh the house smells.

So I think the trick is to clean your loo and sink, and shower etc daily with something that smells nice.

We have a downstairs toilet so maybe that helps as I'm not sure the upstairs smells would waft that far.

I'm also a bit obsessed by this!

Windows permanently open on the "latch".

Hoover and clean sinks/ toilets as much as possible.

I make up a spray bottle with fabric conditioner, water and a splash of "clean linen" zoflora. Spray soft furnishings regularly including lamp shades and cushions.

Most nights I leave a small amount of water in my basin with a spray of flash bleach and zoflora. (Chuck in your cloths to clean!) leaves your kitchen smelling amazing.

I always have an oil burner going in the evening.

Clean washing hanging up.

Amber Noir and Fig Shearer candles. Nag Champa Midnight incense.

Windows open as much as poss does the job. But even when it's cold and they're closed, a generally clean and tidy house with buns emptied should really smell. Personally I can't bear any kind of synthetic air freshener, read diffusers, plug in's etc - they just make the house smell fake and only the people that like the fragrance think it smells 'nice'

doubleshot your house sounds like an asthmatic's nightmare.

I dislike houses smelling of fake scents and just open a few windows instead.

Honestly? Fresh air!

Like mrsfenchurch I can't stand overly perfumed houses. If anything it makes me think the person is trying to cover something up. Those plug ins are the worst imo.

We have a verbena reed diffuser in the toilet and that's it!

Just keep the windows open and the house as clean as you can. Air fresheners are bad for your health - linked to respiratory irritation and possible migraine triggers.

Diffusers and burners just smell unpleasant and overpowering to me (I know, I know people like them but I have a sensitive sense of smell and they just reek) many years of working in a lab gives you a whole different view on scent fragrances :)

Things like bins out every day, no nappies sitting around, make sure the house is well ventilated and dry, no smoking, no pets, good ventilation in the kitchen to remove cooking smells. Carpets are a big source of smell too. Carpets are grim. Hard floors and keep it clean.

It doesn't even have to be silly clean - we have a toddler and not the most obsessive approach to housework, but the house smells nice. Smells of wood when we've been out a few days.

Keep your carpets, floors, and soft furnishings clean - cushions, curtains, bedding, sofa etc. That's a really big one. If these are dirty you're just going to be masking the smell.

Then to scent it I use white company Seychelles fragrance. Candles in the evening and room spray in the morning.

LoniceraJaponica but that's not what the OP was asking for, she was asking for scents to try.

My house is like doubleshot's I use wax melts, zoflora and air fresheners in the bathroom and kitchen.

Scents just cover smells up though. And create new smells.

Air freshener is grim - smells hideous and is really bad for you.

Zoflora 😍