How do you make your home smell nice?

[jarviscockatiel]

We've just returned from a week's holiday and really noticed how stale our house smells. We have animals, not cats or dogs but reptiles which can be a bit smelly despite regular cleaning.
The main problem is we also have a free flying bird in the house so can't open any windows as we lost a previous one and are paranoid that it could happen again
We also can't use candles, reed diffusers, air freshener etc as they are very harmful to birds' lungs and strong smelling lilies are also poisonous to them.
If anyone has ideas for how to make our home smell a little fresher I'd be grateful. Thanks.

I was going to suggest opening the windows, it’s the best thing. Also I have all hardwood floor, I find carpet holds on to smells, as do sofas and curtains.

I like diffusing essential oils too.

Can you keep your bird out of one room and open those windows? And switch about?

Tbh OP it sounds as if you can't do any of what others do.

I was going to say:
No pets
Keep the place clean including regularly putting out bins, dead flowers, fruit past its best
Airing regularly
Reed diffusers in bathroom because it doesnt have a window but I only put in one reed at first otherwise it's overpowering.
Surely you can shut the bird in one room while you clean?

*while you air

Hmmm, it kind of a choice between fresh smelling, nicely aired home or free flying bird shudder and lizards

I'd look at insect screens so that you can open the windows.
amzn.to/3iFt10C

Thank you for your advice. We'll definitely look into fly screens.
We could lock our bird in one room at a time but he's a crafty bugger who has no qualms about flying through a closing door with only centimetres of space or sitting on the top of it with his head poking through to dive back inside again! However, I'll try to use the times when he's upstairs to open some more windows.

Fresh air is the minimum requirement for a fresh smell. Bedroom windows should always be open, and downstairs ones as much as possible. Along with the house being clean, especially floors. Pet smells are a real issue, as owners get nose-blind.

Look at flat cats, they would be ideal and safe for a bird, think theres also some DIY versions about too if you fancy it

Definitely look at getting something in front of the window. I do think open windows are the only way. We have some lovely smelling diffusers but nothing beats fresh air. Our bedroom and bathroom are normally always open and then kitchen and living room we open a lot too.

I was going to say flat cats too, plus an air purifier in the worst affected rooms.

Is it a healthy environment for the humans to nicer have fresh air? Surely you need to urgently look into a way of containing the bird for at least some time each day.

Where does the bird toilet?

*never not nicer!

@chocdonuty what is a flat cat?

It’s a plastic mesh fitted to window frames with Velcro so you can have windows open without your cat jumping out.

Given the pets you have I think you are going to have to accept your house will never smell as fresh as you’d like. There are no adequate substitutes for a regular flow of fresh air and a home free of animal waste.

I keep my lizards on bioactive substates so the reptile room just has a nice (imo) earthy smell now rather than poop! Also a great time saver as it means less poo picking, so it's a win-win. I also make my own pot pourri from dried lavender and rose petals. A pot of water simmering on the stove with orange slices and cinnamon sticks smells nice (not sure if that's safe around birds, but I've done this for years with lizards in the house with no issues).

On top of as much fresh air as possible, I'd say to wash any fabric frequently. They absorb a lot of the house smells.
I wash cushions, curtains and sofa covers downstairs 4-5 times a year. And I change the beds top to bottom every other week upstairs (more often if needed).
I use reed diffusers, however if you can't use artificial fresheners, have you considered natural ones? I am thinking orange peels, cinnamon sticks, smell of baking/coffee etc?

Sorry but I think anyone's house would smell keeping birds and reptiles.

You won't smell it OP...but others will. They won't tell you of course, no matter how much you say you want to know the truth...because as a society we are unfailingly polite!! But your house will smell like that all the time to anyone coming in unfortunately. Probably worse to them, as you are so used to it you've become immune.

If you can't open windows and use the usual nice smelling things that others use to make our homes smell fresh, then be scrupulous with daily cleaning...can you use things like zoflora or carpet/upholstery fragrances to spray onto fabrics? These may help. Bleaching or disinfecting all your hard areas will give that 'just cleaned' feel and smell. I would be literally doing this every day if I knew my house smelled. I'd just hate it 😱 Sorry, this sounds so harsh, but it's one of my worst fears having a house that smells 😐

Also...free flying bird INSIDE YOUR HOUSE?? All that bird poo 🤢

We use FlatCat on our windows - impossible for our cat (or your bird) to get out I should think!

OP can you ever have a fragrant house with bird excrement all over the place? Am I missing something?

Where does the bird pooh?
Animals are notorious for making houses a bit whiffy. You never open a window even in this heat we’ve had recently?

Tlollj the OP has a "free flying bird " in her house, so presumably the bird craps where it likes.