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.

That’s disgusting. How are you not all ill ?

We use My Fabulosa disinfectants as they have ones for pets.
You can use their foam ones to freshen up carpets/upholstery
and others for gen disinfectant. Fragrance lasts 12 to 24 hours

Just have those white slag blinds up, they are cheap and you can still have the windows open and the bird can’t fly out

slat...slat blinds!!

So you have a bird and reptiles and never open the windows? Sorry, but you are running a losing battle and anything you add will just be trying to cover up the smell - which never really works.

Where does the bird poo?

Thank you for some really helpful ideas. We like the idea of slat blinds and looked at those today with a view to buying.
For those that were concerned about the poo, although our bird is free in the house, he chooses to be with us so we can clear up as soon as he goes. When we go out he is locked in one room where he has a couple of favoured perches with wipe clean melamine trays underneath. Anyone coming to the house would not be able to find a trace of poo as we are fastidious about cleaning.
Our windows are open a crack by using the security locks on them so there is some air plus we open the door to the conservatory which also allows a little air flow. Our house doesn't smell terrible, it just smelt stale because of a lack of air flow; my mother would have no qualms about telling us if it did whenever she is visiting 😁

Get a HEPA air filter, it helped a lot with my daughters smelly
mouse. You might need a few!

You can open your windows a fraction a keep them open all the time like that -just a cm or two is enough to create a through breeze if every window is left like that. Lots of recent window designs have a draught lock so you can actually lock the window with a tiny gap to keep the house aired while you are out.
You can also wash your floors regularly with just boiling water and a very clean cloth or mop. It's amazing how clean a house smells when washed with boiling water and no detergent. Really fresh but natural.