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Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Housekeeping

How do people have such nice smelling houses

87 replies

Archersandlemonade · 16/01/2021 20:55

I have friends who when they open the door you can smell how lovely their house smells inside. More apparent since last year as I have fair few door stop visits. Do you know the type I mean? They just have a lovely smell. Mine smells of house - I think. It’s isn’t dirty- I do clean but it’s just smells ordinary , no lovely whiff. I have tried getting plug in air fresheners but after a while I find them over powering .
I know ..... it’s a Saturday night ..... I need more in my life

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TheProvincialLady · 17/01/2021 14:45

Different people have different ideas of what a ‘nice’ house smell is. Some people think it’s fabric conditioner, zoflora, plug ins, Yankee candles, air freshener sprays etc. Some people think it’s expensive candles and diffusers. Others think it’s cleanliness achieved through natural products and lots of fresh air. For some people it’s baking and coffee. There is almost zero overlap between these groups so you need to decide which tribe you belong to and ask them!

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Lalalabrador · 17/01/2021 14:51

Diptyque Feu de Bois in the Winter and open windows in the summer.

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91divoc · 17/01/2021 15:18

Not having pets, not having a open plan kitchen where every cooking settles in your living area and furniture. Make sure all doors are shut when cooking if kitchen is separate and use extractor and keep kitchen window open. Don't let bins overflow in house, don't clutter and dust and wipe down regularly. I don't particularly like artificial smells as it triggers hg from my pregnancy, instead I air out the whole house regardless of weather and wash covers frequently, clean/wipe down and use cleaning products to make my house smell clean instead of water lilies

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Labobo · 17/01/2021 16:13

@BonnieLisbon - Thank you.

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ArmsClary · 17/01/2021 16:17

Agree re the oil diffusers.

I started with an Amazon one, about £20 and bought a Neom oil (also £20) to get started. Amazing.

I bought the Neom Wellbeing Pod after Xmas which came with another of their oils.

Smell-wise I think each diffuser is as good as the other. So I would start cheap and make sure you're happy (I love the Neom one as it's slightly quieter than the Amazon one and you can hear the water trickling more with it).

I think the oil is the bigger investment. I bought one from Etsy in the spirit of 'shop local/small' and unfortunately it's not great

If anyone can recommend any small business whose essential oils are as good as Neom please let me know

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readingismycardio · 17/01/2021 16:29

Absolutely fresh air! The first thing I do in the morning is open the windows, all year round,
30 min-1 hr. Since we're WFH now I am opening them as soon as we finished work too, for another 30 minutes. In the summer they're pretty much always open.

we use zara home diffusers and sometimes essential oils such as lemon, grapefruit, lime.

As a pp has said, I recently discovered that putting a few drops of essential oils in the mop water makes a nice difference

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BangingOn · 17/01/2021 16:36

@ArmsClary I really like Rebecca Tracey oils, I have her Botanical Shield blend in my diffuser right now and it’s lovely.

I love fresh air but living surrounded by farms means the air isn’t always that fresh, so I go for good quality candles and my diffuser. Diptyque and Jo Loves are my favourite premium brands, but Rebecca Tracey comes very close to those.

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FreezerBird · 17/01/2021 16:40

@TheProvincialLady

Different people have different ideas of what a ‘nice’ house smell is. Some people think it’s fabric conditioner, zoflora, plug ins, Yankee candles, air freshener sprays etc. Some people think it’s expensive candles and diffusers. Others think it’s cleanliness achieved through natural products and lots of fresh air. For some people it’s baking and coffee. There is almost zero overlap between these groups so you need to decide which tribe you belong to and ask them!

Absolutely this.

I remember a friend coming round (remember when that was a thing?) and commenting that she loved the smell of my house as it smells of 'cooking and laundry'.

I think for her that was just homely and comforting. I'll take it!

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Slackarse · 17/01/2021 16:50

Dove soap fragrance dust or wax melt. Smells fantastic.

perfume-parlour.co.uk/dov-soap-0446

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Slackarse · 17/01/2021 16:52

Fresh air every day!

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blahblahmeh · 17/01/2021 17:11

The neom and other diffusers, do they run all the time?
Electric wax melts, how long do you have those on for?
I use plug in’s but they seem hated on here so after other ideas (I have cats)
We do open the window as much as we can and run air purifiers

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MustBeThin · 17/01/2021 17:39

Right I'm going to invest in a diffuser/oils. Are they better than the electric wax melt things? How long would a bottle of oil last if used every day?

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ArmsClary · 17/01/2021 17:40

Thanks @BangingOn, will look her up!

@blahblahmeh it depends really. Most will have a setting for 1/3/6 hours; the Neom has a setting for just 'on' if you want a continual flow.

I usually only have it on when I'm in the room. Haven't had any visitors in so long to tell me if my house smells good or not

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blahblahmeh · 17/01/2021 17:42

Thank you @ArmsClary

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ArmsClary · 17/01/2021 17:43

@MustBeThin I think they're better in that the oils are natural as opposed to wax melts which can contain all sorts, although I know there are soy ones which are probably better?

Good question re how long they last - I've only had my diffusers since December and both bottles of Neom are still going strong. I don't think you'd need a new bottle every month, but it depends how often you use it. I would have each of mine on 3-4 times a day for an hour at a time. Will be interested to hear how long others' have lasted.

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MustBeThin · 17/01/2021 17:52

@ArmsClary thank you. If I have one in my kitchen would it be able to go on the worktop under a cupboard?

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SpongeBobJudgeyPants · 17/01/2021 18:47

@ArmsClary. Could you just buy essential oils, start with a couple from H & B, maybe lavender, geranium, and experiment with blends? Cheaper way of getting excellent non toxic oils, and can tailor to your own preference.

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DumpedByText · 17/01/2021 19:08

I get comments on how mice my house smells.

I use an electric wax melt burner with melts from a company called Devon Wick. I've tried loads and they smell the best, my house smells like a very popular Lancome perfume!

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ArmsClary · 17/01/2021 19:21

@MustBeThin the mist doesn't travel too far/high so it should be fine under a counter, but I would leave a good few inches to be safe

@SpongeBobJudgeyPants absolutely, start small and if you're hooked (like me) work your way up to the good stuff! I jumped in with both feet with the Neom oil simply because they do Xmas blends

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userxx · 17/01/2021 21:51

@DumpedByText

I get comments on how mice my house smells.

I use an electric wax melt burner with melts from a company called Devon Wick. I've tried loads and they smell the best, my house smells like a very popular Lancome perfume!

Are they good? Wax melts are my new obsession. Any fragrance recommendations ?

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BarryWhiteIsMyBrother · 17/01/2021 22:06

We have four dogs and new visitors always ask if they are allowed indoors because they can't smell them. I can think of three reasons:

no carpet
I open doors and windows for a couple of hours every morning even in winter
Our cleaner is here three time a week for half a day each time.

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KimNotElllen · 18/01/2021 00:20

I use wax melts but after reading this I think I'm going to get a diffuser.

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raspberrysundaes · 18/01/2021 07:28

Fresh air - windows are opened for a good period every single day.

Scented soy wax melts.

Regular cleaning - carpets are hoovered daily, blankets/cushion covers washed weekly, bedding changed regularly. Floors steam-mopped every 2-3 days, no dirty dishes lying around etc.

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Mindymomo · 18/01/2021 08:52

Ashleigh and Burwood have a sale on at the moment. In my house a have diffusers and lamp fragrances that I light for an hour or so, then the fragrance lasts all day. I buy the big refills so save a lot of money that way. Fresh linen is my favourite. You can also get them on Amazon. The White Company spa scent diffusers and candles are lovely and fresh as well.

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Popsy321 · 18/01/2021 08:56

@GreekOddess

We live in a new build and it had a new house smell when we moved in. It still has that smell even though we've been here a year! You don't notice it when you are in it but you notice when you have been out and come back. It's a nice smell but I don't know what causes it. My brother had new houses too and they had the same smell.

New carpet primarily plus fresh paint.

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