By: Seo Mavens

We all smell, good or bad; we all bring a distinct smell with us, which carries over to our homes and becomes a conduit for our scents, melting them together and greeting visitors. Whether that smell is pleasant is the question and one that you will hopefully be able to solve today. To anyone with a sensitive nose, the scent can be the distinctive sense,  triggering years-old memories with one smell, the composition of which we are not even sure. We do not want our homes to send visitors back out the front door, but sticking air fresheners everywhere is not an ideal solution. Getting our homes to smell good is not all that complex once you have a grasp of some basics, and that is what this text is about making you familiar with some basic tips and tricks that will go a long way to making your house smell like you want it to.

Clean

We must eliminate as many unpleasant smells as possible to start adding pleasant smells to our home. This is why you should clean regularly before trying out an inviting house fragrance and declutter now and then to avoid a build-up of old, dusty items around the house you may not even need anymore. Frequently vacuum your rugs and carpets, as they can handle all kinds of debris and dirt, including dust mites, pet dander, and food particles. Vacuuming the carpets will help reduce unpleasant smells and keep them looking fresh. Many homeowners also neglect or overlook cleaning their curtains and upholstery regularly. Still, it is essential to keep your home smelling fresh and clean before you can add other smells on top of a clean foundation.

Scented Candles

Scented candles can be tricky, but they can be a powerful tool for creating an aroma focused on a particular spot or filling a room. It would help if you only used them when not cooking or working in the kitchen. Instead, save those scented candles for laidback days spent at home, when it is raining, or when you are entertaining guests, allowing the delicious smells to waft from the kitchen and giving them an idea of what awaits them. Now, if you are using scented candles elsewhere, it is up to your preferences when to light them, but they can often be quite fragrant. You never want a smell to be too overpowering because even a lovely smell can be a headache if it is too strong, and finding that balance between wanting to seek out a lovely smell and just being able to ignore it, too, is the goal here.

Greenery

Adding a plant or two to your home is a great idea. They can add life and style to the room and act as fantastic decorations while also purifying and cleaning the air, helping to maintain a naturally fresh scent in your house. For example, the English ivy plant can eliminate 78% of airborne mold. It is amazing what only a few indoor plants can do, all on their own, with only a little sunlight and some water. Take some time to look at which plants would fit in which room, how much space they would need, and whether they would fit into the room aesthetically.

Air

Air fresheners are a great, cheap option to keep your home’s smell fresh and clean, and they can double as white noise overnight. Also, going back to basics cannot go wrong, especially if the weather is agreeable: just opening the windows. Of course, this may not be the right option if you live on the ground floor of a skyscraper in the middle of a bustling city, as you may be letting in more smog and the like than air, but otherwise, just letting in some fresh air and sunlight may be all you need before you incorporate fragrances into your home’s identity.

Garbage

If you have ever noticed your kitchen smelling unpleasant, the garbage disposal may be an excellent place to start. Put some thin slices of lemon down the garbage disposal, turn it on, and run hot water for approximately a minute. If you do not have a disposal, squeeze some lemon juice into the drain for the same primary effect. Another culprit for bad smells in the kitchen can be the garbage can and not just when it is complete, so give your garbage and recycling bins a good scrub with water and dish soap. After removing the trash in the garbage bag, sprinkle some baking soda in the bottom of the garbage bin to help absorb foul odors.

Vinegar

Considering how weird and sharp it smells, you really would not think it, but vinegar is one of the finest cleaning products and should always be on your shelves or in your cupboard. If you have been cooking a lot and there are all sorts of smells, simmer some vinegar on the stove, and the odors will be gone in no time. Musty smells from a carpet or rug? Vinegar. Are you trying to properly clean and polish the bathroom tiles without leaving stains? Vinegar. Cleaning the dishwasher, microwave, washing machine, or some other appliance? Use vinegar. Vinegar and baking soda are both incredibly multi-purpose, cheap products that you can use for all kinds of things, from cooking to cleaning to removing bad smells, and you should always have some available at home whenever you need them.

The sense of smell holds a significant role in our daily experiences, influencing everything from personal interactions to our perception of spaces like our homes or workplaces. A pleasant scent can enhance our mood, evoke memories, and even increase social appeal, while unpleasant odors can have the opposite effect, making us less appealing and even affecting our confidence. Therefore, it’s crucial to address and eliminate any bad smells before introducing scents like fragrances, fresheners, or essential oils.

This process begins by identifying the sources of any foul odors—be they due to pets, mold, leftover food, or something else—and dealing with them directly, whether that means cleaning, disinfecting, or perhaps changing habits that contribute to the smell. Only after these odors have been effectively managed can we fully benefit from the positive effects of adding more pleasant scents. By doing so, we create a more inviting and comfortable environment that can enhance our quality of life and interactions with others.

Published By: Aize Perez