Having a great smelling house isn’t just about cleanliness – it’s about making you feel more comfortable, relaxed, and even energized. Over time people become accustomed to the smell of their own home. You may not even notice what your home smells like until someone else comments on it. Changing up the smell in your home ensures that your house will smell great, but it also mentally invigorates you. It awakens your senses to new stimuli and keeps your mind active. Here are 21 easy ways to make your home smell amazing.
1. Get oven-fresh smells without baking
Fresh-baked cookies and pies smell amazing, but you don’t need to make an entire recipe to fill your home with a warm scent. Pour a teaspoon or two of ground cinnamon and cloves on a baking sheet. Leave it inside a 200°F oven for half an hour, keeping the door ajar. You’ll fill your home with a lovely spicy scent.
2. Use dryer sheets
Tape a new dryer sheet to the back of your dresser to make your underwear drawer smell fresher. You can also tuck some sheets behind curtains or under chairs. Try this other genius uses for dryer sheets.
You already know baking soda can neutralize fridge odors, but here’s a new trick: Dampen a cotton ball with vanilla extract and leave it on a refrigerator shelf to add a pleasantly sweet fragrance. You could also try dabbing lemon juice on the cotton ball instead.
4. Put food scraps to use
An unfortunate side effect of garbage disposals is that they can start to smell like, well, garbage. To kill the smell with ease, just toss leftover orange or lemon peels down the drain. Do it once a month to keep things smelling fresh. Read more ways to tackle hard-to-clean kitchen appliances.
5. Or try salt
No citrus peels? No problem. Dump half a cup of salt into the disposal, then turn on the disposal while running cold water. The salt will dislodge any waste stuck inside while neutralizing their odors. These tricks will help you clean your kitchen in five minutes.
6. Try a stovetop fragrance
You can make your own home fragrance without shelling out for expensive candles or diffusers. Add several lemon and orange peels to a cup or two of water, then let it simmer for a few hours, adding water as needed. You’ll freshen the air and the pot in one step. You could also try this trick with a handful of cloves, keeping it simmering for half an hour. Get more ideas from these homemade stovetop potpourris.
7. Take an extra-luxurious shower
Tie a few eucalyptus branches together, then hang them on your showerhead, behind the stream of water. Your steamy shower will release the aromatic oils, giving you an invigorating wash time, according to blogger One Good Thing By Jillee. Eucalyptus oils can help respiratory issues like asthma, colds, and sinusitis, so try this next time you’re sick. The scent will stay fresh for about a week.