Quick Tips for a Sweet-Smelling Home

If you want to feel as comfortable and cosy in your home as possible, you need to invest lots of time and effort into your decor, of course, but when you have done that, you might want to turn your mind, or your nose, to the way your home smells.

A home that smells good is always going to feel cosier and be a much more enjoyable place to live than a home that smells bad. With that in mind, why not check out these tips for a sweet-smelling home right now?

Keep it clean

Obviously, the first tip for keeping your home sweet-smelling is to ensure that you regularly clean it from top to bottom. Dirt, dust and grime can cause so many bad smells that linger in the air that this really is a must. Oh, and if you have problems with pests, then calling in pest control to deal with them is vital too, as their droppings can cause a real stink that you would probably rather avoid.

Open the windows

Opening all of the windows in your house for at least 30 minutes every day will enable stale-smelling air to get out, and clean fresh air to find its way in, so this is a really important step too.

Run a dehumidifier 

If your home is on the humid side, then it can start to smell musty due to mould and mildew, which is more likely to grow in moist environments. Running a dehumidifier every day, will then help you to control these musty odours for a much more pleasant, sweet-smelling home than before.

Put a cotton ball in the vacuum cleaner

One trick to ensure your home always smells amazing is to place a cotton ball or two that contains a drop or two of your favourite essential oil (sweet orange is wonderfully refreshing) inside the vacuum bag. That way, whenever you do the vacuuming, the essential oil will be heated and released by the vacuum, leaving a sweet smell behind.

Make a simmer pot

A simmer pot is simply a pan that you fill with water and your chosen herbs and spices. You then leave it on the stove to simmer for as long as you like, letting the scents that are released travel around your home and infuse the air with its wonderful scent. 

If you choose to use a simmer pot, it’s best to use a slow cooker because they are cheap to run and can be left unattended with ease, but any pot will do. Place 1 lemon and one orange in the pot along with lots of water, a couple of cinnamon sticks, a bay leaf and two tablespoons of cloves to get you started.

Run a dehumidifier 

If your home is on the humid side, then it can start to smell musty due to mould and mildew, which is more likely to grow in moist environments. Running a dehumidifier every day will then help you to control these musty odours for a much more pleasant, sweet-smelling home than before.

If you already have mould in your home, a dehumidifier might not completely get rid of the problem. It’s a preventative measure, not a cure. Mould doesn’t just smell bad, but it can damage your home, look unsightly, and worst of all, even threaten your health. In this case, it’s time to get the mould specialists involved. While you might be able to deal with small amounts of mould yourself, it might keep coming back to haunt you. You likely won’t be able to remove all of the spores or deal with the root problem. A mould removal specialist, however, can get rid of large sections of mould, including any remaining spores, and give you advice on how to prevent the mould from returning.

Choose a signature candle for every room

Choosing a signature scented candle for every room and lighting it often will create a cosy, sweet-smelling atmosphere. Go for citrus scents in the living kitchen and bathrooms, but choose sweeter, floral notes, like relaxing lavender, for the bedrooms and other places you want to chill.

Here’s to a home, sweet-smelling home!

By Rachel Newcombe.