Just opening a window doesn't always cut it, and we often don't take action on our home's scent until it's too late.
We can't exactly account for the ever-smelly frat house. But, for those of us with less foot traffic at least, we can very easily keep our homes smelling fresh.
Some people put off tiny aspects of taking care of their homes because they think it’s too much work for a little reward. But it isn’t. Something as simple as making sure your home always smells good may sound a lot of scrubbing, but it doesn’t have to be. With these DIY solutions, you’ll be able to leave your home smelling fresh all the time with very little work.
Humidity or Steam
One of the best ways to easily and quickly improve the way your house smells is to use humidity or steam to your advantage.
To do this, all you need to do is tie up the rosemary, lemon balm, and thyme in the farthest corner of your bathroom where they won’t get wet. Whenever you (or someone else) takes a hot shower, the steam from the shower will activate the herbs’ oils and fragrance and leaving at least your room smelling amazing. If this smell doesn't linger far enough for you, you can use a humidifiers in various parts of the house with essential oils. And even with a conventional stove, or if you're lucky enough to have a wood stove, a simple steaming pot of water over some heat with some herbs can emit fragrances far and wide.
Pine Needles
Many people don’t know how great pine needles smell. Not only do pine needles smell great, but they are also synonymous with clean odor for many people. And there’s nothing more inviting than a home that smells clean upon entry.
So, how do you give your home that sweet pine needles smell? Easy, just place fresh ones around the house.
Along with the steam method previously mentioned, you could choose to either boil the needles for that fresh pine needle aroma. The important thing you need to note about boiling pine needles is that you should only boil the green, fresh ones. You shouldn’t even touch the brown, dry ones. You should also break the pine needles slightly as they are added to the hot water. And finally, only boil them for about a minute before reducing the heat to low— after that, leave them simmering for a few hours to fill your home up with their scent.
Dried Potpourri
Dried potpourri smells good, and it may be the only thing you need to give your house that great and pleasant aroma.
You can even find some potpourri with dried lemon/orange slices, herbs, and a whole variety of herbs.
Set some over here, a little here, don't forget the front door, bathrooms. In no time your home will explode with a pleasant smell that will please you and every visitor who comes in.
Coffee Beans
Most don’t realize this, but vanilla and a bowl of whole coffee beans can create magic in your home. Plus they can be a fun decoration in a vase or glass of your choosing.
Taking it a step further, nestle a vanilla-scented candle in a bowl of whole coffee beans and leave it to burn. The smell of the vanilla will mix with the aroma of the coffee and will leave your home smelling of sweet French vanilla coffee.
Cinnamon Sticks
The smell of cinnamon has been described as heavenly by many and bad by, well, no one. So it’s one of those safe fragrances that your house can smell like without discomforting anyone. To get your house smelling like cinnamon, all you need to get are some cinnamon sticks.
Again, just leaving these around the house in whatever artistic setup you desire will emit a fresh fragrance for at least a few days.
Same as before, feel free to boil the sticks for a few minutes, turn the heat low, and let them simmer for about a few hours. While it’s simmering, the sweet smell of cinnamon will waft through your home and leave it smelling like a haven of happiness.
The smell of cinnamon sticks is pretty strong, so you should only use them when your house smells bad.
Your Home Can Smell Amazing
You don’t have to spend a lot of money before your home smells pleasant again.
Of course, we're all usually led to clean and refresh our homes after it's already dirty or smelling strange in a certain room. If you can be proactive about it, fantastic. Using a few of the above methods and wherever else your nose leads you will keep your home smelling fresh all year long.
