Help! House smells stuffy? (is that a smell?)

[kayte]

We have reached the time of year where the air conditioning doesn't run until late afternoon, but it's still too hot to open the windows... And my house smells 'stuffy' --kinda stagnant when you come in from outside... Does that make sense?

What are your recommendations for some more natural air fresheners? I hate to go get some heavily chemical Glad plug-ins but I am getting desperate. Any more natural choices?

[mamicka]

I don't know where you are, so maybe this won't work for you. We try to open the windows for a while in the evening & early morning before it gets too hot. We also run our ceiling fans as much as possible when the windows are open to get more air flow. That seems to take care of the stuffiness.

[egoldber]

I don't know where you are, so maybe this won't work for you. We try to open the windows for a while in the evening & early morning before it gets too hot.

This is what I've been doing. It's pleasant in the house with the windows open all day except for the late afternoon, mainly because our house gets full afternoon sun exposure and we have lots of windows on that side of the houe. I run the AC from about 5 to 8 PM and that works well for us. Otherwise the upstairs is above 80 degrees and it's too hot for the kids to sleep.

[Ceepa]

I don't know where you are, so maybe this won't work for you. We try to open the windows for a while in the evening & early morning before it gets too hot. We also run our ceiling fans as much as possible when the windows are open to get more air flow. That seems to take care of the stuffiness.

We do the same. Even when the weather isn't very nice I *have* to have some fresh air in here. I hate that stale air feeling.

[ThreeofUs]

We do the same, but we also wash our floors with a very dilute vinegar-water mix, which seems to freshen up the air in the house.

[amldaley]

Baking soda...sprinkle o carpets, let it set for an hour pr more and vaccuum up.

[MmeSunny]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Lampe Berger rip-off catalytic burners. They are full of oil that you burn and then blow out. Through some magical science theory the smoldering stone cleans and fragrances the air. I'm not explaining it well, but they are awesome!

I have three dogs, three cats and a baby in a SMALL SHOEBOX of a house and they always make people say, "Oh what is that? Your house smells so good!" when they come to visit.

The cheaper versions are Lah-tee-dah, etc. There's lots. Can't recommend them enough!

[kayte]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Lampe Berger rip-off catalytic burners.


The cheaper versions are Lah-tee-dah, etc. There's lots. Can't recommend them enough!

Where do you get these?

[irie i]

Where do you get these?

Typically at boutique stores, or you can find them online. They really are pretty awesome. I've never tried the knock-offs, though. There is a store locater on http://www.lampeberger.us or you can do a google search for lampe berger + your city. Be warned...Lampe Bergers can be pricey and they do require more maintenance than some other home fragrancing options. I have found that their oils are not very natural smelling. You can't easily change the fragrance (you have to invest in and burn a "neutral" scent before switching to another fragrance.) You also cannot mix fragrances. I retired my lampe bergers for these reasons...

For a more affordable way to fill your house with lovely scent I recommend Yankee Candle tarts + a tart burner or The Body Shop home fragrance oils + an oil burner. You can scent instantly and they are inexpensive. :) These don't do what Lampe Berger claims to do, though...they don't "Clean" the air...they just mask odors/make your home fresher smelling. You can also mix and match fragrances.

I like to make my own "recipes." I actually hate vanilla scents but Yankee Candle's French Vanilla is lovely...and you can mix it with virtually any of the fruit fragrances and a bit of their "cinnamon stick" fragrance to make your home smell like you are baking a yummy fruit pie! The tart burners are easy to clean, too. The tart eventually runs out of scent but the wax doesn't disappear. Just put your tart burner in the freezer for about 10 minutes and the tart will slide right out! If the scent didn't run out but you want to try a new fragrance the wax is good as new for next time.

My favorite Body Shop combo is 3/1 Cassis Rose and Sandalwood...and their fruit fragrances also mix well with their Coconut fragrance oil and with Exotic.

[shawnandangel]

Don't know where you are located, but Kirklands sells lampe berger knock offs (and last time I checked they were WAY on sale, like $20 or less) as does Earthbound Trading Company and also Romancing the stone.

You can burn the lampe bergers with just an alcohol base that is unscented and it is supposed to clean the air.

I also recommend looking into himalayan saltstone lamps. They clean the air around them and also help with headaches ect. They are beautiful! I bought one for a good friend. Earthbound Trading co. also sells these. (around $40)

Oil burners are great, but I wouldn't recommend them if you have small children. It requires open flame + hot oil. Well, if you keep it out of reach it would be fine, unless you have cats and they like to knock stuff off of things. I know Irie posted you can buy em at the Body Shop (omg favorite store of all time, I LOVE their vitamin e lotion.) Bath and Body works also sells them (around $10-$20) and again if you have one Earthbound Trading Company does as well. ($10-$15) If the oils are too strong smelling you can dilute with water.

Oh that reminds me, if you like the oil route, Earthbound also sells electric warmers which don't get as hot. About $20.

oh! and reed diffusers are also nice. I think Kirklands usually has some and Earthbound Trading sometimes does as well.

[irie i]

Lampe Bergers aren't very good around small children's curious little hands, either...and are way more expensive to replace. Also, they don't recommend use in pregnant women's homes...not quite sure why that is though.

As far as Bath and Body Works, their oils are WAY diluted already...they really don't compare to The Body Shop. Honestly I wouldn't buy B&BW products for anyone outside of high school...their lotions aren't moisturizing...its more for scent than anything else...and thats another company whose scents I find really faux...sickeningly sweet or sour.

Plus, The Body Shop's ideals (fair/community trading) is a great reason to shop there. :) (the Vitamin E body butter is one of my favorites...it reminds me of baby smell! lol...it is lightly scented with rose water).

I haven't heard of saltstone lamps I am gonna have to check those out!! Reed diffusers are very nice but honestly they are pretty lightly scented...you'd have to use quite a few to "unstuffify" an entire home. :-P