How do you keep your house smelling nice/fresh?

[TxCat]

I've noticed a few times when coming home after a prolonged period away that the house just sort of smells "stale". It's nothing I can really put my finger on. We do have cats but its not really the litterbox smell. It's just not fresh and inviting, for lack of a better descriptor. So, what does everyone like to keep their house smelling nice? (Windows open regularly is not an option year-round due to weather).

[bostonsmama]

Do you live on a crawl space? Many homes on a raised crawl, IME, have moisture issues and could benefit from a dehumidifier underneath.

Also, most products in your house (paint, upholstery, baskets, wood furniture, flooring) offgas for a while after bringing them into a home, and some materials give off smells for long periods of time (think cedar chests).

I'm not a fan of scented candles (like Yankee) or spray fresheners that emit ozone or chemicals, but I do periodically use essential oils in my cleaners and leave oil-spotted flannels in rooms to freshen the smell.

Some homes also need a thorough cleaning in the hidden places that trap smells, like in wastebaskets, trashcans, recycling bins, laundry hampers, around the toilet base, inside your front-loading washer, etc. Also, shoes stink. We have a shoes-off household, and we used to keep all of our shoes in the coat closet. It only took about a year of gagging every time we opened the closet (largely b/c we live in a coastal community where flipflops are worn 8 months out of the year) before we switched them to cubbies out in the garage.

It's amazing what can smell bad in corporate that on its own isn't so bad.

[edurnemk]

Some of the things we do, besides opening windows when the weather allows it:

-Place bowls with baking soda and a few drops of essential oil around the house.
- Light a scented candle. I buy soy candles with natural fragrances to avoid adding more chemicals to our environment.
- Run the ceiling fans on low.
- Don't leave dirty dishes, clothes, etc. laying around.
-Regular vacuuming.
-Empty trash cans daily

[teresah00]

Cinnamon stick and whole clove simmering in water on stove.


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[rin]

If we can't open windows, we either boil citrus peels & a star anise/clove/cinnamon stick on the stove for a while, or we light an essential oil burner for a while w/a few drops of lavender oil in it. Those are both more things we do when there's a need, rather than something we do all the time.

[essnce629]

Cinnamon stick and whole clove simmering in water on stove.



If we can't open windows, we either boil citrus peels & a star anise/clove/cinnamon stick on the stove for a while

This is what I do every time I host playgroup at my house! It makes the house smell wonderfully.

Running the ceiling fans also helps with stale air. Besides opening the windows and having the ceiling fans on, that's really all I do.

[ilfaith]

I use a Lampe Berger
http://www.lampeberger.us/lampe-berger-official-website-luxury-fragrances-for-the-home

I used to work in a shop that sold these and they do work really well, even getting rid of smells like fried fish and poopy diapers. They were invented to neutralize odors in a 19th century French morgue.

They have many fragrances (some of which I like better than others)...what drives me nuts as that they keep changing the names of the scents (crazy marketing people) so I can't always figure out which is which.

[waitingforgrace]

We use a diffuser with essential oil when needed. We also put ceiling fans on low and run the vent fans (bathrooms and kitchens) to move the air around and out.

[A1icia]

I really dislike scented candles, sprays, etc. - particularly in/near kitchens and dining areas.

To keep a house smelling fresh I really think that letting fresh air in on occasion is key. I try to at least once a month open tons of windows and run fans throughout. I do this even in the winter and heat of summer.


Otherwise I agree about just trying to keep things clean - some things I'm picky about:

- laundry goes in hampers that are kept places that don't absorb smells (not in closets, on carpets or near bed/upholstered furniture/ curtains etc.

- kitchen trash goes out daily

- white vinegar used frequently to keep garbage disposal and dishwasher clean

- baking powder in fridge and freezer

- no food or anything but water leaves main floor of house and we eat meals and snacks at dining table (or outside table in nice weather)

Also, I don't have heavy curtains or wall to wall carpeting.

Hadn't thought about shoes but that is a good point - I'm going to remember.

[AngelaS]

Love my Scentsy! I'm sensitive to many smells but they have a handful I totally love.

[twowhat?]

We open the windows whenever we can. I think our house smells fine (I hope our friends think so too LOL). When we came back from vacation, it had a nice "hardwood floors" smell. That's it. The only time I notice "smells" is in our master bedroom where the dogs sleep. But no one has to deal with that but us. And I only smell it when the dogs have been spending lots of time outdoors:)

[hellokitty]

We open the windows whenever we can. I think our house smells fine (I hope our friends think so too LOL). When we came back from vacation, it had a nice "hardwood floors" smell. That's it. The only time I notice "smells" is in our master bedroom where the dogs sleep. But no one has to deal with that but us. And I only smell it when the dogs have been spending lots of time outdoors:)

Other than food smells from cooking. I notice that when we're gone for a few days and come home. I love to just take a big whiff when we walk in. Our house smells like hardwood floors. I'm not big into scents. In fact I mostly clean with a vinegar water solution and with Charlie's soap detergent and cleaner. So, I feel that our house just has a clean smell to it and it isn't scented.