After spending a few hours in the house, it’s easy to miss the bad smells in your home. It’s only when someone walks in or you come in after your morning run in the fresh air that you realize your home doesn’t have the most welcoming smell. Maybe it’s the pile of breakfast dishes on the sink, the musty rug that you have not vacuumed in a few days or just a general stuffiness in the air.
So the question is – how to make your home smell good all the time?
It’s easy to keep your home smelling good all the time. You just need the right air freshening products and a few changes in the house.
1. Determine The Source Of Any Stinks
There are the usual stuffy smells that a lot of homes have. That’s completely normal especially with pets and humans around. But there is a particularly bad kind of stink that should have you worried. It’s the kind of smell that stops you in your tracks and scrunches up your face when you walk in through the door.
If there is a really bad smell in the house, find out where it’s coming from because no matter what air freshener you use, the stink will still be felt.
Possible Sources
- If it’s a noxious dead-animal smell, your cat may have had dragged in a dead prey and left it stewing in a corner or under the sofa.
- If it smells like sewage, have a pro take a look at your plumbing. There could be a blockage somewhere.
- If you are experiencing a really musty or mouldy smell, there could be dampness somewhere. This could be caused by water leaks from your plumbing or the rain. Check in the basement, the attic, behind bookcases and sofas and under the rug.
If you still can’t find the source of the smell, it’s time to search every nook and cranny. Check the attic, the basement and other out-of-the way spaces that can hide all manner of stale gunk.
You can also do some sleuthing. Is the smell always there or do you feel it only at certain times? If it’s the latter, what action or situation precedes the stink?
One commenter in an online forum reported that a bad stink would spread around the house whenever she fired up her hair dryer. She found old hair trapped inside the dryer.
If you still can’t find the source, call the pros for a more thorough check.
2. Clean More Frequently
Reduce the time between your cleanings. If you vacuum the floor twice a week, do it every other day. If you leave the dishes in the sink till evening, try cleaning them twice a day.
Don’t forget to wipe down furniture and vacuum or wipe the sofas. Regularly check under the cushions, behind the cabinets and in dark corners for any mustiness or stale bits of food.
3. Let In The Fresh Air
If the weather allows it, open the windows and doors and let the fresh air in. In most cases, fresh air is enough to keep your house smelling fresh even long after you have closed the windows.
Make sure you draw away any heavy curtains that might prevent free air flow.
If you live in an own-compound home, consider planting some trees and flowers around the house. They’ll help bring in more fresh air into the house.
4. Use An Air Freshener
Nothing is more relaxing than coming in and getting hit with a welcoming scent of citrus or lavender. Air fresheners are great for giving your home a signature scent that everyone loves.
For a 24/7 fragrance, don’t use aerosol spray air fresheners. You want something that will emit a scent throughout without any extra work on your part – an air freshener that really works.
You can try some basic homemade air fresheners like essential oil blends, DIY candles or a stove simmer. A stove simmer consists of gently simmering water in a saucepan with herbs like mint and lavender added.
If you have no time to make your own air freshener, buy one. A plugin air freshener plugs into a wall socket and emits a fragrance throughout. There are battery-powered air fresheners that automatically spray at set intervals. Essential oil and reed diffusers are also great options.
Conclusion
As long as there is no serious stink coming from somewhere in the house, it’s easy to make your home smell good all the time. Even if you don’t want to spend money on air fresheners, there are plenty of homemade alternatives that are just as good.
