5 Ways To Keep Your House Smell Good

Want to know some quick, guaranteed ways to make your home smell good? Keeping your home fragrant and fresh requires dedication, but sometimes you need a quick fix.

Maybe unexpected company announced they will be over within the hour, and your house smells stale. Or worse... like the ghosts of yesterday's fried bacon.

If you spend a lot of time in your house, then it's easy to become accustomed to the funky odors that outsiders might detect right away. The good news is you can eliminate those pretty quickly, and it doesn't cost very much.

* Air It All Out

The best way to get the old, musty air to move out is to open the windows and let clean, fresh air come in. It's a scientific fact that old air and new air hate each other, and new air will always win.

For best results, open windows in multiple rooms to get a cross-breeze. No wind blowing outside? That's okay. Turn on your ceiling fans and place box fans or desk fans near the windows to draw in fresh air.

* Eliminate the Culprits

A bit more time-consuming, but you won't be free of the yucky smells until you've tackled the source. Sometimes, this can take a bit of sleuthing.

* Burn, Spray, and Smoke Out the Smell

Candles, air sprays, incenses, or plug-ins are excellent weapons against bad smells. These products are the strong and fast way to bring some lovely fragrances into your home. However, to keep from being stifled by too much perfume, it is best to make sure all the scents are the same, or at least complementary. Too many different fragrances and your home will smell like a potpourri factory.

* Cook Something Delicious

Speaking of onions, not all food smells are bad. In fact, I have a friend who uses onions to her advantage. She fries an onion up before family gatherings so everyone is greeted at the door with the delicious smell of fresh, home-cooked food.

* Sprinkle Carpet Freshener Liberally

You can make your own carpet freshener or use a store-bought version. Either way, sprinkling the carpet and then giving it a quick vacuum can make a big difference in only a few minutes.

If you have light colored carpet, you can even get by with leaving the powder underfoot—just sweep it into the fibers for longer-lasting deodorizing. A huge plus to this is that when you vacuum up carpet fresheners, your vacuum cleaner will smell good, too.

* Make Your Own Potpourri

This is super-easy. You don't even need to dry any flowers. All you have to do is boil a pan of water on the stove and add items that smell great, like orange peels, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and essential oil.

You can mix and match for the perfect scent. The steam will carry the smell throughout the house.