How to get your house to smell fresh may take more than simply keeping it clean. These are some easy way to give your home that fresh, clean smell we all love.
I love walking into a clean smelling home.
Whether it is mine or that of others, I find a clean-smelling house reassuring, relaxing and welcoming. No matter how fancy or otherwise simple it’s decor, and I am particularly fond of those that seem to have that perfume naturally.
You know when you walk into a room and it feels as if a wonderful clean gust of spring air has just swept it clean! That is my favorite smell of all!
I always strive to get my house to smell like. Countless times I have cleaned my house, left and then come back just to realize that the elusive smell was simply not there: sure, my house is clean and looks clean but why does it smell so blah?
It turns out it take a little more than just cleaning the house to achieve that result. These are some hacks to make your house smell as clean as it looks!
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How to get your clean house to smell clean
Hit the reset button
The first thing you need to do when tackling a house smell, whether it’s a bad one or lack of a nice one, is to get a fresh nose and what I mean with that is; a nose that is not used to the current smell.
As you probably already our noses quickly get used to smells to the point of losing sensitivity to it. Also, they are not able to handle an infinite amount of smells. It’s similar to what happens when we test fragrances in the shop, there are just so many smells we can properly appreciate before our nose goes on strike and the same happens in the house.
The remedy to that is to go out for a walk as a little reset.
Get a walk in the fresh air, let your nose settle and then walk into your house again; what does it actually smell like? In many cases, paying attention to the first impression as you walk in from outside is the best way to gauge what is actually going on in the home.
You may even be pleasantly surprised!
Open the windows
Stale air that doesn’t get to circulate cannot smell fresh and the best way to tackle this is to guarantee good air ventilation in the house.
As much as possible, strive to open windows every day and make a point of creating good air circulation in the house (make sure you fix doors to they don’t bang shut in the process!).
Even in bad or very hot weather, fresh air is usually your best ally.
Change bed linens
Linens and bedding can have a big impact on how your house smells. Make sure you change them regularly, wash them at high temperature and dry well (air drying is ideal for laundry to smell fresh, if you have the option).
While changing beds in batches over several days can be easier, the best result in terms of smell will come if you change them all together – make sure you also air the mattresses as you go.
Wash regularly pillows, cushions and throws
Decorative pillows and throws can add a lot of warmth to house decor but they can also absorb odor.
Make sure you wash them regularly or at least air them, especially if in highly trafficked areas of the house, if you have pets or if they can be exposed to the odors of the kitchen, like in a kitchen/living area
Clean the carpets
Carpets and rugs are you enemies when it comes to smells and keeping them clean is the only way here. Rugs that can be easily moved should be aired regularly: bring them outside and, literally, beat the dirt out of them and then leave to air as long as possible.
Carpets and rugs that are too heavy to move can be cleaned with baking soda and the right hoover attachments unless, of course, you can get them cleaned professionally.
Wash / dry clean/ steam clean your curtains
Curtains are another piece of decor that can play havoc with our noses. While they don’t need to be cleaned obsessively or very often, they can gather dirt and house smells especially in common areas that can give your house that heavy air smell you are trying to get rid of.
Use vinegar and baking soda
White vinegar and baking soda have good odor absorbing properties. While alone they are unlikely to solve a smell problem, they do help absorbing especially kitchen odors and the vinegar tends to have a smell that most people identify as fresh and evoking of cleanliness.
Check your drains and moisture leakages
The smell of drains is pretty distinctive so it is probably not what you are dealing with here, however, an extra clean to your drains can only help.
Something as simple as pouring a whole kettle of boiling water in them can help get rid of a lot of gunk you may not even know is there. If not enough, you can take a more aggressive approach or call the professionals: clogged up drain can eventually turn into an urgent and expensive-to-solve problem.
As you are at the faucets, check for leakages or area of excessive moisture that may have formed over time: they are also terrible for creating smells (and can be harmful too).
Stay on top of the laundry
Laundry is a pain and that mountains of clothes that seem to never end no matter how often you put a load of washing on can also be the culprit of a less than spectacular house smell.
As much as possible, keep the dirty laundry to a minimum and always take it out of the washer as soon as it is done.
Add nice smelling fragrances (natural ones)
All the tricks above are great to take away bad or lingering smells from the house but if you are after an actual smell, then you may also want to add some fragrant touches to your house.
When doing so, we recommend to:
- Be aware of how many perfumes you are adding. Your linen, laundry, floor cleaner are all fragranced – make sure their fragrances complement each other and don’t add too much on top of it to avoid a sensory overload.
- Opt for natural fragrances. And we don’t just mean of the store-bought type: vinegar makes for a fresh-smelling DIY cleaning product, eucalyptus leaves smell amazing (and are super pretty) and so do lavender and some types of jasmine.
- Plants have a delicate fragrance that can improve the smell of a home without being overwhelming.
