One of the biggest challenges of keeping a home is somehow getting it to smell as fabulous as it looks. We don’t have to tell you, this is easier said than done. You have to live in your home after all, and to be honest, living doesn’t always smell nice. So what are you to do? Turn to sprays and chemical cleansers to keep your home smelling fresh? You could, but you’d always have that lingering eau de chemicals smell we all love so much and if you have kids and pets, you might want to think twice about spraying unknown chemicals into the air they breathe. Rest assured, those sprays and plug-ins are not your only way to get a fresh smelling home. Instead, try one of these 13 all-natural ways to get your house smelling amazing.
1. Eucalyptus
Ever want to just escape to the spa? Better yet, ever want to escape to the spa without spending the money to go to the spa? Us, too. Here’s a quick tip to trick your nose: hang some eucalyptus from your shower head, turned the water on nice and hot and clear out your sinuses with the amazing scent!
2. Scented Pinecones
You could buy those bagged cinnamon scented pinecones at the Dollar Store…or you could make your own! With this fun DIY, you only need a new ingredients to make some winter décor that smells as good as it looks.
3. Lemony Fresh Garbage Disposal
There is no worse culprit for stink than the garbage disposal – I’m speaking from experience, here. My disposal can stink up the entire kitchen depending on what dinner was the night before. I’ll be the first to say goodbye to my nasty smelling sink with this trick! These lemon vinegar ice cubes just need to get popped down the drain and – poof! You’ve got one nice smelling sink.
4. DIY Potpourri
Potpourri is not just something your grandma hordes. This lovely medley of smells can be completely personalized to your preferences and is extremely simple to make! Even better, you can display your potpourri in a million creatively cute ways, so your house looks and smells beautiful.
5. Dried Herbs
It might seem a little old fashion, but hanging dried herbs is one of the easier and cheapest ways to achieve a clean smelling home. Just like potpourri, dried hanging herbs act not only as an air freshener but they also add some lovely décor to your kitchen or bathroom! Talk about killing two birds with one stone.
6. Lemon Basil Spray
Febreeze and other air fresheners can definitely get the job of spreading good scents done – but they can also spread potentially harmful chemicals. If you have chemical allergies, are concerned about the safety of your kids or pets, or are just looking for a more natural way to clean, check out this lemon basil spray. Flex your DIY muscles and breathe in a scent of your own creation.
7. Simmer Pot
What is a simmer pot, you ask? A simmer pot is essentially a pot of good smelling herbs and other natural items (i.e. apple peels) placed into a boiling pot of water. Get creative and put whatever scents you want into the pot (you can even use a Crockpot!) and be prepared for some seriously good smells as the simmering water spreads your hand-picked scents around the house.
8. Williams-Sonoma Scent
Grasping for some simmer pot inspiration? Take a cue from Williams-Sonoma. If you’ve ever stepped inside one of these stores, you know that they smell AMAZING. How? You guessed it. Williams-Sonoma stores across the world use the same simmer pot scent of their own creation. Feel like you’re living in your favorite store by trying their simmer pot recipe on for size.
9. Freshening Plants
Not interested in bringing new scents in? Trying getting them out in the first place! Air-cleansing plants, such as aloe, help to rid smelly toxins from the air…making the list above wonderfully irrelevant.
10. DIY Air Freshener
Sick and tired off doling out cash just to go through bottles of chemical-packed air fresheners? We don’t blame you. But there is an easier and less expensive way! You can DIY your very own air freshener by combining Downy Unstoppables (in your preferred scent), baking soda for a toxin-banishing clean, and boiling water for 30 minutes. After that half hour, you can pour your mixture into a spray bottle and stop household smells right in their tracks.
11. Lavender Room/Linen Spray
Some sprays clean. Some sprays clean AND smell nice. Other sprays may not clean but dang do they smell good. This lavender essential oil room spray is one of the latter. Mixing lavender, baking soda, and purified water into a cute little spray bottle is really all you need to keep your bedroom smelling divine. Feel free to spray this right onto the sheets – they tend to need the pick-me-up the most. We love lavender in particular for the bedroom because it’s such a nice, relaxing scent, perfect for when you’re trying to unwind or catch some z’s.
12. Home Deodorizer
If you love cooking onion, garlic, cauliflower and other notoriously smelly dishes, those smells tend to become ingrained in your air. You might not recognize it the next time you walk in the door (because you’re used to the smell) but when I guest walks in? Trust us, they are gonna smell the stink. Just like your personal deodorant, sometimes your house needs a little DO, too! This quick and simple recipe of orange slices, cloves, and cinnamon in a simmer pot will disperse delectable smells all throughout your house. Now THAT’S the kind of smell you want guest to get a whiff of.
13. 3-Ingredient Diffuser
Have you ever seen one of those oil diffusers? Maybe you’ve seen one in a yoga studio…or maybe in a yoga studio on TV, depending. Typically, they’re made up of amazing essential oils, poured into a cool-looking jar, and bamboo skewers or reeds that disperse the nice smells throughout the room. You can make your very own diffusers at home using your favorite essential oils for next to nothing.
Do you have an all-natural way you keep your home smelling fresh? Share it in the comment section below.