Who doesn’t love a fresh-smelling house? A home that smells good is definitely more inviting and welcoming. It can also make you feel more relaxed and comfortable. In this blog post, we will discuss how to keep your house smelling great all the time!

We will cover both natural methods as well as commercial products that you can use. We will also go over some habits that you can create to ensure your home always smells amazing. Implementing these tips is a surefire way to avoid any embarrassing stinky situations!

Ways Make Your House Smell Good

The scents around you have a surprising effect on your mood, whether you realize it or not. And nobody likes going to someone’s house with bad smells. Here is a massive list of ideas to make your house smell good not only for guests but also for your personal well-being.

Stovetop Potpourri

One of the most healthy ways to make your house smell good is by boiling a pot of stovetop potpourri. You can make your own with seasonal fruits and herb combinations and it is a very forgiving process…meaning you can’t really get it wrong! There are tons of Stovetop Potpourri recipes out there to get you started.

Potpourri in a Slow Cooker

If you’re nervous about forgetting about your potpourri on the stovetop, I highly recommend using a stovetop potpourri recipe in your slow cooker! This will allow you to use your favorite stovetop potpourri recipe but you don’t have to worry about the water boiling down as fast. Leave it on all day to eliminate odors in your house all day!

I also have some awesome recipes to make your house smell like cookies using a slow cooker!

Pura Smart Device

If you’ve never heard of Pura before, you’re missing out! This is my favorite way to scent my entire house! You can connect your outlet diffuser to the app on your phone and create a schedule for when your diffuser turns on and off. You can also choose how intense the scent is and what color the nightlight is!

You can get a free diffuser when you sign up for a subscription to 2 different scents! The fragrances last me a few months so it’s quite a bit cheaper than candles…plus I don’t have to worry about lighting a candle! I’ve been using Pura for 2 years now and it’s a no-brainer for me.

Essential Oils Inside Your Toilet Paper Roll

Using essential oils inside your toilet paper roll is an easy and effective way to make your house smell good. Choose a scent that you like and add 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oils onto the cardboard tube before replacing it with new toilet paper. As people use the tissue, they will be exposed to whatever scent you choose!

Essential Oils On your Furnace Filter

When you are replacing your furnace filter, drop a few drops of your favorite essential oils onto the filter. When your furnace turns on, it will fill your entire house with the most wonderful smells!

Use Vanilla Extract in Your Oven

A really great way to make your house smell good is to place a few drops of Vanilla Essential Oil or Vanilla extract into a small (oven-safe) bowl. Then place the bowl into the oven at a low temperature and let the vanilla scent fill your entire home with a lovely scent!

Bake Spices (such as cinnamon) in the Oven

You can also use a similar technique as above and place cinnamon sticks in a baking dish. Place your oven on a low setting and leave the oven door cracked open. The heat will infuse the cinnamon sticks and it will leave your house smelling good all day long!

Bake Cookies

This may not be the cleanest or quickest way to make your house smell good, but baking cookies not only makes your house smell incredible, but baking is therapeutic for many!

Plant some Herb Pots for a Fresh Scent

Fresh Herbs are really fragrant and have amazing scents. You can pick up some herbs from your local nursery and plant them in pots around your home. They’ll be a great addition to your home’s decor, while also making it smell wonderful!

You can also pick up your favorite herbs in the produce section at your local grocery store.

If you want to have a variety, I recommend a small herb garden kit.

DIY Room Spray

If you are looking for a more natural way to scent your room, you can easily create your very own room spray… tailored to your very favorite scents! Simply gather the ingredients below and mix the ingredients together in a spray bottle. This should last you quite a while and is a great way to make sure your house smells great.

I also love how this gives you the ability to create a streamlined scent for your whole house. You can use this spray for carpet smells, on your air filter, air vents, couch pillows, and many other areas! You can even get a small spray bottle to spray it in your car.

Supplies:

• Glass 16 oz spray bottle
• 3 Tbsp witch hazel
• 65 drops of essential oil of your choice
• Distilled water

Wax Melts

Wax melts are not a new concept, but I love that you have the ability to keep the wax warmer on all day (or use an outlet timer) and you don’t have to panic about leaving it on if you left the house. Candles always make me so nervous that way!

Using a wax warmer is a great way to keep your house smelling good all day long. You can also adjust the intensity by how many melts you put in the warmer.

Use Cleaning Products that Smell Amazing

Everyone wants a house that smells fresh and a great way to do that is to use cleaners that have a fresh, clean scent to them. I really love the Caldrea Countertop Spray and the Meyers Lemon Verbena.

Essential Oils or Laundry Scent Beads Inside Your Vacuum Bag

Typically, vacuums give off weird smells that often waft into your home. So to keep your house smelling good, empty your vacuum canister from the dirt, then throw in some laundry scent beads into the vacuum canister before putting the canister back onto the vacuum. Doing this will give off a wonderful scent every single time you vacuum!

You can also dab some essential oils onto a cotton ball and put it into the canister for a more natural solution but it will have the same effect.

Fabric Disinfectant Stamps out Lingering Smells

Sometimes there are linens in your home that you can’t just throw into the washer. But there are a couple of ways that you can still make sure that they don’t have unpleasant odors.

If you love the smell of laundry, you can use this Tide Antibacterial Spray on things like upholstered furniture, throw pillows, and couches. This will leave your upholstered items with a freshly-laundered smell between washings. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this spray!

DIY Linen Spray

Creating your own linen spray is a really inexpensive way to customize the scent in your home. Instead of being bound to the scent that commercial sprays offer, you can add your favorite essential oils to a spray bottle (along with these other ingredients) to create a streamlined scent for your entire home.

Supplies:

• Glass 16 oz spray bottle
• 1 1/2 cups distilled water
• 3 oz rubbing alcohol
• 40 drops of your essential oil of choice

Use Charcoal Bags in Closets and Shoes

Shoes are often a source of bad smells in a home. But they don’t have to be! You can use charcoal bags inside your shoes to eliminate bad odors. We’ve used these charcoal bags for about 8 months and they work wonderfully…even for my boys who have really stinky shoes! These can also work really well for drawers.

Use Sachets for Closets or Drawers

Have you ever stayed overnight at someone’s house and when you lay in bed, the sheets smelled stale and yucky? You know they’re clean but they’ve just been sitting in the linen closet for way too long?

Well, my secret to keeping your linen closet (and every other closet!) smelling so-fresh-and-so-clean-clean is by using sachets! One of the easiest ways to make your house smell good, even, the closets.

Use Dryer Sheets

Dryer sheets can also be used in a variety of places in your home to make sure your house smells good. You can put them at the bottom of your trash can, inside clothes drawers, in storage totes, and even inside pillowcases for a fresh smell.

Use a Rock Salt Lamp

A rock salt lamp is a great alternative to air fresheners and plug-ins, as it helps purify the air by removing toxins and allergens. And not only does it help keep the air clean and fresh, but it also gives off a subtle scent of rock salt which smells pleasant.

Rock salt lamps are easy to set up and don’t require any maintenance. You simply plug them in for a beautiful glowing lamp that doubles as an air purifier.

Invest in a Good Air Purifier

An air purifier is a fantastic way to make sure the air in your whole house smells clean. Air purifiers work by removing dust, pollen, dander, smoke, mold spores, and other allergens from the air making it easier to breathe and smell great at the same time.

Air purifiers are highly effective at removing impurities from your indoor air but they can also be quite expensive so be sure to invest in one with great reviews so you can be sure that it will last a long time. I love my Medify Air Purifier!

Reed Diffusers

If you’re looking for a way to scent small areas without any fuss, reed diffusers are an absolute must! These are another favorite of mine! I love putting these in entryways, on bathroom counters, and even in the laundry room.

Pick up Some Fresh Flowers

If you are a fan of fresh flowers, they can really make your house smell good no matter what time of year it is. Not only do fresh flowers look beautiful, but they can also have a calming and relaxing effect on your home. And because there are so many varieties available, you can find something to suit any style or budget.

How can I make my House Smell Luxurious?

Light some scented candles or potpourri that feature fragrances you love. Consider investing in an air freshener device like an essential oil diffuser, as they provide a longer-lasting fragrance than traditional room sprays. Choose your favorite calming scent to make your home smell luxurious.

Luxurious Scents to make your house smell wonderful:

• Vanilla
• Sandalwood
• Eucalyptus
• Lemongrass or Lemon (this is fantastic for making your house smell clean)
• Lavender
• Vetiver

How can I make my House Smell Good All Day?

1. Start with a Clean House – The first and most important step in achieving a pleasant-smelling home is to keep it clean! Vacuum, dust, and sweep regularly to help prevent any bad odors from lingering in the air. Additionally, you can also use natural cleaning supplies like baking soda or white vinegar to tackle tough stains and stubborn smells.
2. Go outside for a few minutes…then enter your home again with a fresh nose and to see (or smell) how guests experience your house. Even ask others their honest opinions…sometimes our house has unpleasant smells but we don’t notice because we’re used to it!
3. Pinpoint the source of the stink. Is it the stinky garbage disposal? Dirty bathrooms? Stale air? Or is it your pets? Once you’ve pinpointed the source of the smells, start there! Take your pet to the groomer, deep clean your bathrooms, and clean out your disposal to give you a few ideas.

Habits to Prevent Stinky Smells

Try to prevent the bad smells before they even start by keeping up with house cleaning. This is the BEST thing you can do to make your house smell good all day! Vacuum and mop regularly, use air fresheners, and clean up any spills immediately. And of course, do your laundry as often as possible!

If you need some inspiration for getting on a doable cleaning schedule, check out my spring cleaning checklist!

And if you hate cleaning (like most of us) here are my best tips to make it as fun as possible!

Run Your Garbage Disposal Nightly

Throughout the day, food can build up in your disposal, causing odors. To help reduce this, run the disposal nightly with hot water to rinse away any food particles.

Clean your Garbage Disposal

Believe it or not, you can use white vinegar and orange peels to clean your garbage disposal. Just run the water until it’s hot, and pour the white vinegar, baking soda, and peels down the sink. Let it sit for about 2 minutes until the bubbles subside, then run the disposal. Be careful not to put too many peels down at a time to prevent a clog.

Then use a scrub brush to work out any stuck-on food debris and grime in the disposal. My favorite way to clean the disposal is to use these CLR Garbage Disposal Pods.

Empty Your Vacuum Bag or Canister Regularly

Make sure you empty your vacuum bags or canisters regularly.

Plants are a Natural Air Filter

Plants can help to remove pollutants and odors from the air by absorbing them through their leaves. Adding certain house plants like Peace Lilies, Aloe Vera, or Snake Plants can be an effective way to naturally absorb unpleasant smells and keep your home smelling fresh.

Open the Windows for some Fresh Air

Fresh air helps to flush out bad smells and bring some new air in. Even if it’s winter, it can be helpful to crack a window for even just 30 minutes.

Wash Your Pets’ Bedding Regularly

Whether you notice it or not, your pet stinks. A smelly pet bed (or pet!) can make for a smelly house. Wash your pet’s bedding regularly, every few weeks or so is best, to keep things fresh-smelling. Throw the bed in the washer with some detergent and wash on the gentle cycle. If it’s been a while, then washing it twice may be necessary.

Clean Out Your Fridge

Cleaning out your fridge regularly will go a long way to help you avoid bad smells. Make sure to throw away any expired or old food that may have been forgotten at the back of your fridge. I also love to put in these fridge air filters.

Vacuum Regularly

Dust and vacuum regularly, especially in places that are more prone to dust like carpeted areas, curtains, and furniture upholstery. Vacuuming can help remove dust particles that can contribute to the musty, stale smell that can often present itself in your home.

If you want to go the extra mile, you can mix some baking soda in a bowl and add some essential oil. Stir until well mixed and then sprinkle baking soda on the carpet. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before vacuuming it up.

Deep Clean Your Musty Towels and Rags

Over time, towels can get a musty smell that is anything but fresh. So it’s important to take time every month or so to deep clean your towels and kitchen rags. Throw them in the washer on the hottest setting possible for their color (this is why I choose to always use white towels).

Sprinkle some baking soda, vinegar, and laundry detergent in the washer. The vinegar will do wonders for getting rid of smells and making your towels softer. Here are some other awesome laundry tips!

Use Baking Soda Inside your Trash Cans

Trash cans can get pretty stinky after a while. If your trash cans are looking a bit rank, sprinkle some baking soda in the bottom before you put in a new bag. This will help absorb any odors that come from your trash and make it smell a lot better.

Clean out the Litter Box Regularly

Litter box smells can be a common source for household odors. Make sure to purchase a brand of litter that will absorb odors well and clean it regularly to avoid a bad home smell.

Change your Furnace Filter

It’s important to change your furnace filter for a few different reasons, but if you don’t an old furnace filter can make your home smell stale. Change your filter every three months to keep your air smelling fresh.

Clean your Dishwasher

This may not be the first thing you think about when trying to find the culprit of a bad smell, but your dishwasher needs to be cleaned, too! Hard water and old food builds up in the filter and can leave a stinky smell

Clean your Bathrooms Weekly

If you want a free printable for all the steps needed to clean your bathroom, I’ve got you covered.

Clean your Washer

Don’t forget about your washer! They should be cleaned monthly to prevent any musty smells. Cleaning your washer with a cleaning solution every month is one of the best ways to keep it smelling fresh.

Wash Bed Sheets Frequently

Washing your bed sheets often is a great way to keep any odors at bay. It’s best to wash them once every week or two and make sure they are completely dry before putting them back on the bed.

If you want to make them smell good, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil on some wool dryer balls to make your sheets smell good.