We say all the time that you experience a space with all your senses, not just your eyes! So while most of our focus is on how to style a home, build colour palettes or make reno decisions to create your dream space, today we’re talking all things on how to make your home smell good! From pet smells to dampness, lingering cooking odours and just everyday life, many of us are looking for ways to freshen up our homes.
The good news is there are plenty of affordable and quick hacks to make your home smell good. We’ve gathered 12 of our favourite hacks, from quick fixes to longer lasting solutions.
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1. Neutralise odours with white vinegar
There’s no point adding a bunch of fragrances to your home to try and mask bad odours. Wherever possible, start by addressing the issue of the smell. Whether it’s a rug that needs deep cleaning, walls that haven’t been wiped clean for a long time or a pet bed that could be washed, look for ways you can eliminate odours at the source.
SC is brimming with cleaning hacks and the best cleaning trick will depend on a few things like the what’s causing the smell, the material of the item and whether it can be removed (ie put in the washing machine or pressure washed outside). Safe to say, whatever cleaning solution you find will likely contain white vinegar. It’s incredibly powerful at eliminating smells while being gentle on materials.
2. Use essential oils around your bins
Have you seen that clever hack where you stick a furniture protector sticker soaked in essential oils inside your bin? Or perhaps the one where you soak cotton balls in essential oils and place them under your bin liner?
Whatever method you use, some of our favourite essential oils to neutralise bin smells are peppermint, eucalyptus or lemon oil.
3. Keep you sink and drains fresh
Staying in the kitchen, it’s common for our drains to also smell over time. To deep clean your kitchen drain naturally, sprinkle 3 heaped tea spoons of bi-carb soda into your drain and pour over 1 warmed cup of white vinegar. It will begin bubbling immediately. Place a damp cloth over the drain to let the bi-carb and vinegar work its magic for 5 minutes. Rinse clean with a jug of boiling water and finish with 5 drops of peppermint oil in the drain.
4. Wash walls with sugar soap
Not just a fab product for prepping your walls to paint, sugar soap also works wonders to remove grime and eliminate odours from your home. During the toddler stage where hand prints or food smears on walls was the norm, Gina added this cleaning trick to her regular cleaning schedule.
Perhaps your walls aren’t noticeably dirty but they could be harbouring odours that’s making your house smell. Give this cleaning hack a try in your entry, hallway and other high traffic areas.
5. Use reed diffusers around your home
Won’t lie, we were late coming to the home diffuser party! But now that we’ve joined, we’re converted! A few well-placed diffusers around the home is a simple yet effective way to make it smell divine.
You can make your own diffusers using our tutorial or buy them ready-made in stores. You can also transfer store-bought diffusers into any stylish water-proof vessel around your home. If you have dried or artificial floral arrangements in your home, you can also place 1-3 individual reeds into these arrangements.
6. Bowl of coffee beans
Sounds weird but a bowl of coffee beans can naturally absorb odours and neutralise unwanted smells. Try this in small, enclosed spaces like wardrobes, bathrooms, pantry or near pet areas. You can also add a handful of coffee beans to a tea light holder with a candle to make your home smell like coffee.
7. Burn candles
You had to know this one would be on the list! We love burning candles for their slow, continuous release of fragrance, and cosy and inviting atmosphere. From fresh citrusy or floral candles, to warm and woody scents, there’s a fragrance out there for you. Just be sure to find a quality candle that burns cleaner, the last thing you want to do is eliminate bad smells only to replace them with toxic ones.
8. Wash your curtains
Curtains can trap odours and be the source of bad smelling rooms. Depending on the fabric of your curtains, you should be able to remove them and place them in your washing machine. A simple solution of eucalyptus oil and white vinegar can eliminate smells and odours from your curtains, leaving them looking new and smelling better than ever. See the tutorial here.
9. Try a simmer pot
Not just a great way to make your home smell festive at Christmas time, a simmer pot can be used year round to make your home smell amazing.
What to simmer to make your home smell good:
- Cinnamon sticks: warm, spicy and comforting — perfect for autumn and winter vibes
- Orange peels: sweet and citrusy, they add a bright freshness to the air
- lemons: clean and zesty, great for neutralising cooking or bin odours
- cloves: a strong, grounding and spicy scent that pairs beautifully with citrus
- rosemary sprigs: earthy and refreshing, ideal for a spa-like feel
- Vanilla: seed pods or simply a few drops of essence, it’s sweet and cosy
- Bay leaves: earthy and aromatic, often used in calming scent blends
- Lavender: relaxing and perfect for winding down in the evening.
10. Fix wardrobe smells
Wardrobes can give off musky grandma’s closet vibes but there are plenty of quick and easy fixes.
Easy ways to get rid of wardrobe smells:
- Cedar wood balls can make your wardrobe smell fresh while naturally repelling moths
- use the furniture floor sticker soaked in essential oils hack
- make your own scented wax bars
- hang a scented sachet.
It can also help to add a moisture absorber like DampRid to prevent odours from dampness.
11. Hang eucalyptus in your shower
This one’s as stylish as it is clever! Tie a bundle of fresh eucalyptus from your showerhead. When the steam hits, it releases a natural spa-like scent that turns your morning shower into a mini escape and it looks gorgeous too.
12. Make your own room spray
Finally, room sprays are a quick and easy way to instantly freshen up your home. With just a few spritzes, they can mask unpleasant odours and fill your space with a beautiful scent. These are super simple to DIY and we have all the steps to make your own room spray here.
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