While I love me some scented candles, sometimes they just won't hack it, and instead of making your home smell fresh and inviting, you're left with the lingering smell of pumpkin spiced cheesecake mixed with the rotting smell of whatever is living in your kitchen trash. Yuck! Whilst your starting your spring cleaning (for those of us down under), try out some of these tips for making your home smell fresh, and you won't be finding yourself reaching for those cans of air freshener!
Deodorise your bins
I keep my bins smelling fresh by adding a few pieces of paper towel with some drops of essential oils to the bottom of the bin before I add the bin liner. It helps keep the bin smelling fresh (as fresh as possible), and helps mop up any spillages if the bag tears.
Create a fridge disposal bin
Whenever I am cooking with raw meat, I hate putting any offcuts or bones straight into the kitchen trash. Instead, I will put them into a plastic bag, tie it up and put it back into the fridge in a dedicated "fridge bin". That way, I don't have to worry about the bin smelling like off, rotting meat in the morning, or running outside to the garbage in the middle of the night. The bag stays in the fridge, remaining fresh and stink-free until I am ready to take out the trash.
Make use of your home's hiding spots
Deodorisers or air fresheners can be a bit of an eyesore, so I like to get creative with where I hide them around the house. I learnt a trick of tying a car air freshener tree to the inside of the heater air ducts from my Mum's friend. I use the vanilla scented trees, and they make the house smell AMAZING! Just make sure you keep an eye on them, and change them out if they get deteriorated, we don't want any fire hazards!!
Freshen up your linen
No one wants to go to the effort of washing and neatly folding towels and bed linen, for it to smell all nasty, stale and musty when we go to use them! I keep my linen closets smelling fresh by adding dryer sheets inside each set of sheets, and tuck them into my mountain of folded towels. It helps keep that "just washed" smell, and the closet will smell amazing when you open it, rather than like something has died in there! You can also buy closet dehumidifiers, to keep any mildew and dampness in closets with low ventilation at bay.
Cook up a storm
Put on your apron and cook your favourite meal, or bake a fresh batch of cookies. If you're less Nigella than you'd like to admit, then try making an easy simmer pot that will naturally fill your home with an amazing, fresh scent. There are heaps of recipes, one of my favourites is a combo of water, apples, cinnamon sticks and vanilla essence, just keep topping up the water every 30 minutes. Another easy option is to add water and a few teaspoons of vanilla essence to an oven proof dish, heating in the oven at 150°C/300°F. Your whole house will smell like you've been baking up a storm, without leaving you with a huge pile of dishes.
Bring the outdoors indoors
Select plants have been shown to help purify and filter the air in our homes, removing nasty chemicals which can negatively impact our health. Some of the plants include the Snake Plant, Peace Lily, Boston Fern and Lady Palm. Not only will your home smell fresh and clean, but it will look totally chic too! (It is important to note that some of these are toxic to cats and dogs, so please research more if you have any fur babies at home!)
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