The Ultimate Guide to Home Fragrances 

Incorporating Scents Into Your Home

What are some of the best ways to incorporate a scent into your home? The first is an obvious one and a favorite of many candles. Candles are a common choice for adding a fragrance to your home, and this happens through beautifully scented candles burning. 

They have become so popular because they serve many purposes in your space. Not only do they give off an incredible smell, but they also add to the aesthetic of the room and can be a very artful addition to your home decor. 

Other Options Apart From Candles

As pleasant as candles are, they require a bit of work and can be hazardous as well. Because of this, the experts state that you should place candles in rooms where you spend a lot of your time. It could include rooms such as a living room, kitchen, or bedroom. 

Nick Rabuchin from Vancouver Candle Co says that you should burn your candle for at least three hours. He also comments that you need to maintain the wick so that it burns “cleanly and consistently.” He explains that the fragrance “is emitted once the melt pool reaches the edges of the jar.” 

Wax Melts And Warmers

You can also try wax melts and warmers. These are a great alternative to candles that don’t require as much maintenance because they are wick-free. With wax melts, you place them over a flameless heat source, and the pods of wax will dissolve.

When they start to dissolve, they will release their incredible scent into the air around you. The bonus of wax melts is that they will fill the room with their smell in just minutes. What is the downside of choosing this type of fragrance release?

Why Not Try A Diffuser?

You need to make sure that the diffuser container is thoroughly cleaned before replacing it. It’s a little bit extra work, but the smell will be so worth it. If you want a wholly flameless and heat-free option, you could try out a diffuser. 

A diffuser is an excellent option for smaller spaces like bathrooms or a laundry room. These are rooms that do well with a great smell but aren’t rooms that you necessarily spend a lot of time in, so you don’t want to have to watch or maintain the scent. 

You Have Two Diffuser Options

There are two options when it comes to diffusers. You could use a plug-in diffuser or a reed diffuser. A reed diffuser does not require any electricity, which means that this could be the right choice for a bathroom where you don’t have a lot of outlets available. 

The trick with reed diffusers is to get them to emit the right amount of their fragrance. It might take a little bit of trial and error. You will need to turn the sticks throughout use to release more of its scent. 

Using A Reed Diffuser

When the sticks are dried out, the scent can be very overpowering if you turn them all together. You will also need to place your reed diffuser in a secure space where it can’t be knocked over easily by people who are using the area. 

The oil in the reed diffuser can stain fabrics and carpeting, and then the scent will linger quite strongly for a while if you are struggling to remove it. The other option is an essential oil diffuser, which is similar to how a humidifier works. 

Trying Out Different Essential Oils

Essential oil diffusers not only add an incredible fragrance to a room, but they also cleanse the air. It is recommended that if you want to have an effective smell from an essential oil diffuser that you should use one that uses water instead of heat. 

It will help to break down the essential oil molecules and then release them into the air. The next option on our list is room sprays. These offer a fast fragrance releasing method. Just reach for your spray, press the button, and there you have it. 

Cons of Using Room Spray

The downside of a room spray is that it doesn’t linger for long in the room. It does, however, quickly cover up any unwanted odors in bathrooms and kitchens. Another option similar to this is scented gel beads and plug-in fragrance diffusers. 

These help to fill a small room in a short time with a lovely and continuous scent that will come out in bursts at various timed intervals. Last but not least, on the list of ways to have a beautiful smell all-around your home is the classic incense. 

A Ritual-Based Scent

Incense is quite a ritual based way of bringing a scent into your home. Many people associate it with meditation and the feeling of spirituality. Incense is available in many different fragrances and can bring a wonderful and lasting scent. 

Once you have decided on which way you release beautiful fragrances into your home, you’ll need to figure out which scents work in what room. You don’t want your entire house smelling like citrus or vanilla – it’s fun to try different smells in different places. 

Choose A Personal Fragrance

Fragrances are very personal. Generally, as long as the scent is something you enjoy and one that makes you happy, then you’ve made the right choice. But, if you want to be a little bit more specific about it, then here are some ideas for each room. 

Each room should have its atmosphere, depending on what you use it for, and having different fragrances in each space will project that concept. It is nice to have a general flow of scents throughout the house but still having differential factors between the areas and finding what works for each room. 

Smells For Your Kitchen

For your kitchen, certain scents would work very well. If you think about it, you don’t want traces that would ruin the smell of whatever delicious dish you’ve been cooking that evening. So go with aromas that are similar to natural recipes. 

Choose scents that you would associate with food. It can include herbs, citrus fruits, and even sweets. If you do, however, want to cleanse your kitchen air from the smell of what you’ve been cooking, it is recommended to use scents like cinnamon and clove. 

Don’t Stink Out Your Dinner Party

another room where you don’t want the smell of the actual food to be overpowered by your scent creator. In the dining room, you should avoid strong fragrances and also don’t opt for something that is very floral. 

A light citrus smell would work very well in your dining room, and sometimes maybe no fragrance at all. Rather than using a scent diffuser here, go for candles that can be lit for a specific occasion and add ambiance as well as a sweet aroma. 

Amazing Scents For Your Bathroom

Your bathroom is full of scents, for better or worse. The experts recommend having fresh and clean fragrances in your bathroom. It could be a blend of grapefruit, orange, and lime as well. 

The other scents that work well in a bathroom are ones that are ocean-inspired, bright herbal scents, and even some scents that are reminiscent of fresh flowers or grass. Keeping it light and bright in your bathroom is ideal for this area of the house. 

Host A Festive Party In Your Living Room

In your living room, you have many opportunities when it comes to fragrances. In this room, you can change your scent, depending on the occasion. A floral scent works well for small gatherings with friends or family and just adds something fragrant to the room without being too much. 

If you are hosting a party over the festive season, you could even try out a spicy, exotic scent to trigger an association at this time of year. If it’s a party free zone, you could try a candle with cotton scents, which makes the space smelling clean and provides a relaxing space for you. 

Feel Calmer With Floral Scents In Your Bedroom

What smell do you think would work well in your bedroom? As a bedroom is a personal space, you can choose whatever you like in here, and it should be something that you find relaxing and a smell that you enjoy. 

Delicate floral scents work beautifully in a bedroom because they provide a sense of calmness to the area. If you are feeling a bit more sensual, you could include fragrances that have notes of rose, orange, and even some vanilla. 

A Woody Wonderland

When people first step into your home, it is the perfect opportunity to set the scent tone for your space or the occasion. If you want to create a warm and welcoming impression as people enter your home, try woody fragrances.

It could include rosemary, sandalwood, or sage. A foyer could take candles on a special occasion or a fragrance diffuser as this won’t be a space that is occupied for long, but it is nice to have a scent working its way through the area for hellos and goodbyes. 

Bring Alertness Into Your Office

Have you ever thought about incorporating a scent into your office at home? It may not be a place where you’ve thought about this before, but it can help with your productivity when you’re in the room. 

Try a scent that can help bring about alertness. There are scents like bergamot and citruses that can help brighten up the room and hopefully amp up your productivity and energy levels. You should enjoy the aroma and not feel overwhelmed by it either. 

Choosing Scents For Your Mood

Another way to choose scents for your home and the rooms within it is to base it on seasons. When changing from summer to winter, you can play with the scents that you are using in your house. Change is always inevitable, so switching up the fragrances is a good idea, too. 

In summer, you could go for more floral and citrus-based scents that make you feel energized and light. In winter, go for wood scent smells or very festive scents like cinnamon. Aromas help build memories, and this is a great way to do it with the seasons. 

Clean Out Your Garbage Disposal

There are many other ways to keep your home smelling wonderful without the aid of scent diffusers or expensive candles. The first way is to make sure that you are cleaning out your garbage disposal regularly. 

If you’ve been noticing a smell in your kitchen, then the first place you should check is your sink. If you discover that this is the source of the stink, you can try getting rid of the smell by pouring a glug of lemon-scented dishwashing liquid down into the disposal. 

Use Baking Soda

Once you’ve cleaned out the garbage disposal, turn on the tap water as well as the disposal. Another way to do this is to take lemon or lime rinds and put these into the disposal. You follow this up with plenty of water from the tap. But, what if the smell doesn’t go away after this action?

The next step is to take ½ cup of baking soda and pour it into the garbage disposal while you are running warm water from the tap. This tip should do the trick and leave you with a clean smelling kitchen once again. These are smells you can’t cover up with a candle.

Freshen Up Your Carpets

Another fantastic way to keep your home smelling fresh is to refresh the carpets and rugs around your house. Tiles and hardwood floors don’t absorb smells, but unfortunately, this is precisely what that gorgeous plush carpet in your bedroom will do. 

If you’ve by accident spilled some food or drink on the carpets or even have messes from pets, this smell will start to permeate throughout your home. Candles and scent diffusers will only disguise the odor, but not eliminate it. 

Eliminate The Smell With Baking Soda

For this, you will need to get out your baking soda again. Sprinkle baking soda all over the carpet, not just the areas with a spill. Let it sit on the carpet for a few hours before you then vacuum up the baking soda. 

The baking soda should eliminate the odor and leave it smelling good as new. Baking soda acts as a neutralizer, which is why it works so well. You can also use this method to refresh any mattresses that have an old smell or even pet beds. 

It Might Not Be The Trash That Smells

Another source of unwanted odor in your home could be coming from your trash can. When there is a build-up of leftover food and trash in your rubbish bin, it will create a very unpleasant odor that can leave your kitchen and spread to other parts of your home. 

But, once you’ve taken the trash out, the smell is still there, and you’re wondering what it could be. Sometimes, it is the trash can itself that is letting off that horrible stench. You can also pour baking soda into your trash can to get rid of the smell. 

Give The Garbage Bin A Wipe Down

Make sure that you give the trash can a proper clean and wipe down. If you don’t want to use baking soda, you can also use a deodorizing pod. Just place it at the bottom of the trash can and then put the liner in as you usually would. 

To complete your trash can cleanse, you can use a disinfecting spray to kill any bacteria that may be lingering on the surface of it. Staying in the kitchen, there is a natural way to create lovely smells throughout your home, thanks to the stove. 

Simmer Some Water And Scents

Put a small saucepan on the stove and simmer some water in it. You can then start to add things like herbs, lavender, mint, or even some citrus. Due to the heat from the stove, it will release the smell of the ingredients you have in the water. 

The smell will then make its way through your home just as it would if you had some delicious cookies baking away in the oven. The fantastic thing about this idea is that you can customize your scent whenever you want to and depending on your mood. 

An Affordable Way

It is a quick and affordable way to bring a lovely scent into your home, and you can just use what leftover ingredients you have in your fridge or food cupboards. Next up on the list of creating wonderful smells in your home is thanks to plants. 

It is based on the concept of bringing the outside indoors. Did you know that indoor plants help to clean the air around you, and they add a pleasing aesthetic to an area as well? You have so many options when it comes to choosing the perfect indoor plants. 

Try Greenery And Flowers

Plants like jasmine and gardenia offer amazing aromas, and they will look beautiful when they bloom inside. You could also go for eucalyptus if you want a more clean and refined greenery addition to your home. 

The one thing with indoor plants is that you need to make sure you are taking proper care of them. If they aren’t being looked after properly, plants will end up dying; in turn, these greens won’t provide a lovely scent anymore, nor will they look pleasing. 

A Trick For Your Air Vents

Get ready to learn a fantastic trick for your air vents in your home. Purchase a car deodorizer, and instead of putting it in your car, clip it to a vent’s metal slats. When the air blows through the vent, the scent from the deodorizer will make its way through the room.

It is a very cost-effective way to create a lovely smell throughout your home that you can replace easily. You don’t need a power source or any maintenance for this scent, which is a big bonus if you just want an easy way to leave a great smell behind. 

Fresh Sheets From The Dryer

We all know and love the smell of fresh, clean sheets from the dryer. This scent is often thanks to the actual dryer sheets. But, you don’t only have to use these in the dryer – you can use them all around the house to create that lovely fresh smell. 

You can take dryer sheets and put them in spaces like dressers and closets. They will work well in any small areas that you think could do with a more delicate smell. It is also a good idea for a linen closet with items that might not be used for a while.

Make Your Own Air Freshener

If you are a DIY king or queen, maybe try your hand at making your own natural air freshener. It’s pretty straightforward to do. Simply get all your supplies together, including a spray bottle, two tablespoons of vodka, rubbing oil or witch hazel. 

You will also need ¾ cup of distilled water and then 15 to 20 drops worth of your favorite essential oil blend. Pick a scent that you would love to scent throughout your home because then you can use the spray all over and not just in one room. 

Mix Up Some Scents

If you want a fresh-smelling spray that would work well in the kitchen or bathroom, use five drops of lavender, five drops of lemon and finish off with another five drops of rosemary. Once you’ve added the essential oils, you will close the spray bottle and shake it. 

The purpose of the vodka, rubbing alcohol, and witch hazel is to dissolve the oil, which will allow it to blend better with the water. It also actually helps to preserve your spray and will make it last longer, so you do not have to make a spray every few days. 

Change Scents With The Seasons

If you want your home to change its scent with the seasons, you are in for a real sensory treat. Let’s start with spring. Spring is known for its magnificent and fresh scent and is one of the best. It will transform your house into an all-day garden party. 

For spring, you should try out candles, scents, and diffusers that offer notes of peonies, fresh rain, and even some eucalyptus. Bring spring into your home also if the temperatures haven’t risen too much to get you energized and ready for a new season. 

As The Temperature Rises, Turn Up the Tropical Scents

As the temperatures start to heat up, get your home ready for summer with some incredible smells. There’s no need to only go on vacation when you’re at the beach, bring your holiday vibes into your lounge. 

You can do this by filling up your spaces with smells like white linen, turquoise ocean, and also sandalwood. If you want a summer picnic atmosphere instead of a beach holiday, there are some great options in terms of scents for that too. 

Candle Scents for a Summer Afternoon

Bring out the candles that have peach, watermelon, pineapple, and coconut scents. Another great tip is to leave your windows open during summer so that the natural summer air blends with your smells and lets you enjoy some sunshine. 

As the season’s change and the leaves start to transform color, you may also want to change the fragrances in your home to make way for a more autumnal feel. The go-to smell is pumpkin spice, which you’ll find in your morning drinks and also in candles. 

Pine Trees And Cinnamon

In autumn, you should also try out some delightful calming scents that will set the tone for movie marathons and feeling cozy at home with a sweet, warm drink. And then winter comes knocking at the door, and we get to try some new scents once more. 

When you think of winter, you probably imagine pine trees and cinnamon and finish it off with a warm fireplace to sit by. Instead of just seeing these things, bring the smell of them into your home. Get the candles out and start feeling the winter wonderland. 

Vanilla Is A Wonderful Winter Scent

You could try out warm candle scents like apple and vanilla or perhaps a cinnamon scent diffuser in your lounge to make it cozy all day long and not just when you have some logs on the fire and toasting marshmallows too. 

If you are a candle lover through and through and we haven’t convinced you of the other ways in which to bring beautiful scents into your home, here are some interesting facts that you probably didn’t know about candles. 

Tips For Lighting Your Candles

Did you know that when you light one of your candles for the first time, you actually should let it burn long enough for the top layer of the candle to become liquid? The time this will take is entirely dependent on how big the candle is. 

If you want to preserve the appearance of your candle, it is essential to do this. If you don’t, your candle could burn unevenly and end up tunneling, which means that the wax near the wick will only melt and not the wax on the outer edges. 

Trim The Candle Wick

Here is a must-know: another interesting fact is that your candle shouldn’t be smoking when you burn it. If it is smoldering, that means the wick of the candle is too long. First, put out the flame and wait for the wick to cool. Once it has cooled, get out the scissors and trim it. 

You will want to trim it to a quarter of an inch in length to allow the wick to burn appropriately and without smoking. When you are putting out a candle, you should never blow it out – except if they are birthday candles, and you need to make a wish. 

Blowing Out A Candle 101

By blowing out a candle, you will end up with a lot of smoke and potentially end up blowing hot droplets of liquid wax around the area. The best way to put out a candle is with a candle snuffer. It deprives the flame of oxygen, therefore extinguishing it. 

If you don’t have a candle snuffer, you can use something inflammable to dip the candle wick into the wet wax, which will put it out. Try this new method, but make sure to straighten out the wick again immediately. 

Sources:

Better Home & Gardens – 7 Natural Ways to Eliminate Odors and Make Your Home Smell Amazing

Good Housekeeping – How to Make Your House Smell Good (Okay, Amazing) All the Time

Buzzfeed – 12 Facts About Candles You Should Probably Know