Advice for a fresh smelling house, &fresh smelling laund

amother

Tue, Jul 24 2012, 8:41 pm

Sometimes I walk into people's houses and it has such a good fresh smell- I love it. I wonder what you can do to have a good smell always in the house.

* also about laundry, I get that a fabric softener makes a fresh smell- true?? which one is good?

mummiedearest

Tue, Jul 24 2012, 8:52 pm

there are different ways to achieve that fresh scent:

you could get one of those air-freshener plug ins.

you could mop your floors daily.

you could put bowls/sachets of potpourri around the house.

you could put those scent sticks around.

you could spray perfume/febreeze in the air.

you could make sure to have your dishes washed and garbage taken out constantly.

you could wipe down all surfaces with a cleaning spray of your choice.

laundry:

you can use fabric softener sheets or liquid.

you could add some essential oils to your laundry load.

you could put potpourri, flowers, or teabags in your drawers.

you could spray everything with perfume.

you could leave a dried esrog/dried flower in your drawer.

I get headaches from air fresheners and fabric softeners. I try to keep my house clean so it doesn't smell. and I use an unscented detergent with my laundry. I keep yummy smelling teabags in my linen closet to give a faint scent. nothing overpowering. and I use some nice smelling skin lotion and conditioner so I smell nice. if my house smells nice, it's usually from supper cooking. cooking helps the house smell nice too. I know someone who used to put cinnamon in water and boil it to make the house smell good. just don't let the water boil out, you'll burn the cinnamon.

amother

Tue, Jul 24 2012, 9:02 pm

thanks for the good tips. My house usually smells from the food I cooked that day, I dont like it.I also get headaches from too sharp smelling smells. want something light but super fresh. I wonder how those ppl achieve it.

canada

Tue, Jul 24 2012, 9:16 pm

For short term and quick nice smells:

Put coffee in a glass cup, add some water. Microwave!

You could do the same with lemon or cinnamon... or whatever else you like.

To kill bad odour, microwave vinegar first.

Good luck.

de_goldy

Tue, Jul 24 2012, 10:15 pm

If you clean your house daily there's no reason it shouldn't smell fresh. Make sure you're using cleaning products whose smell you enjoy (and are not too toxic). I like murphey's oil, personally. I use it for everything - floors, counters, stove. etc. I spray and wipe my counters and table after each use, and when people walk into my house that often comment on the smell.

MaBelleVie

Tue, Jul 24 2012, 10:17 pm

de_goldy wrote:

Yup, murphy's oil and pledge are my go-to scents. So long as there is nothing causing an offending odor- garbage, food, dirty sinks or dishes- a bit of cleaning with those products makes things nice and fresh.

golandiver

Sun, Oct 06 2013, 9:47 am

I live in Miami, Fl, so I have impact glass windows and doors. Since my house is sealed I open all the windows a few times a week to let fresh air in. Friday just before candle lighting is a must if I have been making chicken cutlets or some other smelly food.

Boiling cinnamon, lemon, lime or any other aromatic of your choice is great before guests arrive.

Be careful to google the products you use to see if they are healthy. I really don't like scented candles. How can it be healthy to breathe all of those chemicals?

Kfar

Thu, Oct 24 2013, 11:01 pm

I agree with Zaq and golandiver -- open those windows and doors and let the fresh air in! I have received compliments when people walk in that my house "smells really good" -- including my nephew who recently arrived and said I love your house it always smells so good! I really hadn't thought much about it before but if your house is clean (as in not dirty -- messy doesn't count ) and you let in plenty of fresh air (even in winter - that's a real yekke thing LOL) your house I believe will smell good. Too many fake scents just mask and create their own bad air.

SingALong

Fri, Oct 25 2013, 10:33 am

I put a bar of soap in a little organza bag that I use for purim shalach manos and put that in my closets. I then change the soap bar every few months. pick a soap bar with a scent you like.

I open windows almost daily, even if its cold, leave them open for an hour or so, especially when cooking. also during cooking I sometimes leave a bowl of vinegar on the counter near the stove.

laundry room I pour vinegar down the pipe of the sink in there every so often and I clean the washer with afresh tablets.

ra_mom

Fri, Oct 25 2013, 10:38 am

Wisk detergent leaves your clothes with a really nice scent.

And the best fabric softener scent is Downy April Fresh. (I use it on my towels only - even though it makes them a bit less absorbant - I buy thick large towels and love the soft fabric softener feel and scent on my towls - but you can use it all of your clothes.)

Wash your floors with Mr. Clean lemon scent every day. Your house will smell fantastic.