Pleasant Smelling home

coconutbutter

Sun, Sep 21 2014, 4:46 am

I was reading the thread about what's the first thing most people notice is the scents of the house. I happen to be pretty sensitive to smell and can totally relate. If I come into a home with a pleasant smell I immediately feel more comfortable and feel reassured that it is a clean home....

I always want to create that nice aroma in my own home so I am constantly spraying febreeze but I'm afraid my house still has a musty smell to it. I know when I come back from going away I am always repulsed by the smell of my house and hope it is simply because there is a dust buildup from no one being home but I am paranoid that my house always smells like this.

I keep things clean, and bake often but I still have an inkling that my home has an odd, unpleasant aroma.

How do I create a permanent, nice smell in the house?

zaq

Sun, Sep 21 2014, 10:33 am

No such thing as a permanent nice smell. Like everything else, it requires maintenance.

1. The first thing you need is cleanliness. Everything must be scrupulously clean. Never store anyhing that hasn't been freshly washed. Hang dry-cleaned clothing outside the closet for a few days to allow the chemicals to dissipate before storing in a closet. Don't allow dust to build up in corners and under furniture
2.Second, you need fresh air and lots of it to dilute unpleasant smells generated by cooking, bodily functions, etc. Open windows and doors and turn on fans as needed.
3.Third, things must move. If you keep clothes (or anything else) smooshed in the back of a closet for a long time, or if you leave books unopened and jammed tight in a bookcase for a long time, they will develop a musty odor even if they were scrupulousy clean when stored. You have to take things out to air every so often. Open the books and riffle the pages. Take out the special--occasion outfits and hang them outside the closet for a few days every now and then.
4. Never put anythng away in a closet or storage area unless it is Sahara dry. If it feels the tiniest bit damp, let it dry some more before storing. Do NOT store anyting still warm from the dryer, as the heat will mask any the chill of any residual dampness.
5. Avoid having carpets, fabric-upholstered furniture, and other porus furnishings (inclusing stuffed- fabric toys) that cannot be washed and are a very safe haven for odors and odor-causing life forms like molds and mildew. Sprinkling baking soda on carpets before vacuuming helps only a little and very temporarily.
6. Avoid chemical "air fresheners" , which only cover up odors with their own odors. Use baking soda or charcoal briquets to absorb odors in enclosed spaces like refrigerators and freezers. Bake cookies or boil a blend of whole spices such as cinnamon, cloves and allspice in a pot of water to generate a pleasant, chemical-free scent if you've been cooking smelly foods like cabbage, onions or fish.
7. Avoid heavily scented household and personal care products. Nothing is more refreshing than the scent of plain, fresh, clean air.

Your house will smell stale after a long absence because the air is stagnant, but that smell will dissipate quickly once you introduce fresh air. If you want to know how your house smells, simply go out for half an hour and return. Your nose is desensiized after being in a place for a while, but it "resets" itself quickly once you leave. Since your nose is keener than most, chances are you will pick up any "off" odors before anyone else will.