How to make my home smell good...

[Chamsia]

...without candles/insence?  Any tips on how to use essential oils?  I want my house to smell good!

[holz]

I was jut reading a post on offbeathome.com- sorry I can't locate the exact link, I'd read it on my phone- that recommended a linen/carpet/anywhere spray that was 1 part water, 1 part vodka, and an essential oil- they recommended vinegar, and I saw in the comments some people liked grapefruit & mint. I'm planning on trying it this week!

Also, baking in the oven or making applesauce in the crockpot is always a nice way to make the house smell nice.

[Nazsmum]

[purplerose]

nak. i end up baking or crockpot cooking. we have 3 dogs and 4 kids and it can get smelly. not nasty, but lived in and doggish lol opening windows helps. febreeze doesn't last long. i'll be watching this thread for ideas!

[Shantimama]

Baking is the most satisfying way to make the house smell great 

I also have a simple spray bottle (mister) that has some water and a few drops of my favourite essential oils in it. I spray it on mattresses when I change the sheets and spray it into a room when necessary. I usually use some combination of rose, peppermint, rosemary and lavender.

[mkksmom]

I love mint, and I'll put a few drops in a pot of water and simmer. Works well with cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, ect.

[Chamsia]

Thanks guys.  I am trying for something general rather than temporary...thinking a spritz bottle with eo to spray on rugs, curtains etc.  It's just so nice when you walk into a home and it smells nice.  Not perfumy nasty candle-y, but fresh and welcoming.  I'm thinking peppermint oil in a spritzer for starters.  I got the idea using dr bronners pepp castor oil soap to mop the floors. 

Will let you know if it works if I ever get around to it!

[Thyme Mama]

I am super sensitive to smells, chemically sensitive and pregnant. I have to have a fresh smelling house for my general well-being. Our family of 2 adults and 3 little ones are home practically 24-7, 1 toddler in diapers and another who only wears a nighttime dipe, I cook WAPF style, we are doing major renovations and we have 3 indoor/outdoor cats. I feel like our house can get FUNKY, even if nobody else thinks so.

I use the spray bottle method as well. My current favorite eo is lemongrass. It's so easy to just spray my curtains and rugs and sofa pillows with it. We are in the middle of major renovations and living on our concrete subfloor right now. Every few days I will shake a few drops of eo (lemongrass) onto the concrete in each (functioning) room of the house.

Also, I feel like the house is very stuffy in the mornings from people sleeping all night. It's worse if the trash does not get taken out at night. So our routine is to take trash out at night, yucky dipes during the day get dealt with immediately and the first thing I do when I get up is open every window and door and turn on the ceiling fans to get fresh air in and stuffy air out. The windows/doors stay open all day until we go to bed at night, which can be pretty late.

[*bejeweled*]

[ShyingViolet]

In addition to spritzers with eo's, I mix lavender Dr. Bronner's with a little water, and keep a wet washcloth of that to wipe surfaces down with. I use it for floors, too.

[Thyme Mama]

I wanted to add that I launder all my linens (curtains, rugs, shower curtains, pillows, blankets etc) OFTEN. My curtains get washed monthly or bi-monthly. Sofa pillows get washed every couple weeks (usually). Bed linens are washed weekly, and sometimes twice per week. I put white vinegar in the bleach and fabric softener sections of my washer cups for all my laundry. I love white vinegar as it neutralizes even the strongest of smells (think neighborhood male cat urine sprayed on stuff the kids leave outside).

Also, when I had carpet, I vacuumed daily and rented a carpet cleaner at least every 6 months and washed my carpets with a very strong white vinegar solution of 50/50 vinegar/water.

Kids eat at the table or outside ONLY, and they are most certainly not allowed to hold toys/books when they have food. Finding food encrusted toys or food tracked through the house is super gross to me, and definitely adds to the general funky smell of a house.

I am not militant about my house, it does get really, really messy, as we are crafty/project people and the kids love legos and puzzles and books, but I do have a few rules about where to eat, where shoes go, etc.,.

I do realize that I've described a lot of cleaning, but I love a naturally clean and fresh house. And as I've pared down and simplify our belongings, it's easier to keep my house at a level of clean that I like. Naturally clean house=a house that smells good naturally.

ETA: Another tip, turn on the oven fan every time you cook anything, even if it's just an egg or a quesadilla. Cooking smells cling to everything and linger, and some of the stuffiest houses I've ever been in have been saturated with food smells.
 

[*bejeweled*]

I wipe everything down with Peppermint Dr. Bronner's all the time. I take out the trash daily, keep a few windows open and keep the ceiling fans on.

[Casha'sMommy]

Taking a moment to add that when I cook something really full of aroma I turn the furnace fan on with the AC temp turned way up so it doesn't kick on. This helps a lot in keeping the odors from settling in. I use eo in something like vodka as a pp mentioned. I got the idea after making my own perfume using vodka and eo. I also use, as my mother and grandmother, Murphy's Oil soap to clean. It smells soooo clean and is eco friendly.
 

[twelshrn]

A diffuser for essential oils is a great way to make the whole house smell great. And you can change the essential oil you use to fit the mood of the home. Need children to cal down? use chamomile. Sickness in the house? Use eucalyptus. Guests coming over? Try lemon or sweet orange. You can also blend. There are so many great combinations.

[OkiMom]

Something that really helps is making sure that all the "soft" areas (couches, curtains, beds etc) are regularly cleaned. I try to wash carpets every 2 months and sofas get vacuumed out weekly and washed monthly. Bedding gets washed weekly, I try to wash curtains every other week. I'm super sensitive to smells and if it smells dirty to me it will make me sick to my stomach to be in the house.

[Brees_Mama]

I use this http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00173U7D4/ref=asc_df_B00173U7D42074458?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=nextagus0016018-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B00173U7D4  and it smells SO good. The smell lingers too. Non aerosol but it sprays. I've only tried the orange scent.

[mom2grtbunch]

Have to agree with others about keeping soft surfaces and linens cleaned regularly.  Im a stickler about that mainly because of allergies but also because I dont like using air sprays/plug ins/candles.  I do use a spray bottle and vodka (the cheapest you can get) mixed with several drops of EO.  I love lemon but during the winter I use peppermint, really whatever suits our fancy.  the vodka helps the oils disperse and keeps fabric from becoming soaked as it dries quickly. 

[sunnysandiegan]

I use EO sprays for specific purposes, but I generally just keep the house aired out and clean for day-to-day freshness.

Here's an interesting way to freshen up:

Add a drop of EO to any toilet tank. Every time you flush, it smells good!

I wouldn't do this ALL the time because the EOs will wear out the plastic innards of the toilet over time, but once in awhile won't hurt. Citrus EOs will dissipate more rapidly due to their volatility, so I recommend "anchoring" them with vanilla extract (I make my own)...just a couple drops of each is fine.

Also, you can use any citrus rinds/peels with cinnamon sticks (or not) in hot water. Or, dried mint, or any tea... It doesn't have to boil to smell good and permeate the whole house. If you do use this, set a timer or stay in the kitchen. Burning up a pot will put an icky stench in your house in no time flat. ;)

[happy2]

Boil a pot of water and add thyme and rosemary and it will diffuse throughout the house

I didnt read waht everyone else said so sorry if this is a repeat

[LoveOurBabies]

Nothing makes a home smell fresh than a really deep clean. Get your scrubbing brush/cloth out and scrub every nook and cranny with tallow soap & a tiny amount of bleach (like one tablespoon worth) and wash it all down with scorching hot water. Dry with a clean tea towel. I did not realize just how shiny/sparkling and FRESH an object/surface could become by doing this. Forget a surface wipe down for any dust/grease/grime, get in there and scrub! It's amazing how much smell actually clings to objects even when they look really clean (which mine always did).

I now literally scrub/wash down my kitchen backsplash and countertops weekly (and surface wipe down in between) and it's oh so devine. Love it!