8 Ways to Make Your House Smell Good, Always

It’s often overlooked, but we actually rely on our olfactory sense quite a lot. Obviously, bad smells put us off immediately, but good scents can help us, whether to concentrate or to relax. Besides, having clean, fresh air with our favourite scents, especially at home, is quite important as our home is our haven. There are a couple of ways to bring in lovely scents, and to keep the bad ones at bay. So here are some options and tips to make your house smell good, always!


1) Diffusers

We know you probably saw this one coming, but it’s true. Common and therefore easily available, diffusers are the easiest thing you can use to have your favourite scents waft through the air. Essential oil diffusers are one way to go about it, utilising water, essential oil, and electricity. These diffusers most often have timers and light options. Otherwise, you can also use reed diffusers, which are like sticks in a bottle of perfume. I’ve tried both options, and personally I prefer essential oil diffusers, because you can switch up the oils according to your mood, or the properties of the oils. Sure, it’s a little more work than reed diffusers, where you just set it one time and it sits still and looks pretty, but I like the variety and flexibility an essential oil diffuser can offer.

2) Use Air Purifiers

Air purifiers sanitise the air, including pollutants, allergens, and toxins. Simply put, it removes particles from the air, and that includes those that may be causing odours. It’s not a get-rid-of-bad-smells device exactly, but it filters and cleans the air to improve air quality. Some also help detect odours, but are not equipped to get rid of it, and some tell you the quality of your air, so you can do something about it. As mentioned, air purifiers remove particles from the air, so it’s not a good idea to use them if you want scents in the house, such as using diffusers. Use one or the other, otherwise they’re just kind of cancelling each other out. (What my mum loves telling me all the time.)

3) Use A Hazefalls Burner

Like waterfalls, but hazefalls. A kind of aromatherapy tool, Hazefalls is where there’s a ceramic burner involved, and there are Hazeseeds which you light up and place it on its designated spot. The burning seed creates haze, which then… falls. Through paths on the burner. Hazefalls burners come in a variety of designs, and they have 10 different types of Hazeseeds, each of a different scent as well. I made this a recent addition to my home, and it’s really great with its scents, not to mention that actually watching the haze fall is kind of soothing.

Hazefalls™️
Image Credit: hazefalls.com

4) Use Deodorisers/Dehumidifiers

These either can in a tub thing, or as packets. The bamboo charcoal ones are quite popular at the moment, though they were introduced quite a while ago. These can be placed in confined space to absorb moisture (a contributor to odour), such as shoe cabinets, wardrobes, other cupboards, and the like. I have a ton of these things at home, in my shoe cabinet, bookshelves, and stuffed into my ballet shoes for extra protection. I’m happy to report that my shoes don’t smell, so clearly, they work. Depending on which type you get, you can sun them every once in a while so they regain their absorption powers. Or just replace them with new ones, whichever you prefer.

Image Credit: bobvila.com

5) Incense Sticks

These also come in many scents, and some have unique properties as well. Kind of like Hazefalls, but the smoke simply rises and dissipates instead of falling in a pattern, and this is well, a stick, instead of a seed. The ash could be a problem though, so you’d need a good place or a specific incense-holding container to place these sticks so the ash doesn’t fall everywhere, which would mean more work for clean up. Have I tried this too? Yes. Am I a fan? Not really, but to each their own.

6) Open Your Window

Air kind of needs to circulate, so you can have one or all of the above going, but stale air won’t be good either way, just saying. So sometimes, hit pause on the above, and just crack some windows open. Best to open windows on opposite ends of the house, if you can, so the air cross-flows. Remember to shut them after a while, and then you can resume the above once more.

7) Potpourri

Potpourri can be both an air enhancer, and also a home decor item as well. Usually made of dried flower petals and spices, potpourri releases gentle scents through the air, most often placed in a decorative bowl. Depending on the blend and care, you may need to replace it regularly, and if not in a bowl, you can also design them as sachets to hang in certain places. Potpourri can last from anywhere from two months to years, and they can last longer if kept away from direct sunlight and breeze. I haven’t used this before, so no verdict on this from me.

8) Scented Candles

Last but not least, scented candles. Scented candles are great not just for their scents, but also to set moods. I’m guessing it has to do with its flame and flickering light, with its limited illumination. Scented candles can be a little too strong for me sometimes, but I suppose it depends on what scents you prefer, and where you get them from. There are some local scented candle brands you can check out to get started, and yes, I do have them. I use them sparingly, because candles require some care with the snuffing and trimming of the wick too, which I don’t really like doing all the time.