7 Easy Ways to Make Your House Smell Good

By The FabFitFun Team | June 11, 2022

Aroma potpourri with different spices on wooden tabl

Imagine this: You’re hosting a summertime soirée, and a slew of guests are arriving imminently. The weather is glorious, your house looks Insta-perfect, and your signature lemony drinks are ice cold.

But, excuse me, dear hostess…what’s that odor? It’s ripe! And not in a good way.

Whether dear old Fido just had an accident in the entryway or last night’s disastrous brussels sprout casserole is now saying hello from the kitchen trash can, you’ve got to get your house smelling sweet—tout de suite!

Fortunately, we’re here to help save your summertime soirée with 7 easy ways to make your home smell good in no time.

#1 Get Rid of the Offender

The first step in how to make your house smell good is to identify the culprit. Before you start adding scents to your home, do your best to remove the source of the foul odor. A few sprays of air freshener and essential oils won’t get rid of the bad odor if it continues to linger. This can be quick and easy in some cases (for instance, Fido’s no-no and that brussels sprout uh-oh).

Unfortunately, sometimes, the origin of the odor might not be obvious, and you’ll have to do a little detective work before your guests arrive.

A few tricky spots to check for stinky smells are:

Trash and waste cans – Empty all of your wastebaskets, especially those in the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room. A new, scented liner in each waste bin will freshen things up and make post-party cleanup a snap. Most of the time the unpleasant smell is coming from something you’ve thrown in your trash can.
Garbage disposal – Often a site of hidden malodorousness, an unclean garbage disposal can be a source of stink. If this is where your offending odor lies, first check to make sure there isn’t any gummy junk stuck down there. Then, toss in a crushed lemon to quickly deodorize the sink and pipes.
Dishwasher drain pan – Like your garbage disposal, your dishwasher can harbor fetid air when you don’t clean it regularly. Remove the drain pan and rinse with hot water to banish rotten food odors that might be making your house smell a bit funky.
Fridge – Scents can also creep out of your fridge, so make sure you’ve tidied up inside the fridge before your guests arrive. As an added bonus, you’ll be super proud of yourself if someone snoops in there during the party and finds it sparkling clean and organized.
Other appliances – Your range or oven can reek with burnt oil, and your washing machine can get musty with old detergent and water. Check all of your appliances regularly to keep evil spirit odors away.
Carpets, rugs, curtains, and upholstery – Any household fabric can be a magnet for icky odors (especially if you have kids or pets), so do a little sniff-test of all your absorbent surfaces if you smell something musty or damp in the air. Vacuuming the rugs and carpets, washing your throws, and fluffing your couch pillows can help the room look clean and eradicate suspicious smells.

#2 Try Homemade Potpourri

Once you’ve banished the source of the stinky smell, consider the myriad possibilities for the pleasing smell (or smells) you want to add to your home.

Common scent profiles that can take a house from ho-hum to oh-wow are:

Floral – Think rose and jasmine
Spicy – Think cinnamon and cloves
Clean – Think laundry and soap
Citrus – Think lemons and oranges

A fun way you can add these scents to your home is with DIY potpourri.

Although potpourri had its heyday in the 1990s when every living room featured a gargantuan bowl of chemically scented leaves, balls, and odd wooden curlies, the concept of using everyday ingredients to scent your home has since evolved. Today, you can make potpourri with any mixture of naturally-scented ingredients that you stash around your house or even simmer on your stovetop.¹

Here are a couple DIY potpourri recipes that will show your guests you know how to make your house smell good:

Dried Potpourri – Traditionally, a potpourri is a mix of dried ingredients left in a jar or bowl to scent a room. If you have a dehydrator, getting your ingredients ready is a snap. If not, you can easily find dried ingredients at your local grocery store or online. Mix any of them together for a scent that pleases your nose:
Bay leaves
Cinnamon sticks
Dried citrus or apple slices
Dried herbs, especially rosemary and lavender
Cloves
Coffee beans
Dried cranberries
Dried whole flowers or petals, especially roses and chrysanthemum
Vanilla bean
Essentials oils (to sprinkle over everything)
Simmering Potpourri – If you don’t have time to dry your own ingredients or shop for dried ingredients, you can make a wonderful, single-use potpourri on your stovetop or in a slow-cooker. Some unusual combinations that lead to pure bliss scents are:
Cinnamon sticks and vanilla in water
Orange peels in coffee
Peppermint extract in green tea
Vanilla and chai spices in black tea

Gently simmer until the scent is released, but be sure to turn off the heat before your guests arrive so you don’t end up with a blackened and burnt mess.

#3 Light an Aromatherapy Candle

When time is of the essence (as in, you can actually see your guests parking down the street), lighting a scented candle or few is a simple and effective way to banish bad odors and add more pleasing ones to your home.

Opt for strong scented candles and place them around your house. In particular, be sure to light a candle in your:

Kitchen
Bathroom
Living room

Choose a different scent for each room or keep a theme going throughout your home.

Whether you’re new to candle collecting or are a candle connoisseur, we recommend trying our Lasting Smiles Aromatherapy Candles. They easily add warmth and relaxation-inducing scents to any environment.

Poured with an all-natural soy coconut wax blend for an eco-friendly clean burn, these vegan and cruelty-free candles feature a cotton wick and fine perfume oils infused with essential oils. Plus, with a modern design, they fit any home decor.

#4 Decorate with Freshly Cut Flowers

Freshly cut flowers not only smell fantastic, but they also give your home a sophisticated polish. In the summertime, your local farmers’ market will likely have excellent flower offerings to add a fresh scent to your home.

Some varieties that smell especially wonderful are:

Roses
Hyacinths
Lavender
Lilac
Peonies
Lilies
Phlox

Consider using them as one large centerpiece or placing them in smaller vases around the house to maximize their scent.

#5 Take Advantage of this Dryer Sheet Hack

If the problem scent is coming from your couch (thanks, again, Fido), it’s probably too late for a new living room set. However, you can still make your living room smell like new with a quick dryer sheet hack.

Spot check a small area on the back of your couch or a cushion to make sure the fabric isn’t affected by the dryer sheet. Once you’ve confirmed you’re in the clear, give your entire couch a rubdown with a fresh dryer sheet. Then, tuck it under a cushion and leave it there, ensuring the couch smells new all night long.

#6 Consider a Floor Refresh

Bad odor doesn’t just linger around your furniture and kitchen, but also on your floors. Turns out, the floor isn’t lava—it’s bacteria. In fact, one study found that, on average, the area of the kitchen floor in front of your sink has 830 bacteria per square inch.²

And bacteria isn’t just harmful for you and your guests. It can also be pretty stinky.³ This means that cleaning your floors before a party not only sets a fresh and shining stage, but it also reduces any bacterial odors and the chances of contamination.

Here are a few quick tips for easily deodorizing different types of flooring:

Carpets and rugs – Before vacuuming, sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda across your carpet or rug. Let it sit for a couple of hours to help pull out odors. Then, vacuum the carpet or rug as you normally would. If you need a quicker fix, mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle, spritz the carpet, and allow it to air dry before vacuuming.
Hardwood floors – You can easily clean sealed hardwood floors by mopping them. Simply mix a quarter cup of mild soap into a bucket of water. Afterwards, go over your floors with a barely damp mop to help them dry faster.
Porcelain tiles– Similar to your carpets, you can deodorize your tiles with a dilute acid, like vinegar. You can also use lemons (especially if you have any leftovers from that signature drink you’re serving).

#7 Open Your Doors & Windows

This easy way to make your home smell good is so simple that it’s often overlooked—opening your doors and windows. Albeit simple, it’s incredibly effective in getting rid of any unpleasant smell.

Throw open your doors and windows, and let the natural summer air and sunshine work its magic on the smell of your home. Weather permitting, you can leave your windows open even after guests arrive to bring a little bit of the outdoors fresh air indoors all evening long.

Keep Your Home Smelling Sweet for Every Occasion with FabFitFun

Unpleasant odor and a funky smell are the last thing you want to worry about when hosting. At FabFitFun, we’re all about helping you entertain your guests this summer, and every season of the year. By partnering with top brands, we bring you the products you need to be the hostess with the mostess (including the most delicious-smelling home).

The Lasting Smiles Sea Salt & Citrus Aromatherapy Cause Candle will instantly brighten any summertime get-together by banishing bad odors and replacing them with the fresh scents of grapefruit, gardenia, and coconut sandalwood. Plus, this fragrant fella can burn for up to 50 hours (now that’s a party). Included in our Summer ‘22 Box, it’s the perfect finishing touch to all your summertime soirées.

As a FabFitFun member, you not only have access to our Summer ‘22 Box, but you can also shop our online store and exclusive community sales. Whether you choose a seasonal or annual membership, you’ll quickly see for yourself why millions of people are elevating their lifestyles (and their entertainment) with FabFitFun.

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