Cheap, simple ways to make your house smell nice?

Baldbloke · 3 Oct 2023 at 08:06

Apart from just opening the windows that is

I like a nice smelling house. I've the usual fabreze/Air-wick sorta thing plug in triple diffusers, battery powered squirting devices on a timer. They work fine. Trouble is the refills are so expensive. Third party refills are a bit cheaper but not as effective in my experience.

I've a potpouri bowl in the lounge and wondering if theres a nice smelling essential oil I could use to sprinkle over it and let it do its stuff.

I do not like burning things in the house from a safety point of view. (accidents can happen) So candles and burning things like incense sticks are out.

I have no pets and no foul odours to cover up. I just like a nice smelling house.

Oh, and simple too. I can't be bothered mixing up concoctions of ingredients.

Any simple, CHEAP, suggestions?

I get that nose blindness will play a part in time so switching scents from time to time is probably a good idea.

.

Rroff · 3 Oct 2023 at 08:15

A lot of it will be nose "blindness" someone else visiting will likely notice the potpouri, incense, etc. straight away.

On a more general note there is no substitute really to getting the windows open from time to time and addressing sources of musty smells like damp and things like towels which maybe aren't washed often enough, etc.

Hagar · 3 Oct 2023 at 08:17

Clean it.

Bear · 3 Oct 2023 at 08:21

Reed diffusers?

Rroff · 3 Oct 2023 at 08:22

Bear said:
Reed diffusers?

That is what we use but I couldn't remember the name, you do stop noticing them after 6-12 months though. (That is with replacing them).

Haggisman · 3 Oct 2023 at 08:23

Whilst obviously everyone has different "tastes", for me at least, "nice" != artificial chemicals. I can't stand any of those air-wick plugin or aerosol type things (Febreze in particular smells like sweaty fat-man's arse cheeks to me!).

I would suggest essential oils, since you've said no burning, maybe a plugin diffuser? My other half just picked up one of these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Yankee-Candle-Ultrasonic-Diffuser-Operation/dp/B09VX1H8G8

Compared to her usual smelly stuff I don't mind it, the smell is nice and subtle - not overpowering, and it's basically just water and whatever oil you want to put in it.

Baldbloke · 3 Oct 2023 at 08:29

Haggisman said:
(Febreze in particular smells like sweaty fat-man's arse cheeks to me!).

Lol

Ultrasonic diffusers? I didn't know that was a thing. I'll 'av a shuftie.

COYS · 3 Oct 2023 at 08:31

Bake bread. All the time.

Haggisman · 3 Oct 2023 at 08:34

Baldbloke said:
Lol

Yeah, it's not pleasant, first time the GF tried spraying the house with it I almost gagged :cry:

You could always just be permanently making fresh coffee and bread? Will make the house smell amazing, and the bonus is you always have fresh coffee and bread

Bear · 3 Oct 2023 at 08:34

Haggisman said:
I can't stand any of those air-wick plugin or aerosol type things (Febreze in particular smells like sweaty fat-man's arse cheeks to me!).

Wonders how you would know what a sweaty fat mans arse cheeks smells like unless you are butt muncher with a penchant for fat men

Haggisman · 3 Oct 2023 at 08:35

Bear said:
Wonders how you would know what a sweaty fat mans arse cheeks smells like unless you are butt muncher with a penchant for fat men

I'm sure we've all worked with one of "them" at some point

tom_nieto · 3 Oct 2023 at 08:35

Breadmaker and coffee. Coffee especially helps with smell blindness.

Malevolence · 3 Oct 2023 at 08:35

Bury the bodies away from your home. Make it close enough and you can still 'visit' them.

Baldbloke · 3 Oct 2023 at 08:39

Bear said:
Reed diffusers?

Good call. Had a quick look at Amazon. Affordable ones on there from around £7. For a laugh I set the filter Price High to low. The most expensive came in at a mere £433 .

Hagar · 3 Oct 2023 at 08:42

If you ventilate kitchen and bathroom smells, get rid of water vapour leading to damp, clean all surfaces and vacuum carpets and soft furnishings, ban pets from furniture, you should not need the chemical scents to mask them.

200sols · 3 Oct 2023 at 08:43

Those fabreze things are so false and artificial smelling its not a natural smell, just a chemical mask.

robfosters · 3 Oct 2023 at 08:56

My mums mental about having a nice smelling house.

I think the batty old dears got shares in Yankee Candles

Quartz · 3 Oct 2023 at 09:00

Baldbloke said:
Any simple, CHEAP, suggestions?

Fruit. Specifically oranges and lemons. Place a bowl of one or the other in the room and they will gently scent the air and last for weeks - if you don't eat them.

Maccy · 3 Oct 2023 at 09:13

Reed diffusers, but turn the sticks upside down every few weeks.

And stop farting.

gazref · 3 Oct 2023 at 13:54

You can get diffusers and use them with aftershave which should offer a lot of bang for the buck and let you mix up scents by room or to alleviate nose blindness