Safe Smells for Your Home

Everyone loves a good-smelling house. There’s just something comforting about having a home that smells good; it makes you want to spend time in it. Of course, even more important than making your house smell good is keeping it from smelling bad, but sometimes these goals are one and the same.

Most commercial products for improving the smell of your home are very harmful to your health and the environment, including sprays that have a big carbon footprint and harm the o-zone, substances that are unhealthy to inhale, and fresheners that your dog might eat but shouldn’t. Thankfully, there are a lot of ways that you can improve the smell of your home without harming anyone or anything in the process. Here are some great safe smells for your house:

Orange and Salt

Here’s a great trick for anyone who craves that fresh citrus smell (the one that is usually associated with harmful commercial air fresheners): cut an orange in half and remove the pulp from the fruit. Then fill the orange with salt and leave it out on a counter or shelf. This is an especially great thing to do near garbage cans, toilets, or other areas of your home that may emit less than stellar aromas. Just like those harmful, overpriced products you see ads for, this will keep your house smelling fresh.

Essential Oil Spray

This is a fabulous trick that will have your home smelling like a garden or a deluxe spa. Take some essential oils of your choosing (if you don’t already have some, you can get them at a natural foods store or pharmacy), and put 10 to 15 drops in a spray bottle with some water, then mist any rooms in your house that you want to smell lovely. Essential oils are all natural (and thus healthy and safe), and when diluted with water they won’t affect your furniture.

Vanilla on a Light Bulb

If you want your house to smell like freshly baked cookies, try this awesome tip: take a drop or two of vanilla extract (the kind you use for cooking) and dab it on a light bulb (safety note: make sure that the light has been off for some time and is cool). Turn the light on, and in a minute when it heats up your room will begin to smell of Grandmother’s cookies!

Baking Soda

Most of the ideas on this list revolve around making your house smell great. Baking soda, on the other hand, is best for reducing any bad smells that you may have. If you’re not aware of where a stuffy smell in your house is coming from, it’s probably time to break out the baking soda. Leave an open container in your refrigerator door to eliminate aging food odors. And, most importantly, sprinkle baking soda on your carpet and leave it there for a full day, then vacuum it up. This will greatly diffuse most odor issues.

These are a few of the best secrets for keeping your house smelling great without hurting the environment, your health, your furniture, or your pets. Try these out and you won’t believe how great everything smells.

This article was contributed by Samantha Greenbaum, health-conscious, earth-friendly mother of two. If you’re looking for great home fragrances, Samantha recommends Antica Farmacista