Making the house smell fragrant...suggestions?

[Elegant]

I don''t know how, but I go to my local Bed, Bath, & Beyond or any other place that sells candles and potpourri, but if I bought a few candles, buy a plug-in scent, or buy a bag of potpourri, my house never fully smells fragrant...not overwhelmingly flowery, but that fresh candle/flower scent that envelops you and makes you feel warm inside.

Does anyone know how to make that scent flow throughout their entire house? Every time I walk into my house it smells of what I cooked last night for dinner or something!

Suggestions welcomed!

 

[LaraOnline]

How about those essential oil fragrance bottles, that come with the wooden diffuser sticks. When you want to amp the smell up, you simply turn the sticks around.
linky to detailed descriptive pages about diffuser sticks
linky to page that sells them, but I'm sure there's lots overseas

 

[onvacation]

I love candles as much as the next girl, but I found that a really cheap way to make the whole house smell nice is to get a big flat pan with edges, fill it with some water and Tide (or whatever detergent you use) and bring it to a gentle boil. If it boils down, you can just add more water and reuse it till... well till it looks gross. Talk about cheap, huh?

One word of precaution is to make sure no one is allergic to the detergent fragrance, or use your fave hypoallergenic kind. It''s so awesome in the winter because it acts as both a humidifier and a heater.

 

[onvacation]

Another method, if you have a favorite perfume and an old steam iron, is to add a few drops of the perfume to the water and lightly go over your carpets with steam. This way you don''t have to worry about the oils damaging clothing. I guess it''s a twist to the Abercrombie trick? The scent there is often really too strong though. (But hey at least you know it works!)

 

[BlueSki231]

Date: 12/9/2008 12:42:06 AM
Author: LaraOnline
How about those essential oil fragrance bottles, that come with the wooden diffuser sticks. When you want to amp the smell up, you simply turn the sticks around.

linky to detailed descriptive pages about diffuser sticks

linky to page that sells them, but I''m sure there''s lots overseas

I personally love those reed diffusers, but I find that the scent doesn''t really fill the whole room - you gotta be standing somewhat near the diffuser to smell it... no matter how many times you flip the sticks. But I love the look of them, I actually have one in practically every room

I''ve found that those Wallflower Plug-in diffusers from Bath & Body Works work pretty well. I have one in the (previously) musty smelling basement and it does it''s job very well.
I''ve tried to put it in other rooms but I found that it was too overpowering, and stunk up the whole house.. I actually DON''T like the whole house to smell like air fresheners (I guess that''s why I prefer the reed diffusers - they''re more subtle).

So if you ARE looking for something that''s a bit more "powerful" I''ve found the Wallflower Plug-Ins to work pretty well...
Plus, they have a pretty hassle free return/exchange policy if you end up not liking a scent..

 

[luckystar112]

One of my favorite things to use are these air fresheners I get at the grocery store. Except I don''t know what they are called!!! Perhaps someone can help. Basically, you attach them to your furnace/AC filter, and when it turns on it distributes the scent throughout the whole house.

 

[Elegant]

Date: 12/9/2008 12:42:06 AM
Author: LaraOnline
How about those essential oil fragrance bottles, that come with the wooden diffuser sticks. When you want to amp the smell up, you simply turn the sticks around.

linky to detailed descriptive pages about diffuser sticks

linky to page that sells them, but I''m sure there''s lots overseas

Thanks! My sister bought some for me but they don''t work well for me. I do love the scents they come in - lots of variety. Maybe the one she gave me was weak!

 

[Elegant]

Date: 12/9/2008 1:05:18 AM
Author: onvacation
Another method, if you have a favorite perfume and an old steam iron, is to add a few drops of the perfume to the water and lightly go over your carpets with steam. This way you don''t have to worry about the oils damaging clothing. I guess it''s a twist to the Abercrombie trick? The scent there is often really too strong though. (But hey at least you know it works!)

Hmmm...that sounds like a good idea, but I have all hardwoods! I''ve never been in an Abercrombie store - do they do that? They have like an overwhelming scent?

 

[Elegant]

Date: 12/9/2008 1:15:33 AM
Author: Namaste

Date: 12/9/2008 12:42:06 AM

Author: LaraOnline

How about those essential oil fragrance bottles, that come with the wooden diffuser sticks. When you want to amp the smell up, you simply turn the sticks around.

linky to detailed descriptive pages about diffuser sticks

linky to page that sells them, but I''m sure there''s lots overseas

I personally love those reed diffusers, but I find that the scent doesn''t really fill the whole room - you gotta be standing somewhat near the diffuser to smell it... no matter how many times you flip the sticks. But I love the look of them, I actually have one in practically every room

I''ve found that those Wallflower Plug-in diffusers from Bath & Body Works work pretty well. I have one in the (previously) musty smelling basement and it does it''s job very well.

I''ve tried to put it in other rooms but I found that it was too overpowering, and stunk up the whole house.. I actually DON''T like the whole house to smell like air fresheners (I guess that''s why I prefer the reed diffusers - they''re more subtle).

So if you ARE looking for something that''s a bit more ''powerful'' I''ve found the Wallflower Plug-Ins to work pretty well...

Plus, they have a pretty hassle free return/exchange policy if you end up not liking a scent..

I don''t want my house to smell like an air freshner, I want it to smell like light candle fragrance or something. The wall plug-in that you bought - is it similar to like the Glade Plug-ins? Those only concentrate on one room and really strong too. I''ll have to look for them and check them out.

 

[Elegant]

Date: 12/9/2008 1:39:35 AM
Author: luckystar112
One of my favorite things to use are these air fresheners I get at the grocery store. Except I don''t know what they are called!!! Perhaps someone can help. Basically, you attach them to your furnace/AC filter, and when it turns on it distributes the scent throughout the whole house.

I finally have a central AC & heater - but it is outside. Can you put one outside on the outside filter? Or on the vents? That would make sense - I''ll have to look into that too. Thanks!

 

[gwendolyn]

When my mom was selling our house, she would put apples on a baking tray and stick them in the oven. Made the house smell so warm and lovely and cozy.

 

[BlueSki231]

Date: 12/9/2008 1:49:15 AM
Author: Elegant

Date: 12/9/2008 1:05:18 AM

Author: onvacation

Another method, if you have a favorite perfume and an old steam iron, is to add a few drops of the perfume to the water and lightly go over your carpets with steam. This way you don''t have to worry about the oils damaging clothing. I guess it''s a twist to the Abercrombie trick? The scent there is often really too strong though. (But hey at least you know it works!)

Hmmm...that sounds like a good idea, but I have all hardwoods! I''ve never been in an Abercrombie store - do they do that? They have like an overwhelming scent?

What is the Abercrombie trick exactly? The scent there is unbearably overwhelming - just from walking by!!
Me and the bf always joke that they mop the floors with cologne..
from what you''re saying they may do just that.. haha

 

[jewelerman]

boiling water with cinnimon,nutmeg,almond extract and orange peels!

 

[Elegant]

Date: 12/9/2008 2:12:02 AM
Author: jewelerman
boiling water with cinnimon,nutmeg,almond extract and orange peels!

After boiling - put it in a container? How long does the scent last I wonder?

 

[onvacation]

Date: 12/9/2008 1:57:47 AM
Author: Namaste

Date: 12/9/2008 1:49:15 AM
Author: Elegant

Date: 12/9/2008 1:05:18 AM

Author: onvacation

Another method, if you have a favorite perfume and an old steam iron, is to add a few drops of the perfume to the water and lightly go over your carpets with steam. This way you don''t have to worry about the oils damaging clothing. I guess it''s a twist to the Abercrombie trick? The scent there is often really too strong though. (But hey at least you know it works!)

Hmmm...that sounds like a good idea, but I have all hardwoods! I''ve never been in an Abercrombie store - do they do that? They have like an overwhelming scent?

What is the Abercrombie trick exactly? The scent there is unbearably overwhelming - just from walking by!!
Me and the bf always joke that they mop the floors with cologne..
from what you''re saying they may do just that.. haha

Lol, Namaste, it''s nothing fancy. They steam their clothes with water laced with their fragrance. The effect is quite... well we all know it''s really strong! (Don''t be scared from trying by this statement - they just really over-do it. I found you have to be very liberal with the oil or iron all day long in an ill-ventillated area to achieve the "overwhelming" effect.)

Elegant, if you have all hardwood floors, I don''t think mopping with the same solution will be a bad idea - it is just mostly water and a tiny bit of oil afterall, and a little oil is good for floors, right? Kinda like Pine Sol.

Unless you live in a tropical area, I do hope you try the detergent method (or you can boil your favorite perfume + water too) because it has proven to be THE single most effective and cost effective way that I have found. I tried fabric softener originally, cuz I was worried about it bubbling over and I thought it would smell better, but the scent wasn''t as strong and yet had that air freshner-like scent. The Tide just makes the house smell like fresh laundry. I do love the scent of the cinnamon + orange peel too, which lasts about half a week for me, but unfortunately DH is not a fan of cinnamon so I can''t do that one so much.

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 12/9/2008 1:39:35 AM
Author: luckystar112
One of my favorite things to use are these air fresheners I get at the grocery store. Except I don''t know what they are called!!! Perhaps someone can help. Basically, you attach them to your furnace/AC filter, and when it turns on it distributes the scent throughout the whole house.

Lucky, DH and I have used these in the past. LOVE THEM!!! They seem to work really well, but they wear out pretty quickly. (Fortunately, I don''t remember them being very expensive!)

Lately, we''ve been using the Febreze Noticeables plug-ins. They''re nice because they don''t let you get used to the scent and just start ignoring it . . . since the scent changes, you really do notice it! We just got the limited-edition holiday refills for ours last night, and they smell AWESOME!!!

 

[starryeyed]

Hi Elegant. My house is on the market, so I deal with this every weekend when we have an open house.

I found that Yankee Candle & Colonial Candles have pretty pungent fragrances. I buy votives and put several around the house. The coordinating room spray is good for boosting the scent in hallways and around upholstery.

I run the kitchen vent and crack the kitchen window if I smell last night''s dinner. An air neutralizer is a good quick fix in the kitchen. I also try to bake cookies - like those Pillsbury chocolate chips that come in a roll. It''s easy and few things smell better.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 12/9/2008 2:12:02 AM
Author: jewelerman
boiling water with cinnimon,nutmeg,almond extract and orange peels!

Ditto, love that type of thing in a saucepan!

 

[vizsla]

Date: 12/9/2008 1:49:15 AM
Author: Elegant

Date: 12/9/2008 1:05:18 AM

Author: onvacation

Another method, if you have a favorite perfume and an old steam iron, is to add a few drops of the perfume to the water and lightly go over your carpets with steam. This way you don''t have to worry about the oils damaging clothing. I guess it''s a twist to the Abercrombie trick? The scent there is often really too strong though. (But hey at least you know it works!)

Hmmm...that sounds like a good idea, but I have all hardwoods! I''ve never been in an Abercrombie store - do they do that? They have like an overwhelming scent?

they actually have machines on the ceilings that send out puffs of fragrance every 30 seconds or so.. can you imagine having that in your house?!?! nothing like running thru $70 in fragrance everyday...

 

[Honey228]

I was admiring how nicely the waiting room at my vet smelled of cinnamon. I wish I knew what they used because, man, if it can take care of doggy smell there, think of what it can do for my place! (lol, not that my place is THAT doggy)

 

[Erin]

Yankee Candle has aerosol scents in these cute little silver dispensers. Matches the scent of almost any candle they have in the store. Just one squirt of this spray will fill your house for hours. I love them!

 

[girlie-girl]

Date: 12/9/2008 9:29:13 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 12/9/2008 2:12:02 AM
Author: jewelerman
boiling water with cinnimon,nutmeg,almond extract and orange peels!

Ditto, love that type of thing in a saucepan!

My Mom always did this around the holidays and sometimes she just used cinnamon sticks, ginger and whole cloves in the water. If you don't want to use a saucepan, they have those little potpourri crock pots that might work depending on how hot they get. I guess you could always boil the water first, then put it all in the little crock to simmer. Either way it smells really good!

I also like Yankee Candles and Salt City Candles as they're quite fragrant. Put one in a few different rooms and when they're lit the scent will flow through the house. I have them in my living room, bedroom and kitchen.

 

[geckodani]

I boil cinnamon and nutmeg in the winter.

But I recently discovered Woodwick candles. Not only do they crackle like a fire, but if I burn one in the bedroom, it reaches all the way to the door. Now, I do have a modest sized apartment, but still. They smell great.

I love reed diffusers too. So funny, on Thanksgiving my father in law came out of the bathroom looking all puzzled. "I''m curious. On the shelf in there, you have a jar with sticks coming out of it. What is that?!?!" I laughed and told him. And bought him one as a funny hah hah for Christmas.

 

[NovemberBride]

Just a note on those reed diffusers if you have dogs or kids - make sure to put them out of reach. We had one that smelled lovely on one of our side tables and during a holiday party it got knocked over and the oil ate away the finish on our table immediately. That $20 diffuser cost me hundreds for a new table!

 

[anniee19]

onvacation- thanks for the great tip! I''ve got my pan and laundry detergent boiling right now, and it smells great!

 

[CrookedRock]

Date: 12/9/2008 9:29:13 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 12/9/2008 2:12:02 AM
Author: jewelerman
boiling water with cinnimon,nutmeg,almond extract and orange peels!

Ditto, love that type of thing in a saucepan!

I do this too, but I simmer it in Apple Cider, even yummier!

 

[Haven]

We use reed diffusers in most of our rooms and they fill up the space, but our house is quite small so I''m sure that''s why.

I''ve found that Target has the BEST reed diffusers. They last much longer than others because the opening is quite small. The oil will ruin finishes on furniture, though, so be very careful when handling the diffusers. (I turn the sticks around every few days to release more scent, and once I didn''t realize that a drop of oil landed on a little piece of furniture in the bathroom. When I wiped the oil up it took the paint off with it.)

For those of you selling homes--I LOVED going into open houses where they were baking cookies. Best smell ever. I think a lot of sellers use this trick, but it really works. (We did this when we were showing our condos to potential renters, too. YUM!)

 

[Elmorton]

We swear by the BBW wallflowers. DH just plugged in a new one and it''s passion fruit...I feel like there''s a tropical party in my kitchen.

When I light candles, I usually do coordinating scents - one or two in the living room and then a wax warmer in the kitchen.

 

[somethingshiny]

If you love the flicker of a candle, Febreze makes a really fragrant line of odor absorbing candles. I had one lit in the living room and smelled it in my bedroom. Because my house is so dry, I''ll boil a teapot of water on the stove to add some moisture. To add a fragrance, I just throw in some cloves, cinnamon stick, etc. That runs through the house very quickly too.

 

[strmrdr]

Make sure you don''t have close friends or family with allergies or asthma.
One of my clients I cant work on her home computer at her house she has to bring it in the office because I get an instant asthma attack in her house from scents from the candles she makes.