30 Ways to Make A Home Smell Amazing

Shannon Quinn - February 25, 2022
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30 Ways to Make A Home Smell Amazing
Photo: Credit: Shutterstock

Do you have trouble with the smell of your home? What if we told you that you could keep your home smelling fresh at all times? We understand that scent is a very personal thing, so it’s not going to be as easy as just lighting a scented candle and calling it a day. Here are some tips and tricks to getting your home to smell clean, fresh, and delicious.

Baking soda is one of the best ways to get rid of odor, especially in the fridge. Credit: Shutterstock

30. Keep an Open Box of Baking Soda in the Fridge

One of the oldest tricks in the book to help your fridge smell fresh is to use an open box of baking soda. This will absorb any bad smell that might be lingering among your food. Just remember to swap out your box of baking soda at least once a year if you want this trick to keep working for you.

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Baking vanilla extract is an amazing smell hack for your home. Credit: Shutterstock

29. Bake Vanilla Extract to Fill Your Home With Sweet Aroma

You might already know a trick used by real estate agents, which is to bake cookies right before showing a house. This is very much along the same mindset, except it’s a lot easier to do. Pour vanilla extract into an oven-safe container, and bake it at 300 degrees. Over time, the aroma of the vanilla will waft throughout the house, making it smell like a sweet treat.

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Coffee grounds can be used to eliminate odors from your fridge. Credit: Shutterstock

28. Use Coffee Grounds to Help Eliminate Odors in the Fridge

Similar to the baking soda trick, coffee grounds will also absorb smells from your refrigerator. Once you’re done drinking your coffee in the morning, take the used grounds and place them in a bowl. Some people also suggest putting the coffee grounds into pantyhose, and leaving it in the back corner of your fridge.

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Open your windows to let in the fresh air. Credit: Shutterstock

27. Open Your Windows to Let Fresh Air In

One of the best ways to keep your home smelling fresh is to open your windows so that you get a nice breeze running through it. A lot of you out there may be thinking, “duh!” But actually, a lot of people keep their windows shut most of the time, especially in the cold winter months. Make a habit of keeping your windows open for just a few minutes so that you get proper ventilation. If the weather is bad, close them so that the house can warm up or cool down again. Buying a fan for ventilation may also help create an airflow through your home so that things don’t smell so stagnant.

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Recycle those old perfume bottles by using them as scented room sprays. Credit: Shutterstock

26. Use Your Leftover Perfume and Body Sprays as Room Sprays

If you have a large perfume collection, you can probably relate to having multiple bottles just sitting on your counter. This is especially true if you tend to receive Bath and Body Works sprays as a gift during the holidays. When you get out of the shower, use a body spray to spritz your damp towels and bath mat. This will help them air dry with a nice smell, instead of it smelling musty.

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Using essential oil on your vacuum filter helps to give your house a nice scent. Credit: Clean My Space

25. Use Essential Oil on Your Bagless Vacuum Filter

A cleaning hack that works incredibly well is to sprinkle your bagless vacuum filter with just a few drops of essential oil. When you start vacuuming your house, the scent of the oil will emanate through the machine. The scent lingers in the room for a few days. You may need to re-apply the oil once every few weeks.

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Give your home a few little surprise scented zones with cotton ball bombs. Credit: Shutterstock

24. Create Great-Smelling Cotton Ball Bombs

A blogger called Posh Pennies coined the phrase “cotton ball bomb” to describe taking a cotton ball and spritzing it with perfume or essential oil. Then, she hides those little cotton balls around her home, and inside of the canister of her robot vacuum cleaner. These are a cute way to surprise yourself with scents throughout the home in places you might not expect it.

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Lemon peels down your garbage disposal work like magic. Credit: Shutterstock

23. Put Lemon Peels in Your Garbage Disposal

Do you have a stinking garbage disposal? One of the oldest tricks in the book is to use lemon peels. Lemons contain citric acid, which is known to help kill odor-causing bacteria. After running the lemon peels through the garbage disposal, also throw a few ice cubes in for good measure. The crushed ice will act almost like a sandblaster, cleaning out and stinky food residue that may be left behind.

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Dryer sheets can help eliminate odors from the inside of stinky shoes. Credit: Shutterstock

22. Use Dryer Sheets Inside of Stinky Shoes

If you have a problem with stinky shoes, the solution is as simple. Just place dryer sheets into each shoe. Overnight, the smell will absorb into the dryer sheet, and you’ll have odorless shoes by the next day. We can’t promise that they will smell like fresh laundry, but it will be a definite improvement compared to before.

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Make your own fabric spray to help clean upholstery in your home and vehicle. Credit: Shutterstock

21. This DIY Fabric Spray is Better Than Febreze

Many of you are already familiar with Febreze fabric spray. But blogger Posh Pennies swears by her own DIY fabric spray recipe. To get started, you need a spray bottle, which you can get at any dollar store. Next, fill it with a mixture of warm water, baking soda, and a few drops of essential oil. Use the spray over furniture, and voila! Stinky smells are gone, and you’re left with whichever beautiful scent you chose for your DIY spray. This spray can also be used inside of your car to clear away any scents that may be in your vehicle’s upholstery.

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Essential oil can be used to scent your light bulbs, which works like an oil warmer. Credit: Posh Pennies

20. Dab Essential Oil On Your Light Bulbs

An interesting odor hack is to dab a drop of essential oil onto your cold light bulbs before putting them back in your lamps. The heat from the light bulb will emanate the scent throughout the room. You can also dab a few drops onto your radiators. When the heat is turned on, you will be able to smell the scent throughout your home.

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Baking soda can help eliminate odors from your carpets, especially when you have pets. Credit: Shutterstock

19. Sprinkle Baking Soda on Furniture and Rugs to Eliminate Pet Odors

If you allow your pets to sit on the furniture, you already know how stinky it can become. And you can forget about protecting your rugs! Pets will roll all over the rug no matter what you try to do. Your local store will try to sell you specialty pet powder to help clean the smells. But it’s easy to create a DIY version with some good old fashioned baking soda. Just sprinkle it onto the furniture and rugs. Leave the powder on overnight, and then vacuum in the morning. For some added scent, you can also add some essential oil. But plain baking soda works just fine.

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A dryer sheets inside of a toilet paper roll is a great way to have a secret scent surprise. Credit: Posh Pennies

18. Use a Dryer Sheet Inside of Your Toilet Paper Roll

One of the smelliest rooms in your home is the bathroom. We can’t help it when nature calls. But a cute little scent hack is to place a laundry sheet inside of your toilet paper roll. Every time the toilet paper roll spins, it lets out that fresh laundry scent. The same trick can be done by sprinkling a few drops of essential oil on the cardboard tube.

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It’s important to clean your washer and dryer. Credit: Shutterstock

17. Clean Your Washing Machine and Dryer

A lot of people assume that your washer and dryer are basically self-cleaning. After all, they’re constantly being filled with soap water or bacteria-blasting heat. In reality, you should run a load of bleach and water in your washing machine to kill the bacteria. Wipe down your dryer with either bleach and water, or a bleach and vinegar mix to kill odor-causing bacteria.

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Bleach helps to eliminate odors, especially when your pets have an accident. Credit: Shutterstock

16. Use Bleach to Clean Up After Pet Accidents

If you have a pet at home who is having accidents, it can be tempting to just use the nearest disinfectant spray with paper towels and call it a day. But in reality, a lot of these cleaning sprays won’t kill all of the bacteria and smell left behind. This is especially true when it comes to urine. If your pet had the accident on a hard surface like tile or wood, you need to make a mixture of water and bleach. This is the only way that you’re going to kill the bacteria. Just make sure you aren’t going to accidentally bleach any nearby carpets, and wear the appropriate clothing.

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Extra bars of soap can be used around the house as a way to scent a room. Credit: Shutterstock

15. Reuse Unwanted Bars of Soap as Room Refreshers

Some people out there hate using bars of soap, because they can make a mess of the bathroom sink. And yet somehow, we still end up with multiple bars of soap lying around in storage. If this sounds like you, take those bars of soap and wrap them in a piece of breathable fabric. Then place them around your home. It works similar to potpourri, and will help give a nice clean scent throughout your home.

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Reed diffusers are a great alternative to scented candles. Credit: Shutterstock

14. Try Out a Reed Diffuser of Your Favorite Scent

If you’re tired of using scented candles, consider using a reed diffuser instead. These can be found at any big box store like Walmart or Target, as well as home decor stores like Home Goods. If you want to make your own reed diffuser, all you need is a glass jar, carrier oil, and a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Instead of using reeds, you can buy skewers from your local dollar store.

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Simmering stove top potpourri can help make your entire house smell like Christmas. Credit: Shutterstock

13. Simmer a Stove Top Potpourri

Another great option for making your home smell great is to create a stove top potpourri. This is made by starting out with a pot of water, and adding ingredients that will smell great once boiled. Traditionally, you add orange and apple slices, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Simmering stovetop potpourri is a holiday favorite in some households, but it can be used all year long. If you’re looking to get inspired, Pinterest is filled with stove top potpourri recipes.

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It’s crucial to remove mold from your bathroom if you want to cut down on musty smells. Credit: Shutterstock

12. Remove Mold From Your Bathroom

If mold is accumulating in your bathroom, it can create a musty smell. It’s also very bad for your health in general. Take a mixture of bleach and water, and scrub all of the areas of your bathroom where you find mold. Once it dries, your bathroom should smell fresh and clean. Also take some preventative measures to make sure mold doesn’t accumulate in the future by opening a window or running your bathroom fan more often so that the room will be clean.

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Don’t forget to clean out your trash cans periodically. Credit: Bright Side

11. Take Care of Your Trash Cans

One of the worst smells in anyone’s household is the kitchen garbage can. The longer you leave this unattended, the worse the room will smell. But even if you switch your garbage bag, there still may be smells lingering in the can itself. Remember to clean out the trash with disinfectant spray or wipes. You may even want to clean it out with soap and water outside with the garden hose, or in your bathtub. Also try to see if there is any way you can freshen up the scent of your garbage can, like placing a dryer sheet inside of the can before you put the bag in. They even smell scented garbage bags for the kitchen, which might be a good option for some people.

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When you change your bed sheets, it helps the entire bedroom smell better. Credit: Shutterstock

10. Change Your Bed Sheets Frequently

After some time, you might notice that your bedroom may smell stuffy. This is usually because it’s time to clean your sheets. Some people clean their sheets once a week, but you should change them at least every two weeks. And if you have a guest over, do the right thing by cleaning the guest room sheets before and after their stay.

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Dryer sheets can be used inside of vents for an added fresh scent. Credit: Shutterstock

9. Put a Dryer Sheet Behind the Vents in Every Room

This next tip may seem unconventional, but it’s sworn by those who have tried it. Remove the front of each air vent, and place a dryer sheet on it. This way, the hot and cold air will filter itself through a laundry-scented paper, and it will make your house smell great. Change out the sheets once a month for the best effect.

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Swap out your air filter if you want your house to smell better. Credit: Shutterstock

8. Change Your Air Filter to Make Everything Smell Better Overall

As a general rule of thumb, you should change your air filter every 6 to 12 months. If you have pets, it should be changed more often. The air filter traps dust, allergens, bacteria, and even viruses that could be circulating throughout your home. So if you haven’t changed yours in a while, it’s time to take a trip to the hardware store and get a new air filter.

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Vinegar can help eliminate odor in a lot of surprising ways. Credit: Shutterstock

7. Wash Your Throw Rugs With Vinegar

Earlier on this list, we already mentioned sprinkling baking soda on the rugs and carpets to help eliminate smells. But sometimes, if that won’t cut it, you can take your throw rugs and wash them with one cup of vinegar in the washing machine. This will also help take out and crusty feeling the rug might have.

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Onions can help cut away moldy smells in your basement. Credit: Shutterstock

6. Fight Moldy Smells With Onions

According to Bright Side, all you need to do to eliminate moldy smells from your basement is to cut an onion right down the middle, and let it sit there overnight. By the next morning, your basement will no longer smell musty. If it doesn’t work, you may need to try several large onions placed around on plates in your basement.

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If your litter box smells, dash a bit of baking soda over top of the litter. Credit: Shutterstock

5. Sprinkle Baking Soda In the Litter Box

If your cat’s litter box smells bad, step one is to obviously clean it out. But sometimes, the odor will still linger afterwards. Sprinkle some baking soda over top of the litter. Many litters already contain baking soda, but it will still help to give it a little odor shield. Also remember to periodically clean the litter box outside with soap and water. If you live in an apartment and don’t have access to an outdoor house, consider buying disposable litter box liners instead.

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Dusting can help eliminate odors in your home. Credit: Shutterstock

4. Don’t Forget to Dust the Smell Away

A lot of people don’t realize just how much dust will make a house smell terrible. It contributes to a musty stuffiness that no one likes. And for anyone with allergies, it may trigger them when they walk into your home. So remember to include dusting in your normal cleaning routine. Bonus points if you use lemon scented furniture polish on your wood surfaces.

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Keeping your toilet clean will help make the bathroom odor-free. Credit: Shutterstock

3. Keep Your Toilets Clean

This might seem obvious to some people, but the #1 source of bad smells in your bathroom is the toilet. So be sure to keep it clean with bleach. Use your toilet brush to clean off any residue that may be left behind. Also, don’t forget to clean the toilet brush. It’s just one of the many places that people forget to clean in their home.

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Remember to include your dishwasher in your cleaning routine. Credit: Shutterstock

2. Clean Your Dishwasher

Similar to the washer and dryer, a lot of people assume that the dishwasher is self-cleaning. In reality, it needs to be cleaned frequently if you want it to run properly. It’s also going to potentially begin to smell if you leave behind bits of rotting food inside of your dishwasher. One way to clean your dishwasher is to put a cup filled with white vinegar into the top rack, and then run a cycle. Check out this guide by Good Housekeeping, which has step-by-step instructions on how and when you clean your dishwasher.

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Eliminate fried fish smells by boiling vinegar on the stove top. Credit: Shutterstock

1. Combat Fish Smell Immediately By Boiling Vinegar

Do you love to fry fish in your house? Unfortunately, fish is one of the strongest smelling meats, and it’s really difficult to get rid of once you’re done cooking a meal. If you don’t own a fan vent in your kitchen, it’s even worse. A quick fix for the odor is to get a pot, and begin boiling white vinegar. The aroma of the vinegar will cancel out the fish smell. Sure, now your house smells like vinegar. But it will eventually go away.

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