OT: How do you keep your house smelling good??

[natenapril]

I am alway worried my house smells. With 3 kids, 2 dogs, stinky sneakers, and dirty diapers it can get smelly quick!!!

So post your tips on how you keep your house smelling great!!!!

 

[TinkNH]

I have electric tart warmers and a collection of soy tart melts. My house smells like a tropical beach at teh moment (coconut pear scent) With 2 cats a 4 yr old and DH..I have those on a lot. I used to like candles but found the soot to be a big problem..and i like my electric warmers cause they are hot enough to melt the soy tarts..but not so hot that the wax would cause serious injury like a candle..important with a 4 yr old. I get mine here: www.soyful-joys.com

 

[kldmom2000]

Yankee Candle tarts

 

[alloyd1170]

I used to use those plug in things until I found out what a huge fire hazzard they are. I like the glass scents, but they dont last long. With a 4.5 yr old and a 1 yr old Im cautious. The best thing that I do is to bake....banana bread is awesome. I love how the house smells on Thanksgiving and Christmas too!

alison

 

[gris gris]

I use Yankee Candle tarts too, I think they are much stronger than candles. That being said, if I could get my dog to wash himself once in a while our house would smell much nicer

LOL he's too big to get into our bathtub so he doesn't get too many baths. I'm sure our house really stinks when other people walk in. The only person who is ever honest with me when I ask is my sister!

 

[Kahana-ri]

We have an air purifier and we try to take out the diaper pail as often as possible. When we vacuum we use pet fresh carpet spray. We also don't wear shoes in the house. The plan is also to take up all the carpeting in the house too-it traps a lot of dog hair and dirt's. Our house may not smell like roses, but its home.

 

[slo]

candles, candles, candles!!!

 

[XYSRUS]

Not very popular, I know, but I clean-YUCK! My neighbor just the other day commented to me that she doesn't know how I do it. My house smells so nice and I have four boys and two cats! What she doesn't know is that I clean like a dog-daily. I tried an air freshener in the bathroom when we had a party once and my oldest just about threw up at the scent-too funny. I agree, though, between animals, babies and 'uh hem' husbands, life can get stinky!

 

[Alex2kMommy]

I like the plug-ins, but they are too strong a scent for me (very nauseating), so I prefer to use the carpet deodorizer very lightly. We also do not wear shoes in the house, but the carpet still gets dirty, so we have a carpet cleaner as well. This helps tremendously!

We have a powder room on the main floor of the house, and no matter how much I clean it still has an odd smell that I can't describe. Not a bad smell, but not pleasant. The bathroom was checked thoroughly for problems before we moved in (1.5 years ago) so I have no idea what the odor is. Wish I could figure that out and fix it!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Lose the Diaper pail. honestly! it helped 100% BUT if you want to keep it, use ziplock bags and then toss it in. NO MATTER what ALL diaper pails STINK! we had a Diaper Geenie and YUUUCK and we have a diaper champ now! and YUUUVK! so if you keep the diaper pail DEFINATELY put it all in a plastic bag of sorts.

Line all garbage cans with Newspaper, it's an odor soaker!

 

[pigget74]

I am very allergic to perfume smells, so I can not do plug ins, sprays, or any chemical that has a strong scent or candles. I do burn a baby powder candle in my DS's room. I have a cat, 11mth old, 8 yr old, 11 yr old and DH. I clean a lot, but my home still has a closed up smell. I will have to try the newspaper in the diaper pail.

 

[Not so Dumbo]

Yankee jar candles, I burn those on top of my stove to cut down on the fire hazard. I also use Clorox disenfecting wet wipes to clean my kitchen. They come in different scents to make the kitchen smell good. One last thing I use is Pledge to dust my furniture. The lemon sent makes the whole house smell good. Besides those, I make sure I change my vaccuum bag regularly to cut down on the recycled dog and cat smells.

 

[precious pixie]

I do the oils with the tea lights. The oil goes in like a little glass dish that sits a few inches above the tea light. It works wonderfully. I also have lots of candle bc I like the way they look

 

[grlpwrd]

When my dd used disposables, I always bag it using a plastic bag to seal out the odor. She uses cloth diapers mostly and I sprinkle baking soda in the bucket plus keep a lid on it.

For our cats we always make sure their litterbox is scooped daily and washed weekly. I use baking soda in their litter, too.

I air out our house a few times a week. I just open some windows.

We don't wear shoes in the house either, but we still vacuum daily. I sprinkle baking soda and dried lavender blossoms on the ground then vacuum. I also place some dried lavender in the vacuum to scent the house.

I don't use candles or plug ins because I try to use things as natural as possible.

 

[natenapril]

Great ideas!! Keep them coming!

I worry about the plug ins too.
I like to burn candles but worry about them.
I own a steam cleaner and try to use it once a month.

I am running to Walmart today to pick up some new air freshners!

 

[disneycutie84]

I really like to use fabric freshener spray on my couch and bed. It keeps things smelling fresh in between laundry/cleaning. I also spray it on my carpet after vacuuming.
Alot of the "air infusions" sprays are good too. I don't like my apartment to smell like I just sprayed something, so I always get the "fresh linen" type scents. It makes our place smell like I just did laundry.
Also, another tip. If you have a stand up fan in any of your rooms, place a dryer sheet on the back of it. The suction of the air going through will keep it stuck there (as long as the fan is on) and the air that passes through will carry the scent with it! Works really well.

 

[brandylouwho]

I love cleaning with method brand products . (Wait, I don't mean I love cleaning, I mean I love method). The best is the wood floor cleaner, almond scented. I also love how my bathroom smells from the yling yling scented daily shower mist. I think I have a mint scented glass cleaner too.

I recently bought a febreeze plug in style freshner, it alternates between 2 scents so that you notice the smell. It works great, but I do worry about the fire danger.


I rarely burn candles anymore, with a toddler and 2 swooshy tailed cats...someone is going to end up hurt.

 

[disneyfanfamily]

Candles are good - I too, like another poster said, like the Fresh linen smell.

But to make your house smell clean, even if you can't get to it, pretend like you are going to mop. Put water in a bucket and some Pine Sol and walk away . Makes the whole downstairs smell Pine fresh - even though it isn't... I figured this method out when I intended to mop. Things happened and I did not get around to it. But I had several visitors comment on how clean my house smelled....

 

[DVCLiz]

Although I usually do this at Christmas, it really could work anytime of the year. I boil a small saucepan of water with some cloves and a cinnamon stick or two. The aroma is divine, and it lasts a long time!!!! Let it cool on the stove, then if you want to, turn it back on the next day!

 

[emma'smom]

Good old fashion potpourri! We have a basket of it in the bathroom that I give a shake every now and then and change every few months.