How to Make a Room Smell Fresh

Co-authored by Mark Spelman

Last Updated: August 27, 2020 References Approved

When foul odors permeate your home, you may be tempted to light a candle or spritz the room with some perfume. These products simply mask the bad odor. The key to maintaining a fresh smelling home is to eliminate funky smells, remove harmful pollutants and carcinogens from the air, and infuse your home with a fresh, natural fragrance.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Deodorizing Your Carpet, Furniture, and Mattresses

1
Deodorize your carpet. Carpets collect and absorb a variety of items that can produce foul odors, such as soil, pollen, pet urine, and food. In addition to vacuuming regularly, you can also eliminate nasty smells by deodorizing your carpets every few months. You may purchase a deodorizing powder or create your own.
- Gather your ingredients and tools. ½ cup borax; ½ cup baking soda; 1 tsp essential oils OR ground cinnamon; 1 bowl; 1 empty parmesan cheese dispenser; 1 vacuum.
- Measure and pour ½ cup borax and ½ cup baking soda into a bowl.
- Add 1 tsp essential oils (approximately 20 to 25 drops) OR 1 tsp cinnamon to the mixture.
- Stir the mixture until it is clump free.
- Transfer it to an empty parmesan cheese dispenser.
- Shake the powder onto your carpets.
- Let the product sit on your carpets for 15 to 20 minutes and then vacuum it up.
- If you have light colored carpeting, do not use ground cinnamon.^{[1]
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2
Deodorize your furniture. Upholstered furniture can absorb a variety of foul smells, from body odor to cigarette smoke. Deodorizing your furniture may be the key to keeping your room smelling fresh. There are a variety of ways to remove odors from your furniture without harsh chemicals.
- Spritz your furniture with a homemade deodorizing spray. Mix together 1 tbsp baking soda, 2 to 3 drops of essential oil, and distilled water. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and shake. Mist your furniture with the spray.
- Cover the piece of furniture with a fine layer of baking soda. Allow the product to sit overnight and then vacuum it up.
- Combine equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture on your furniture until it is moist. Allow the item to dry completely and repeat as needed.^{[2]
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- Other than this, be sure to vacuum your furniture regularly as well.
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3
Deodorize your mattress. Like upholstered furniture, your mattress can absorb foul smells too. Treating your mattress with a deodorizer regularly will allow you to maintain a fresh smelling bedroom. You may also want to start using a bed liner.
- Clean out an old creamer bottle or parmesan cheese shaker.
- Combine ½ cup baking soda and 12 drops of essential oils in the empty container.
- Sprinkle the mixture directly onto your uncovered mattress.
- Allow the product to sit on the mattress for at least 1 hour.
- Vacuum up the baking soda.^{[3]
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4
Remove pet odors. Like other odors, the smell of our pets seeps into our furniture, beds, carpets, and linens. To neutralize these smells, all you need is a vacuum, baking soda, and apple cider vinegar.
- Wash your linens and pillows with a laundry detergent and 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar. You may also purchase specially formalized odor-removal detergent from your local pet store.
- Vacuum carpet and/or every nook and cranny of your furniture to remove pet hair.
- Sprinkle your furniture or carpet with baking soda. Let the product sit over night and absorb the odors. Vacuum up the baking soda in the morning. Apply baking soda to your bed in the morning and then vacuum it up before bed.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Detoxing Your Environment

1
Open your windows. According to the American Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the level of indoor air pollutants are between 2 to 5 times higher than outdoor levels of pollutants. In addition to smelling bad, these toxins can negatively affect your environment and health. Circulating fresh air throughout your home can eliminate toxins and remove bad odors. Open up your windows, turn on a few fans, and allow the wind and sunshine to naturally eliminate toxins and odors from your home.^{[5]
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- Sunshine naturally eliminates foul odors. If you can't open your windows, open up your drapes or curtains.^{[6]
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2
Use an air purifier. Even after you've eliminated the source of the foul smell, some odors continue to linger. Air purifiers contain filters that are equipped to absorb these lingering smells. These products can also eliminate indoor pollutants, such as gases and chemical toxins, from your home.
- Look for Air Purifiers with HEPA filters.
- Air purifiers also eliminate allergens and asthma inducing materials from the home environment.
3
Have your air ducts professionally cleaned. Over time, dirt, allergens, molds, and pet hair build up inside air ducts. These materials can emit foul smells and may have an adverse affect on your respiratory health. If you are interested in eliminating this source of bad smells from your home, hire a team of professionals.
- According to the CDC, there is no evidence to support the claim that cleaning your air ducts will improve the quality of your health. Professionals in the field, however, do assert that it will remove foul smells from your home.^{[7]
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Purchase indoor potted plants. After conducting a study on abating indoor air pollution, NASA concluded that low-light houseplants are capable of improving the quality of indoor air. Today, the organization relies on a variety of potted plants to filter out chemicals and carcinogens from their space stations. Like those at the space station, we can benefit from these natural air purifiers too. Use these low-light plants to purify your air and eliminate the smell of varnish, paint, glue, carpet, and detergents. NASA suggests “having 15 to 18 houseplants” per 1800 square feet.” Recommended low-light plants include:
- English ivy
- Spider plant
- Pothos
- Peace lily
- Snake plant
- Philodendron
- Rubber plant
- Areca Palm
- Boston fern
- Aloe plant^{[8]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Freshening Your Environment with Natural Oils and Materials

1
Set out a vase of fresh flowers. A bouquet of fresh cut flowers brightens up a room while emitting a lovely fragrance. Purchase a small bouquet of flowers or cut some stems from your own garden. After arranging your flowers in a vase with some fresh water, place the stems in any room of your house or apartment. The fresh cut blooms and greens will overwhelm the space with a lovely scent.
- Instead of throwing out the flowers, allow them to dry and use the petals to make potpourri.^{[9]
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Make a gel air freshener. Homemade gel air fresheners are non-toxic and easy to create. Unlike candles, gel air fresheners don’t require heat. Until they dry out, these air fresheners will keep your room smelling fresh during the day and throughout the night.
- Pour ¾ cup water or liquid potpourri and 1 tbsp salt into a sauce pan.
- Heat the mixture over medium-high heat until the salt is dissolved.
- Gradually add 2 packets of unflavored gelatin. Stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
- Remove the pan from the burner. Stir in ¼ cup water or liquid potpourri.
- Pour the mixture into heat proof containers, like a glass mason jar.
- If you used water, add 20 drops of essential oils to each container.
- Once cool, add a slotted lid to each container^{[10]
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3
Create a reed diffuser. Reed diffusers keep your room smelling fresh for months on end. The reeds are placed in a mixture of essential oils and carrier oil. The reeds absorb the essential oils and release the scent into the air. Since these inexpensive and natural air fresheners do not require heat or electricity, they will actively disperse scent whether you are home or away. Instead of purchasing a costly reed diffuser, you can easily and cheaply make your own.
- Pour ¼ cup carrier oil into your glass container.
- Add 20 to 25 drops of essential oils.
- Place the diffuser sticks into the glass container.
- After a few hours, remove the sticks, flip them upside down, and reinsert them into the container. Repeat several times. This will help the reeds absorb the essential oils faster.
- Flip the sticks every 2 to 4 days.
- Popular combinations of essential oils include: peppermint and wild orange; lavender, lemon, and rosemary; cinnamon and wild orange; lavender and eucalyptus; white fir and cypress; grapefruit, lemon, and lime; and bergamot and patchouli.^{[11]
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4
Create a simmer pot air freshener. Simmer pot air fresheners are an excellent way to infuse a delightful scent into every room of your home. The fragrance is produced by heating a mixture of herbs, spices, fruit, and water on a stovetop or in a crockpot. The scent lingers in your home for days. While you may mix together any combination of ingredients, here is a basic simmer pot recipe:
- Slice the orange and lemon.
- Combine all of your ingredients into a medium sauce pan or a small crock pot.
- Fill the pan or crock pot halfway with water.
- Turn the burner or crock pot on low. Let the mixture simmer all day.
- Periodically check the water level and add more as needed.
- During the holidays, add pine needles and cranberries to the simmer pot. During the spring and summer, use lemon, lavender, and fresh mint.^{[12]
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Try burning incense. Incense is widely available, relatively cheap and there are many different types to choose from. Be sure you do not have any sensitivity to the smoke before using and don't leave it burning while you are away from the house.

Warnings

Don’t make the smell overpowering.

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Do not use perfume or air freshener if you are allergic or have asthma.

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