It can range from a light, fresh scent all the way to a musty, stale, wet dog kind of smell. But, when other people come over do they ever notice. They may feel calm and happy when they walk in, or weary and somewhat turned off.  What story does your home’s smell tell? Think about it like this.  Some people have signature scents i.e. ‘I always wear Burberry Brit perfume’ and when you smell it, you think of them.  But inside a home is a little different; the smell of a home literally imprints itself into your mind, like a signature on paper.  The homeowner has no control over what that smell is (unless they do something about it).   That’s why I refer to it as a scent signature, because it’s a unique scent stamp of that space. When we cook, renovate, or neglect to clean certain parts of our homes, the scent signature can temporarily change or progressively get worse. Smelling garlic mashed potatoes at 6 PM on Tuesday is great, but smelling them at 9 AM the next day isn’t too desirable.

We remember scents and associate memories and emotions with them.  That’s why so many stores invest in creating a scent signature that translates into dollars (just think about the last time you walked into an Abercrombie and Fitch store). It’s quite simple to see the importance of having a positive scent signature at home!  Companies will create products to do this for you, by offering up every scent combination they can think of in the form of candles, plug in air-fresheners and room sprays.  This can become expensive, confusing if you use multiple scents and can put a lot of unnecessary chemicals into your home. So, if you want to change your home’s scent signature, I have a few really easy and fun things to try, and they cost next to nothing do. First, think about what scents you love; it’s different for everyone.  You can even think about the seasons and what you want your home to smell like based on what season it is.  Now, you know what to base your scents around. 

Also, you likely don’t want your bathroom smelling like freshly baked cookies (or perhaps you do) so consider a room-appropriate scent. Now,  gorgeously scented vapour will travel throughout your home, changing the scent signature and overpowering other smells in your home. Often times, realtors will tell you to bake cookies or boil cinnamon sticks or vanilla on your stove top to create a scent in your home, and this is an elaborate extension of that idea. You can let the pot simmer (attended) for hours on end, continually adding liquid to prevent the ingredients from burning. When you have had enough, you can jar the liquid and ingredients up, refrigerate once cooled and use a few more times (keeping in mind some fruits and herbs hold up better than others for prolonged periods of time).  This can keep for about a week. If you are headed somewhere for dinner, you can jar up your favorite recipe and give it to your host in lieu of wine or flowers.  It looks quite pretty when placed in a mason jar (and you can get extra fancy and use twine or ribbon to tie it up).

And of course, you have the opportunity to create your own depending on what smells get you going.  I would love to hear what your recipes are, please leave us comments sharing your favorites! Apples, lemons, limes, oranges, cranberries and ginger.  Citrus fruits last the longest in the pot, so keep that in mind. Fresh is the only way to go.  Leafier, thinner herbs won’t hold up as long as more rugged herbs.  Look for fresh herbs that are woody or with twiggy for best results (rosemary, thyme, lemongrass).  personal air purifier airlinesThe thinner herbs can be used, but just keep in mind that they won’t last as long in the pot.  best air purifier for pets and moldBut they’ll still smell divine.home air purifiers mold

Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise, peppercorns or any other mulling spices work well.  Of course, you don’t want to boil up paprika so stick to the sweeter smelling spices and leave the savory ones for cooking.  These can be used whole or grounded, however I’ve found whole spices work best. This is where you can have some fun.  Add peppermint, vanilla, maple, almond or coconut extract to add a powerful note to your home’s scent signature.  There are hundreds of extracts available, if you look for a specialty extract provider, you can find lovely scents including cotton candy, apricot and blueberry. If you love tree scents, add some pine needles twigs from fragrant trees to the mix.  You can also find your favorite tea and add in a tea bag alongside some fruits for a lovely smell.  If you want something that tastes as good as it smells, consider making some masala chai tea and drinking that afterward.  What a sweet reward! Consider making your own room spray. 

Simply add 10-20 drops of essential oil (or a combination of two or three) to a clean spray bottle filled with 3 parts water to 1 part vodka.  Now you have a home made room spray that will save you tons of money and place no chemicals into your air.  These are great for bedrooms and bathrooms and replaces a product like an air spray or a Febreeze.  I personally love lavender and eucalyptus, geranium, tea tree oil, sweet almond, cinnamon and orange. OK so basically I like everything. These are all well and good, but they are just band-aid solutions to a larger issue and these recipes but cover up a smell.  If you truly want your home to smell fresh (i.e. like nothing), then the house needs to be clean and free of dirt.  The best ways to achieve this are as follows: So, the next time you walk through your front door, think about your home’s scent signature and how you can change it!Many of us enjoy fresh and pleasant scents at home but have concerns about using certain commercially available “air fresheners.”

Some of these products are known to contain toxins such as phthalates and VOCs like benzene and formaldehyde [1], not what most of us have in mind when we think of “fresh air.” Covering up odors with stronger smelling chemicals is a toxic cycle and those chemicals eventually get into our ecosystems. Bad air quality at home can lead to a myriad of issues. Some very common ones include sinus infections, allergies, and general immune system problems. Keeping the air at home clean is important and making all natural and toxin-free air fresheners is a fantastic approach. It’s easy to do, can save some money, and doesn’t add pollution to the air in your home!Indoor plants suck up the bad odors and emit good ones. Aromatic herbs such as oregano, mint, and sage are among those most often used. The fresh herbs are an added bonus.Add 12-15 drops of pure essential oil to 1/2 cup of white vinegar and 1 1/2 cups of water. Put in a spray bottle (ideally a glass one) and spray when needed.

An aromatherapy diffuser will also work. Some popular essential include: Bergamot, Vanilla, Ylang-ylang, Clove, Geranium, Tea Tree, Lemon, Peppermint, Cedarwood, and Lavender. Be wary of oils that contain chemical additives.Besides being great to wake up to, coffee reduces mustiness in the air. Place a bowl of fresh grounds in areas of your home where you notice odor stagnation. You can even wrap grounds in a coffee filter and hang in musty closets.This may not be appropriate for all environments or health conditions but this simple method is one of the best ways to freshen the air. Opening the windows brings in the natural scents of the outdoor environment, plants, and flowers.Try this on the stove: Add 1/2 cup water to a small pan. Add about 1/2 cup of sliced lemon or oranges. Add six cinnamon sticks, a few cloves and maybe even a cardammon pod or two. Bring to boil and let simmer. The aroma is warm, relaxing, and great to use year round. A step up in efforts to keep the air in your home fresh and odor free is to buy a high quality air purification system.