How to Make Your House Smell Good Naturally: 9 Tricks That Work

To make your house smell good naturally, let fresh air in every day and absorb smells with bicarbonate of soda. Then add scent with things you already have, such as a simmer pot, vanilla, citrus peel or a few drops of essential oil. These tricks cost little and work well for an hour or an evening, but most need you to keep doing them. At the end, we cover what to use when you want a natural scent that runs on its own for weeks.

Some of the nicest smelling homes we know use no clever products at all. The windows open first thing, orange and cinnamon sit on the hob on a Sunday, and sheets dry on the line. These are the tricks we come back to, and the two we would skip.

1. Open the windows every day

Fresh air is the easiest and cheapest fix of all. Open windows on opposite sides of the house for 10 minutes so air flows right through. In winter, open them wide for a few minutes, because a short blast of air clears more than a crack left open all day. You swap stale air for fresh without losing much heat.

This one also suits people who are sensitive to scent, because it adds nothing to the air and only takes smells away.

2. Make a simmer pot

A simmer pot fills the house with a soft, warm scent for as long as it bubbles. Fill a saucepan two thirds with water and add your ingredients, then bring it to the boil and turn it down to a gentle simmer.

• Autumn and winter: use one sliced orange, one sliced apple and two cinnamon sticks. Add a teaspoon of whole cloves and a splash of vanilla extract.
• Spring: one sliced lemon, two sprigs of rosemary and a splash of vanilla extract. Swap the rosemary for orange peel if you prefer a sweeter scent.
• Summer: sliced lime, a handful of fresh mint and a few slices of cucumber.

Set a timer for every 30 minutes and top up the water, and always turn the hob off before you go out. A slow cooker with the lid off is a safer way to leave it going for hours.

3. Warm some vanilla in the oven

This is an old estate agent trick for viewings. Pour two tablespoons of vanilla extract into an ovenproof dish and warm it in the oven at about 150°C (130°C fan) for up to an hour. Keep it warm and below boiling, and the house smells like baking without any baking.

4. Absorb smells with bicarbonate of soda

Bicarbonate of soda does not add scent, but it soaks up smells, which is often better.

• Fridge: leave an open pot at the back and swap it every three months.
• Carpets and rugs: sprinkle it over and work it into thick rugs with a brush, then leave it for 30 minutes and vacuum. Add a few drops of essential oil to the powder for a light scent.
• Bins: sprinkle a spoonful in the bottom before you put in a new bag.
• Wardrobes and shoe cupboards: leave a small open jar on a shelf.

5. Make your own fabric spray

Sofas, curtains and rugs hold smell but rarely get washed, so a homemade spray freshens them between cleans.

Fill a 250ml spray bottle with warm water, then add a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and 10 to 20 drops of essential oil. A splash of witch hazel helps the oil mix with the water and makes the spray last longer. Shake it before each use. Test it on a hidden patch first, and mist from a distance so it does not soak the fabric.

6. Add essential oil to your cleaning

• Mop water: add 5 to 10 drops of essential oil to your usual floor cleaner, and grapefruit and lemon will smell clean and bright.
• Vacuum: put a few drops on a cotton wool pad and drop it into the bin or bag of your vacuum, so the room smells fresh as you clean.
• Bin: put a cotton wool pad with a few drops of lemon or lavender oil in the bottom of the bin, under the bag.

Essential oils are strong, so keep bottles and oiled cotton pads away from children and pets. Some oils are harmful to cats and dogs, even in small amounts, so check with your vet if you have pets.

7. Freshen towels and bath mats

Damp towels are one of the most common sources of a musty smell. Hang towels out flat to dry and wash bath mats every week. A light mist of an old perfume you no longer wear on a clean, damp towel leaves it smelling fresh as it dries.

8. Use fresh flowers and herbs

A jar of fresh herbs by the kitchen window adds a light, living scent. Scented flowers such as sweet peas, stocks or freesias do the same. Change the water every two days, because old flower water smells bad fast.

A note on plants and air: you may have read that houseplants clean the air. A 2019 review from Drexel University tested that claim. To match normal airflow, you would need 10 to 1,000 plants in every square metre. Plants make a room feel fresh, but open windows do far more for the air.

9. Wash the soft things

The quickest way to change how a whole room smells is to wash every cushion cover and throw in it at once. Soft furnishings hold the smell of cooking, pets and people. Dry them outside when you can, because fresh air and sun leave them smelling cleaner than a tumble dryer.

Which tricks should you skip?

• Essential oil on light bulbs: bulbs get hot, and oil can burn, smoke or crack the glass.
• Homemade reed diffusers with cooking oil: oils such as sunflower or almond are too thick to travel up the fibre reeds, so you smell very little. Shop reed diffusers use a thinner base made for the job. Read can you refill a reed diffuser with any oil to see why.

When you want a natural scent that runs on its own

Every trick above works, but most last an hour or an evening, and you have to be there. A simmer pot needs watching, and a spray fades by the next day.

A reed diffuser is the set and forget option. It gives a room a steady scent all day and night, with no flame, no plug and nothing to top up. Our reed diffusers are made from organic natural ingredients, with a plant based reed diffuser base and are vegan. They are handmade in England, and they last up to 24 weeks (around 16 weeks on average).

• Kew Morning: Mandarin, Bergamot & Vetiver: fresh citrus for kitchens and hallways.
• Mayfair Library: Vanilla, Tonka & Cedarwood: warm vanilla woods, which gives you the oven trick all day long.

Compare the options in our guide to the best natural reed diffusers in the UK.

Quick answers

How can I make my house smell good without candles?

Open the windows daily, use bicarbonate of soda on carpets, and try a simmer pot or a homemade fabric spray. For a scent that lasts weeks, use a reed diffuser, and see our guide to home fragrance without candles.

What is a natural air freshener?

Bicarbonate of soda absorbs smells, while a simmer pot, fresh herbs or a few drops of essential oil add scent. Fresh air does both jobs.

What can I boil to make my house smell good?

Boil orange, apple, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla for a warm scent, or lemon and rosemary for a fresh one. Keep the water topped up and stay nearby while it simmers.

Are essential oils safe around pets?

Some are not, especially for cats. Keep oils, sprays and reed diffusers out of reach, and ask your vet before using them near pets.

Find your scent

At IVNA London we make reed diffusers and candles in England, in four signature scents. Each luxury reed diffuser is £58. Add the matching luxury scented candle, at £42, for evenings.

Scenting more than one room? Our reed diffuser Home Sets let you mix any three scents for £159, or five for £250, and you can find more answers in our reed diffuser FAQs.

Related guides

• Home Fragrance Without Candles
• Best Natural Reed Diffusers UK
• How to Make Your House Smell Good All the Time
• Best Christmas and Winter Home Scents
• How to Get Rid of Old House Smell

Sources: Cummings and Waring (2019), Potted plants do not improve indoor air quality. Published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology.