7 Ways to Make Your House Smell Good Naturally

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No one wants their home to smell bad. Smell is such an important sense and has the capacity to make you feel either uncomfortable or at-ease. This is especially important in your own home. 

This is why a lot of people have routines around adding their favorite scents to their homes. Candles are a particularly favored way most people add scent to their home as well as cover up bad smells. I know it’s not uncommon for certain members of my household to light a candle in the bathroom on regular occasions… Another favorite are room sprays and laundry scent boosters.

However, as we’ve discussed here before, candles may not be the best option for your health. While candles have been shown to be relatively safe and unlikely to cause significant health impacts, they do emit small levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), or toxic chemicals, a nd endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs). Room sprays and laundry scent boosters also contain a decent amount of chemicals and fragrances that are not necessarily dangerous but may not be the best choice for your long-term health.

Though the evidence is preliminary, it is a growing concern that even small exposures to EDCs can cause negative health impacts, especially related to the endocrine system and any function that has to do with hormones . There is quite a lot of talk about the difference between what the governing bodies of product safety call “safe” and what may be impacting us that technically falls within those limits.

If this is something that concerns you, you may be looking to remove odors and add wonderful scents to your home without risking chemical exposure at all. After all, there are plenty of options for this that do not involve chemicals. 

Introduction

1. Simmer pots

2. Natural room spray

3. Essential oil reed diffuser

4. Herb sachets

5. Diffuse essential oils

6. Non-toxic soy or beeswax candles

7. Beeswax melts

The first step to making your home smell great is to prevent or eliminate odors. It is important not just to cover odors, but to get rid of them altogether. I’ll be covering how to deodorize your home naturally in just a couple days.

But the FUN part is ADDING scents that you love to your home to create the most cozy, homey, wonderful space. Here are my favorite natural ways to add scent without chemicals.

1. Simmer pots

Simmer pots are a very easy, natural, and cheap way to make your home smell amazing. For the cost of an orange, some water, and a few cloves, you can have your home smelling like fall in no time. 

Simmer pots can provide a couple different kinds of smells but the main ingredient is pretty much always citrus so there is a limit. People will list recipes for different “seasons” based on the herbs they put in and some of the other additives like apples or vanilla.

Most people say to use a dutch oven but use whatever pot you have around and fill it with water. Cut up an orange and/or a lemon into slices and drop that in there along with some spices like nutmeg, thyme, rosemary, or cloves, depending on the scent you’re going for. Bring to a simmer over low heat and just leave it going.

You can also use just citrus peels if you prefer, but the scent is usually stronger if you include the fruit. This can be burned for a couple days or up to 4 if you remove the ingredients from the pot and store them in the fridge. 

This is an especially great method in the fall and winter months as it will add humidity to your air as well. Not only will your home smell amazing, your skin will thank you too.

Here’s my current favorite simmer pot recipe:

Water

Half an orange cut in slices

2 cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoon each of whole cloves and nutmeg

2. Natural room spray

It is so easy to whip up a natural room spray that is chemical free and very effective. This works basically by combining alcohol with water and essential oils. This isn’t going to stick as crazy long as traditional room sprays that use chemicals to bind aromatic compounds and help them linger. However, this is a very effective way to neutralize odors and it will last a pretty decent amount of time. 

There are lots of recipes out there with various formulations but the basic ratio is 1 alcohol to 3 water and 20-30 drops of your favorite essential oil. Some people do this with rubbing alcohol, others with vodka, and some people use witch hazel. I’ve used Everclear before because of its high alcohol content but rubbing alcohol is my go-to. If you are opting for rubbing alcohol, ensure it is the highest alcohol content or you’ll have to increase the amount you use. Witch hazel won’t break the bank but it is going to run more expensive cost per ounce. 

I prefer to use glass spray bottles for the sprays I make.

You could also do something similar with herbs if you prefer to avoid essential oils, but it isn’t going to be quite as strong. If you’re going to do this, I recommend letting the herbs/flowers sit in the alcohol for a while before you add the water.

Once you have your spray, just spray away. I like to spray the room in general, but I especially like to spray pillows on both the beds and couch, as well as the couch cushions and mattresses themselves. A natural spray is also great for carpets. You can either spray the carpet and walk away or you can include a little spritz in your routine before you vacuum. 

Basically anything with textile is a good spot to use this spray. I sometimes even spray the clothes I’m wearing or my laundry basket to keep things fresh.

3. Essential oil reed diffuser

This is another super easy DIY but can run slightly more expensive over time. The concept is the same as any other reed diffuser, but it is made with non-toxic ingredients and fragrances. 

Get a vase with a narrow spout (if you can get a cork top and drill a small hole in it for the reeds to come through, that is the absolute best) to ensure the oil evaporates slower and the scent lasts longer. You can also just buy a pretty affordable reed diffuser on Amazon if you don’t have anything like that around.

Then you mix a carrier oil like almond oil with a small amount of alcohol (some people skip this scent but it helps the scent stick and travel), and put some essential oils in. Then stick some natural reeds in the vase. Bam, natural reed diffuser. 

Here’s a good basic recipe with a simple scent: 

Most people recommend you flip the reeds upside down every week and change out the reeds and scent mixture every month. Also play with the amount of essential oil you add as all brands are different and your preference on scent strength is going to be unique. You can start with this ratio and move up or down from there.

This method is very effective but is best in smaller spaces. If you are using this method in a large, open room, you’re going to need several. 

If you have small kids, this is one of those things you’re going to want to keep out of reach. Mostly this mixture won’t hurt them, but it’s also not ideal for them to swallow any of it. If you are at all concerned about this, just check that you aren’t using any essential oils that are toxic when consumed. Luckily, the majority aren’t.

4. Herb sachets

This is a subtle way to add scent to specific areas but can be more time intensive depending on how you do it. This is a method that will be strongest when the sachets are first made and can fade relatively quickly. It’s also not going to necessarily make the whole room smell but will add scent to a very specific spot. 

Good places to use these are in drawers, thrown in with your couch pillows, or alongside your bed pillow. You can make a packet that is sewn shut or you can use a drawstring, which will allow you to refill the packet more easily. If opting for the drawstring method or even a button or zipper closure, there are plenty of options you can purchase. Really it just needs to be a breathable cloth made with natural fibers like cotton, like this one. Avoid polyester as the scent won’t pass through the plastic as well.

My favorite scents to include in herb sachets are lavender, sage, and rose petals. You can always add a few drops of essential oils to the flowers/herbs you use to enhance the smell and help it last longer. Again, there are plenty of options to simply purchase if you don’t want to make this.

5. Diffuse essential oils

Obviously, if you’re sensitive to essential oils, this is not for you. Additionally, always ensure you understand what oils are safe to diffuse around pets and kids, but most are. Keep in mind that, though I’m giving you my favorite recipe, all oil companies are different and have different potencies. Plus, it depends on the size of your diffuser. 

I’ve always used doTERRA oils because that’s what I was originally introduced to but they are decently expensive and I’ve heard Eden’s Garden Oils are as good and much cheaper. I also use a pretty standard size diffuser, and I tend to only need around 10 drops of essential oil to pack a punch. I like my scents pretty strong, so keep that in mind. You can always experiment with doses on your own but make sure to start with less. You can easily add more.

Here’s my favorite essential oil blend recipe for all year long:

If you’re interested in more recipes, here’s a post on my favorite fall essential oil blends.

6. Non-toxic soy or beeswax candles

We briefly discussed soy and beeswax candles in our post evaluating whether or not candles are safe. Candles made with soy and beeswax can be a great option because they do not contain toxic chemicals so there is no risk of burning those chemicals into your air. However, a candle is going to add particulate matter to the air and can still put off soot because you are burning something... If you are sensitive to things like this or have respiratory issues, I’d avoid this method. 

Additionally, these kinds of candles, especially beeswax candles, can be expensive. But if this is in your budget and you react well to candles, this is a very easy way for you to add scent to your home and still enjoy the candle vibe in a safer way.

7. Beeswax melts

Similar to beeswax candles and mirroring paraffin wax melts, beeswax melts are just wax melts with aromatic compounds that release scent into the air over time. Wax melts are a great option because they’re easy and the scent lasts a while. You can also set it and forget it with little concern or thought for it because, while not zero, the fire hazard is low.

Though this is an amazing way to make your home smell amazing, again, beeswax is not cheap, so it may not be in everyone’s budgets and there are much cheaper options on this list. 

If you do choose this method, make sure you opt for companies that use essential oils or phthalate free fragrances.

I hope you enjoyed these 7 ways to make your house smell good naturally. I use several of the methods described on a daily basis to keep my home smelling amazing. I hope you found this content useful. If you did and want to see more, check out our other posts and join our newsletter to stay current on the information and news on all things holistic health and natural wellness.