Essential Oils That Make Your Home Smell Good

Many people have odors they wish they could cover up or get rid of in their home. Whether from pets, smoking or just old, stale, dusty smells, there's plenty of reasons to want to freshen up a home. Though some people turn to commercial products designed to conceal these smells, others want to use something natural. For those people, essential oils are the perfect alternatives. Essential oils provide a wide array of pleasant smells and can be used in various ways to freshen up almost any room throughout the home. Read on below to find out about some of the more popular fragrances and how you might best use these in your home.

Some of the most popular essential oils include vanilla, citrus, lavender and peppermint. While vanilla is a very pleasant, understated fragrance, the citrus and peppermint may work better for odor problems. Lavender oil is a fantastic addition to homemade cleaning products to add the perfect floral touch to a clean home. Other popular alternatives include lemon, spruce, pine, apple and cinnamon. A combination of these may work well to add holiday-specific fragrances throughout the year. For instance, a combination of apple and cinnamon or a blend of spruce, pine and cinnamon work well in the winter months.

There are many ways to add these fragrances to your home. Create a general purpose cleaner by combining water with a squirt of dish soap and five to six drops each of lemon, tea tree oil and another fragrance of your choice (citrus works well). Add two or three drops in the dishwasher for wonderfully clean and fresh-smelling dishes; the fragrance will permeate your kitchen as the dishwasher runs through its cycle as well. Add 10 drops of your favorite essential oil to your mop bucket and use on hard floors anywhere in your home. Dampen a tissue with an essential oil and put it in your vacuum bag to spread the fragrance throughout the house as you clean the carpets. You can even use these same concepts to add wonderful smells to your laundry -- just put several drops of essential oil on a clean washcloth and throw it in dryer with the other clothes. For problem areas in your home, use the essential oil of your choice in oil diffusers. Alternatively, reinvigorate some old potpourri with several drops of essential oils. Place the potpourri in a bag, add several drops of oil and shake gently to spread the oil evenly. Put it back in whatever bowl or container you were using and enjoy your new and improved potpourri.

Odors sometimes get stuck in carpets, especially in homes with pets. Counteract these by sprinkling carpet with baking soda and leaving for several hours before vacuuming. Add essential oil to the baking soda and shake well before applying to carpets if desired. Citrus is a good option for ridding your home of musty smells in the carpet.

Baking soda is a great deodorizer for other areas of the home as well. Clean the sink with baking soda and rinse it down to freshen the drain. Sprinkle it in garbage cans or set an open container of baking soda in the fridge. It absorbs odors well in both locations.

Finally, don't limit yourself to essential oils either. For instance, boiling an apple with some cinnamon in a pot of water releases a warm, sweet fragrance. Leave the lid off to get the best effects.