No matter how hard you scrub the floors, a house doesn’t feel clean until it smells good.
This was the idea that FMCG giant Procter & Gamble used to turn its air freshener Febreze from a ‘flop’ into a billion-dollar brand in the late Noughties – after it initially struggled to find buyers.
By scenting the originally odour-less spray – that was designed to eliminate bad smells – the firm saw a massive uptick in sales of Febreze as people incorporated it into their daily lives as the final step of their cleaning rituals.
The pleasant scent felt like a reward for their effort – an aspect of human psychology that has fuelled the sales of air fresheners, disinfectants, candles, and diffusers alike while also leading many to come up with their own, free hacks to make homes smell amazing.
For instance, UK-based cleaning influencer Carly Wood – who has over 50,000 followers – recently revealed her top secrets for a divine-smelling house in a clip as she confessed ‘it’s the biggest compliment for me’.
And it all starts with the basics, with Carly advising homeowners to deal with their bins as promptly as possible because they ‘stink very quickly’.
Her next ‘old-school’ trick is to add a few drops of essential oil to the inside of your toilet tube rolls. This will release the scent every time the roll spins, and you can do this every three-four days to keep your loo smelling delightfully fresh.
Finally, Carly advised pouring your best-smelling disinfectant in the sink, followed by some boiling water, as the scent diffuses through your home.
No matter how hard you scrub the floors, a house doesn’t feel clean until it smells good. Stock photo
Cleanfluencers have shared their best tips and tricks to keep your home smelling divine
Elsewhere, popular ‘cleanfluencer’ Georgia – who co-hosts The Homebirds podcast – shared her most effective hacks to ‘make your home smell BEAUTIFUL’ on TikTok last week.
Her first trick is to stick felt pads in your drawers and spritz your favourite perfume on it.
Spraying crease releaser on your bedsheets and duvet covers will keep your bedroom smelling lovely for hours, she added, and popping a dryer sheet into your pillowcases before washing them is also incredibly effective.
‘The next time you find yourself mopping your bathroom, don’t just stop at mopping the floor,’ she continued.
Georgia advised using a floor cleaner with a strong scent, like Astonish’s Peony Bloom variant, to swab her bathrooms walls and ceiling as well.
‘I kid you not, the smell lasts for days.’
Meanwhile, one of Australia’s best-known home influencers, Chantel Mia, surprised her 1.6 million TikTok followers when she revealed she mopped the tiles in her bathroom using shaving cream to ‘neutralise odours’.
In a separate video, she tested different hacks that make her house always smell good and shared the best budget-friendly tricks – including popping two tablespoons of vanilla extract in a baking dish and put it in the oven to ‘bake’ for a few minutes.
‘Your home will smell like cookies,’ she revealed.
The Melbourne-based mum also swears by dunking cotton balls in essential oils and placing them strategically around the house including under bin liners.
For the tenth tip, it’s worth looking into high quality room sprays to upgrade your cleaning routine with minimal effort.
Co-founder of cleaning brand Preston Lane Preston Konrad states ‘scent is half the battle.
‘You know the feeling when you walk into a hotel and everything just smells clean? That’s not bleach – it’s intentional fragrance. I believe scent is one of the most powerful tools in your cleaning routine. Products that smell amazing instantly make your space feel fresher, even if it’s not perfectly spotless.’
Preston Lane has rolled out its range of innovative water-based room sprays made without no nasties imbued with scents that will transport you to a sun-soaked European holiday destination.
Otherwise, Neom are known for their luxury home fragrances.
If you’d like to whip up a DIY scent for your house, Chantel recommended boiling one sliced lemon, four sprigs of fresh rosemary, and one tablespoon of vanilla extract to create a refreshing scene.
‘Allow to simmer to fill your home with fragrance,’ Chantel wrote and carefully carried the pot of scented water around her home.
‘Remember to keep topping up with water throughout the day.’
TikTok users were thrilled with the insight, and one woman questioned how the leftovers should be used.
‘Distilled water is a great room spray, or with 50/50 white vinegar and water you can make a multipurpose cleaner,’ Chantel said.
She also said the homemade scent last up to three full days, while a homemade spray would last a few months.
‘Going to do that today, hopefully get rid of the foggy smell – all natural as well!’ another person wrote in the comments of the video.
‘I did this last night and it smelt like Williams Sonoma!’ another said.
