Your Chemical Free Home – Make Your Home Smell Amazing

Have you been looking for an easy, low cost, chemical free way to make your home smell amazing?  There is no reason to use air fresheners and deodorisers full of synthetic fragrances.  Not only do they not work, but they are also harmful to our health. 

With so many easy, chemical free and cost effective alternatives available, you can have a house that smells amazing all year round.

15 chemical free ways to make your home smell amazing.

1. Open your doors and windows

The easiest and cheapest way to make your house smell amazing is to let the fresh air in from outside to improve ventilation.  By opening up your doors and windows for at least 5 minutes each day you  flush the pollutants and chemicals and odours from inside your home.

2. Use an air filter/purifier. 

Try using an air purifier regularly.  Not all air purifiers are made equal so look for one with multiple stages of air filtration including a HEPA filter. In addition to eliminating household odours and harmful chemical vapours and gases (VOC’s) they can  they can also remove dust, mould spores, dust mite allergens, pet hair and dander allergens, pollen, airborne particles, viruses and bacteria.  I use an air purifier with a HEPA filter by Winix.

3. Track down and remove the source of mould. 

Mould can cause a mildew smell, which won’t go away, no matter how often you try to cover it up.  Mould needs food and moisture to survive, so find its moisture source and remove it to solve the problem.

4. Use essential oils. 

Grab yourself a diffuser and a couple of your favourite essential oils.  This is a great for your chemical free home and a way to make your house smell nice. You can also choose ones to suit your mood. Another idea is to add a couple of drops of essential oils to a wooden peg and clip to your heating vents.  When the peg gets warm, the oils will diffuse their scents into the room. 

5.  Make your own room freshening spray

Instead of spraying synthetic chemicals and fragrances around your room, try making your own with water, alcohol, and real essential oils.

6. Use scented soy or beeswax candles.

Soy candles scented with essential oils are an easy way to make your house smell amazing. Or even better, burn plain beeswax candles which have a lovely, mild, honey scent, and are a low tox, chemical free home alternative. Check out some at Australian Bee Products.

7. Use wax melts

If you are nervous about having lit candles in your home, try melting soy or beeswax cubes in a wax warmer.  You will get to experience the same scents throughout your home that you would with candles, without having to worry about open flames or trimming wicks.

8. Bring a bunch of fresh flowers inside. 

A bunch of fresh flowers bring a natural perfume indoors.  Or you could even try a bunch of your favourite herbs.

9. Simmer pots of herbs & spices on the stove. 

Simply simmer water in small saucepan on the stove and add orange peel and a cinnamon stick for a holiday scent, or try some lemon peel and rosemary for something more uplifting.  The heat diffuses the fragrance throughout your house. 

10. Baking soda is an easy and cost effective way to remove odours. 

Baking soda is an inexpensive way to remove odours from your home.  Place small containers in your fridge, on countertops or in areas where you regularly get unwanted odours. You can deodorise your carpets and rugs by mixing  1 cup of baking soda with 20-30 drops of your favourite essential oils in a bowl and then sprinkle on your carpets.  Let it sit for at least 15 minutes (longer is better) to allow it to absorb odours and then vacuum it up. 

11. Clean your drains. 

A quick and non-toxic way to clean your drains is to pour 1/2 cup baking soda and ½ cup of vinegar down the drain  and put in the plug.  Leave for 30 minutes to an hour. You should hear fizzing and see bubbles coming up which means it’s working.  Flush with boiling water to clean out any residue.  Repeat if necessary.

12. Get a small kitchen bin. 

Having a smaller kitchen bin forces you to take out the rubbish regularly, meaning less likely to have funky smells.  It is best to take out your bin daily, but do it more often if you smell something bad. 

13. Get Baking.

Who doesn’t love the smell of freshly baked biscuits, bread or cake wafting through your home?  It has such a warm homely feel and there is a reason real estate agents recommend to do this when you are trying to sell your homes. My favourite and most delicious tip for a great smelling, chemical free home.

14. Use your exhaust fan when cooking.   

Remember to turn on your exhaust fan or range-hood when cooking on the stove top.  This will prevent odours moving through the house which can linger for hours. 

15. Indoor plants

Fill your home with air-purifying plants! Indoor plants are a great way to help clean the air and remove pollutants that could be causing odours.  You can find out about more about how good indoor plants are for your health here.

These are my 15 favourite ways to make your chemical free home smell amazing. What are your favourites?