The following is a guest post from regular contributor, Sharon at Mom of 6.
With less than six weeks until Christmas, things are about to get crazy around here! (And by “here” I mean “here, there, and everywhere!”) During the holiday season as we all attempt to juggle so many things, sometimes our homes aren’t as clean and organized as we would like them to be. And sometimes they don’t smell so…. fresh either. But there are some easy and quick fixes for this- ones that can get your house smelling delicious in no time- without much effort.
1. A simmering pot of goodness
Add an inch or two of water in a small sauce pot, a few drops each of both almond and vanilla extracts and two cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat way down to a slight simmer. This will leave your house smelling delicious all day long! And it costs almost nothing! Just be sure to check it once in a while and add water so it doesn’t simmer itself dry.
2. Sliced citrus in a bowl
This is a great solution when someone calls to say they will be “dropping by in 5 minutes”. Just slice up an orange or a grapefruit and place the sections in a pretty bowl on your kitchen table. But be sure to dispose of the grapefruits and/or oranges at the end of the day (I pop them into our juicer), otherwise you will be dealing with fruit flies the next day!
3. A bowl of white vinegar
If you walk in our house via our side door, you have to pass through the kids mudroom space- which is filled with stinky soccer cleats, smelly sweatshirts and heaven knows what else! The quickest way to freshen this area is to fill a bowl with white vinegar and place the bowl up high on the shelf where guests aren’t likely to notice it. Vinegar quickly neutralizes any lingering odors and instantly makes everything more pleasant to the nose!
4. Dryer Sheets Hidden in Closets
What smells fresher than clean laundry? If your coat closet is smelling a little musty, and you plan to hang your guest coats in there when they arrive, simply stash a few dryer sheets on shelves or even inside of the pocket of a coat or two. They will immediately make the whole closet smell fresher! And by the way- these also work well in your car! Just keep a few dryer sheets under the seats and your car will smell fresh too.
5. Scented candles
I know this one is kind of a no-brainer… the whole purpose of scented candles is to make a space smell yummy, right? My absolute favorite scent for the holidays is Yankee Candle’s Christmas Eve. I stock up when they are having their “Buy One Get One Free Sale” and use them throughout the holiday season. Last year in the midst of the chaos of packing and moving to a new house, the scent of these candles helped to keep me sane!
Speaking of the holidays…
Do you realize that it’s less than 6 weeks until Christmas? That means it is time to get organized!
I have a free holiday planning checklist and a holiday gift wish list printable that I am sharing over on Momof6 this week that are really helping me to plan for an intentional holiday season this year! Feel free to stop by and print a copy for yourself!
Do you have any 1-minute tips to share on how to make your home smell fresh before guests arrive? Please leave a comment and share them with us!
If you get a chance, I hope you’ll stop by to see me at Momof6 – a place where I write about organizing your home, using a family calendar, creating household routines, hosting at-home birthday parties, and making meals that kids will actually eat!
Becky L says
Dust cobwebs away when you see them. Don’t wait til someone is arriving.
Susen @ Dabbling Momma says
Love the cinnamon stick idea!
Ann says
Great ideas; although I’ve seen the cinnamon stick idea used during Open Houses–I never really thought about it “just because”
I’m going to go put a small pan of water on the stove right now; thanks!
Amanda says
I never thought of the vinegar bowl trick. I’ll have to try that!
Gill says
What a great blog.
With young children and pets running around the house all day it always great to know we can make the house smell fresher nice and quickly!
We will definitely be trying this out.
Thanks
Gill
Johnnie says
Bake a batch of cookies! Use the pre-fab dough from your favorite grocery and throw a batch in the oven when you expect guests. None smells as welcoming as cookies baking. This was a marketing trick when I leased apartments!
Cassie says
For cleaning the stinky garbage disposal…freeze pieces of lemon, lime, or orange peelings in small ice cubes….drop in a couple of cubes and turn on the disposal system. Voila!!!