A better and safer alternative to candles with artificial scents is to do what your grandmother did: simmer a pot of spices on your stove! Ingredients like cinnamon sticks, apple peels, orange rinds, cloves, apple juice, vanilla, anise, and nutmeg will soon make your home smell like you've been baking all day.
Fresh rosemary, mint, lavender, sage, or rose petals are a few of my favorite herbs to add to simmer pots. They can be a wonderful addition to many recipes depending on the scent you're aiming for.
Answer: You can boil just about any foods that have a pleasant aroma to make your house smell good. Apples, berries, orange peels, lemon peels, lime peels, vanilla, cloves, cinnamon sticks, mint leaves and more. A simmer pot is a great way to do this.
You can have that all the time, even if you aren't prepping big-batch cocktails for a party. Simply take a few sticks of cinnamon and simmer them in a small pot of water on your stove. Once your house house smells all warm and cinnamon-y, switch off the burner, and fish out the cinnamon sticks.
Simply boil a few cinnamon sticks for two minutes and then turn the heat to low and let the warm, spiced scent waft through your home; turn the heat off once the pleasant smells take over. It's a stupid-simple trick that works wonders.
The boiling allows the spices to release their fragrance, while the simmering will keep the mixture hot and fragrant. The mixture will lose its fragrance if it gets cold. Top off the saucepan with more water every 30 minutes. Remember to keep an eye out on the pot.
Here is a natural, not to mention inexpensive alternative: Simmer a half dozen lemon slices and a handful of cloves in a pan of water. This eliminates odors in your home, leaving the air lemony fresh!
You can also boil nice-smelling items in water as a natural air freshener if you're trying to figure out how to get rid of cooking smells.
The combination of citrus, warm spices, cranberries, and rosemary simmering on the stove instantly make the house smell like the holidays. It's the Christmas smell on demand–a perfect natural air freshener! IT'S A GREAT WAY TO RESCUE SAD PRODUCE.
Use Vanilla Extract in Your Oven
A really great way to make your house smell good is to place a few drops of Vanilla Essential Oil or Vanilla extract into a small (oven-safe) bowl. Then place the bowl into the oven at a low temperature and let the vanilla scent fill your entire home with a lovely scent!
Place 2 cups water in a 1-quart pot, boil, then add: 1 lemon, cut into thin slices. 3 sprigs rosemary. 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.
Drop about 8 to 10 drops of essential oils into a pot with water. Allow over a stove to heat until simmer. Check routinely and add more water and oil as needed before it dries up. This rich alluring fragrance from the heated oil will fill up your entire kitchen and even spill to other rooms.
'Leave a bowl of vinegar out overnight,' advises Saskia Gregson-Williams, cookbook author and founder of Naturally Sassy. 'In the morning, the vinegar will have absorbed all the unsavory smells and your kitchen will be as fresh as a daisy. '
It may seem obvious but start by keeping your home clean. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to remove microparticles from your carpets and soft furnishings, and also ventilate your home by opening all windows at least once a week. Scented cleaners will also help to make your home smell clean and fresh.
And this duo is also great at cutting through grease. and making your stovetop shine. Boil sliced lemon in your kettle. and leave it for 30 minutes to remove limescale, and boil white vinegar and lemons on your stovetop. to remove cooking smells instantly.
Similar to boiling lemons or making stovetop potpourri, vinegar steam is a great way to neutralize potent smells. Add half a cup of vinegar to one cup of water and simmer on the stove while you cook (or after) to absorb any smells in the air.
Grab a Few Cinnamon Pinecones
Whether you buy them by the bag at the grocery store or go the DIY route, cinnamon pinecones can make your whole home smell of spiced cookies. If you have a fireplace, you can toss a few into the fire for a more powerful fragrance.
It helps in breaking down fats and makes them easier to digest. Drinking cinnamon water during the day can also reduce bloating and make you feel at ease. It is said that having cinnamon tea during your periods can help you deal with the pain of menstrual cramps.
Orange peels make a home smell cozy and clean. You can boil orange peels with mulling spices like cinnamon and cloves to send a fresh autumnal aroma through the air. Boiling orange peels with lemon and grapefruit peels create a fresh, vibrant, and energizing aroma that makes your house smell clean and pristine.
Cinnamon is another scent that mice and rats hate. Rodents are susceptible to smells, and cinnamon's potent scent can be overwhelming. You can sprinkle cinnamon around your home, or you can use it to make a rat-repellent spray.