A Fragrant Home

I love to make my home fragrant. I used to use those commercially scented products that "plug in" and send artificial scents wafting through the air.  But my research led me to learn that these commercial scents use harmful chemicals that are now being linked to illness and disease.  So I steer clear of them.


But there are other alternatives.  Scented candles using natural essential oils work, but can be quite expensive.  A more cost effective way to create a fragrant home is to use the wonderful fragrances that God gave us from nature that smell amazingly good. 


Each home has its own scent.  Some good and some...not so good.  Most of us don't really notice the scent in our own homes because over time, we become accustomed to it. But every home has its own unique aroma.  And naturally, a pleasant (or at least neutral) smelling home is a welcoming home.


Have you ever entered someone elses home and been smacked in the face by its odor? It is extremely unpleasant and uncomfortable to be confined indoors with pungent, lingering odors.


Our homes have the capacity to be wrought with a combination of smells from cooking to just ordinary living.  The main odor culprits come from dirt odors that linger in soiled laundry, garbage cans, carpeting, bedding, diaper pails, etc.  So before adding fragrance to cover up odors, it's important to first eliminate the odors. 
Here are some things we can all do to keep our homes fragrant and welcoming. 
1. Keep the house clean.  Odors linger in dirty places.  Keeping the trash emptied, kitchen clean and the sinks disinfected eliminates odors and allows pleasant fragrances to shine through.


2. Dust regularly. Dusting the furniture and cleaning all silk plants at least once a month by swishing in lukewarm water (laying flat to dry) keeps musty dust at bay.


3. Vacuum regularly. Dust mites and their waste accumulate into carpet fibers along with the odors from shoes, dirty feet, pets, dropped food, etc. Vacuuming and sweeping twice a week will take care of that.


4. Open windows.  Airing out the house each day is big on my list. Indoor air is highly polluted and magnifies all odors associated with living.  We leave them open all day in warmer weather and get a few minutes in very cold weather.  Opening windows at opposite ends of the house will create a cross breeze that will sweep through the house bringing fresh oxygen in and and taking stale air out.


These things create a fresh smelling home.  Now, to add a pleasant fragrance to your home (especially before having guests) simmer natural things.  Orange, lemon or apple peels with a cinnamon stick and a few whole cloves gives off a wonderful scent throughout the house. (Always setting a timer when simmering these and add water as needed. Mini-crock pots work really well for this).  Sprinkling some baking soda in discreet places also helps neutralize odors around the house.  In the bottom of a trash can helps a lot!


I ditched the chemical fragrances years ago and have since gone au natural and you know what?  My house never smelled better.  And we even have a cat!  :)  But most importantly, I'm protecting my family from the adverse health effects caused by associated with those febreeze, air wicks, glade plug-ins, and sprays. 


Vive la cinnamon!