I want my house to smell nice?

Question

Hi,
We will be selling our house soon and potential buyers will come to see the house. I want it to smell nice but not too strong. Are those airwick plug-ins too strong?

I know you can put cinnamon sticks and lemon wedges on the stove etc.. however I won't be here for a period of one to two weeks so what can I do to keep the house smelling nice. Would you recommend a leaving a bit of pine sol in the toilet?? My husband will be here so he can do something.
Joanne

Answer 1

If you have the Air or Heat on in the house, try potpourri in the vents. If not...then set out some of it in quaint little bowls through out the house. Hang some in the closets, behind closed hamper doors, to rid the musty smell a house gets when it's unoccupied!

Answer 2

A couple of things. If you want to put something on the stove, you can add a couple of cinnamon sticks, a few cloves and a bay leaf to a pot full of water. Heat it on low for a couple of hours, then shut it off and just leave it on top of the stove. As it continues to evaporate, it will continue to release the aromas. It is a beautiful scent that is not too overwhelming.

Secondly, you can take some fabric softener sheets that are scented, OR you can spray unscented fabric softener sheets with any scent and then put them under your heat registers in the floor. This is good for two reasons - one: the sheets will catch dust as air flows through the vents, and two: the sheets will release their scent whenever the furnace fan or air conditioner is turned on.

I can't see why Pine Sol in the toilet wouldn't work, but it would be a pretty limited source of scent.

AirWick plug-ins are all right as long as you are not using them in a very small area, because then they can be quite strong.

Answer 3

After cleaning surfaces of the house, wash them over with vinegar. It will clean up the chemical residues while leaving a clean scent.
Dust your carpets over with baking soda and let it set for a few hours before vacuuming it up. The soda will help absorb odors from your carpet and leave a clean smell behind.
Have your husband air the place daily in the evenings. Open the doors and windows, even if it's just for a few minutes, to sweep away the daily lived-in odors.

Be careful about adding odors to your house. Some potential buyers may have allergies. It's best to simply have a clean-smelling house, rather than a flowery or lemony one.

Answer 4

Buy a lot of those little plug-in air fresheners (Airwick is good) and leave it there for a while. You could put one in every room. It really makes the house smell fresher, but definitely not overpowering.

Answer 5

Febreeze plug in smells really nice the alternate between 2 scents on high or low. My favorite is the package that is blue/green. Many people have complimented me when they come to visit.

Answer 6

I once heard that the smell of vanilla or any other "baked" scent is a good idea to have in the home you are trying to sell. Supposedly it brings subconscious memories of home and comfort to people that smell it.
Another good scent is lavender. It tends to soothe tensions and make people feel at peace.
Good luck!

Answer 7

I really like the lavendar smell from Air Wick. It is purple in color and says Relaxation. I ALWAYS get compliments from friends and family saying how nice my house smells.

Answer 8

Clean the house.

Answer 9

I leave a bowl of vinegar in a hidden space for a good deodorizer...It's cheap, and keeps odors out...Unlit candles do well, also...

Answer 10

Glade Plug In's without a doubt!! hazelnut is always a warm welcome. Good Luck