Structured Spaces

Hello reader, welcome to another one of our teachable posts! Today’s post is about fragrances in our spaces and why they are lacking or not lingering for a much longer time as we would like.

We can understand the frustration when you think your space lacks a pleasant smell or that smell you really like and have tried to implement just doesn’t last as long as you would want it to. Well, thank goodness we’re writing this post, right? So let’s get to it!

The first lesson to learn about aromas in spaces is that they shouldn’t be used to mask odours because that’s not what fragrances are meant for. Fragrances usually work best with clean air. The masking technique will often lead to disastrous results…The following steps will help you to get rid of common odours around the house. Let’s call them “Deodorizing Steps”

1. Always Trash Bins as Regularly as Possible- most of the bad odours in homes, especially kitchens and bathrooms come from the waste bin. Make sure to change the bags before they start to overflow or once you detect a nasty smell.
2. Still dealing with kitchen odours, always remove spoilt foods from your refrigerator!
3. Open your windows as frequently as you can to let in fresh air and take out the bad one
4. Shoes often contribute a musty smell to the air in our interiors. You can freshen up the insides of your shoes with some products made for that purpose. Or you could spray some dry shampoo in them.
5. Kitchen and bathroom sink drains can sometimes produce odours. Always use a drain cleaner or sieve especially in the kitchen.
6. Lastly, this magical portion of simmering water and baking soda will remove bad odours from a space!

Now for the different ways to keep your space smelling nice, lets start with the common ones and work our way down. We’ll call them the “Perfuming Methods”:

ROOM SPRAYS AND REED DIFFUSERS- or air fresheners as they are called are pretty common. They’re in all departmental stores. Some just last longer than others so in most cases, they are not the most optimal choice for a lingering fragrance. Reed Diffusers are much better though, because the reed sticks are constantly absorbing the fragrance from their containers and sifting right through the air in your space. So until it is all used up, your space will keep smelling beautiful.

Some diffusers are refillable, so to achieve a longer-lasting fragrance, you can add an essential oil to the substance so it lasts longer.

CLEANING PRODUCTS- using cleaning products that have a pleasant scent can also be a good choice over the ones that reek of chemicals.

BURNING CANDLES AND INCENSE- scented candles and scented natural plants and spices like sage will have your space smelling exotic and refreshing. However, some of these scents may be too strong for people with health problems like nasal allergies and even worse off conditions, so the health factor should be considered. Also, some people are careless with flames so this method is not recommended for all.

ESSENTIAL OIL DIFFUSERS- so many online and physical stores that you can get these from. A pretty easy fix for a lingering fragrance.

INDOOR PLANTS- get some indoor plants that emit pleasant fragrances in your interiors. Check out our post on indoor plants to see a few species!

SIMMERING POTPOURRI- simmer some potpourri with some water on your cooker in a pot or pan. A potpourri is a mixture of dried petals and spices mixed up for the purpose of perfuming a space. You can even add dried up citrus peels and cinnamon sticks and scented herbs to the mixture for an ultimate natural scent. And as it boils without a lid on, let the steam sift through and around the space and perfume your air! You don’t even have to simmer all the time. A dry bowl of potpourri in your bathroom or any other small spaces will have your space smelling like a fruity version of heaven!!

You have just got to try out these hacks. And when you do, let us know the end result in the comment section.

We’re happy to be of help always!!