Scent is one of the first things that we notice when we walk into a room. It’s often said that the actual smell of clean is no smell at all, but with kids, pets, cooking, and living our everyday lives, it’s almost impossible to avoid a mixture of aromas.  

However, through being savvy and using a number of natural ingredients found around the house, you can mask and eliminate odours without using chemical-filled artificial room sprays. Our founders, NHS Nurse Purdy Rubin and Horticulturalist Charlotte Figg, share their top tips for a gorgeous-smelling home.  

1. Use Essential Oils. Essential oils not only smell lovely, but they are free of chemicals and are said to have natural healing properties. These can be added to a homemade multipurpose cleaning spray, air freshener spray or dropped into a diffuser for an extra aromatic lift. Lemon, rosemary and mint are all great options for a fresh, invigorating scent.

2. Eliminate unpleasant odours with bicarbonate of soda. Bicarbonate of soda is an incredibly versatile pantry staple. Simply sprinkle it on problem areas like the bin, the refrigerator, the carpet, shoes or pet bedding, allowing it to sit for a few hours before hoovering up or shaking off.

3. Keep your kitchen sink clean. Rinse the drain with a dollop of dish soap and run the water for a minute for an initial clean. For smells that won’t budget, pour ½ a cup of bicarbonate of soda into the sink while running warm water, until all bicarbonate has been washed away.   

4. Use vanilla to create a sweet scent. For a quick fix that will make your house sell heavenly, add two capfuls of vanilla extract into a mug or other oven-safe dish and bake at 100 degrees for one hour. Another option is to soak cotton balls in vanilla extract before placing them on a shelf in your refrigerator.

5. Utilise the natural scent of Eucalyptus leaves. Hang the leaves out to make your own potpourri or create your own dried floral arrangement. Keep it in the bathroom for pretty and effective deodorising where you need it most. 

6. Light inexpensive votive candles in coffee beans. Coffee beans are commonly used in the perfume industry to neutralise other smells. Make use of their odour-eating quality by placing whole coffee beans in a container along with a lit votive candle.  

7. Use Purdy & Figg hand sprays throughout your home to sanitise and add a fresh smell. Our signature scents include: 

• Original Citrus for an uplifting and energising fragrance combining citrus fruits with aromatic florals
• Charlotte’s Floral is a fresh, feminine, timeless blend of rose geranium, lemon citrus oil and vetiver
• Wild Woody is a subtle scent of aromatic woody coriander seed with vetiver and purifying juniper berry