Scent, smell, aroma, fragrance....all these are different synonyms which define the impression that you get about something or someone by using your nose.
Your perception of any space depends as much on fragrance, as on the aesthetics. Imagine walking into a quiet and peaceful space, but if it smells bad, the appearance will take a back seat. Keeping a clean and cozy home has a lot to do with the fragrance. Each home has its own fragrance and aura. In this part of the home fragrance series we will work on the four main areas of the home, considering the upcoming summer and rainy seasons.
the front room
the kitchen
the dining room
the washrooms
I am not including the bedroom here today, as that is a topic which has to be tackled differently.
There are some items that you will need to invest in. I am only including the basics here, if you are in a mood go ahead and splurge on luxury versions of the below mentioned items please feel free to do so, but the basics are all that are need to keep any space smell divine.
t- light diffuser
t-light candles
aroma candles
dry rose petals
dry lavender
essential oils or diffuser oils -- get these in scents that you prefer
spray bottles
Vinegar
The front room.....
This room is the first peek that anyone gets of your home, the space ought to be always clutter free and inviting. Once cleaned and prepped,
Light a t-light diffuser, add enough water and 5 -10 drops of essential oil. the best summer fragrances for the living room are lavender and green apple.
Light scented candles in different parts of the room, try and use scents which can compliment the essential oils used in the t-light diffuser.
Keep wooden or glass bowls on side tables, fill them with dry lavender or rose petals and put 10-12 drops of essential oil over it (you will have to put essential oils every two days or so)
The best time to light the candles and the t-light diffuser is almost an hour before your special someone is coming back from a long day at work or before any guests arrive or before your sit down to take a bum numbing break. This would give enough time for the fragrance to enfold the room. The soothing fragrance, will instantly relax anyone entering the space.
For the Kitchen....
Especially the Indian kitchen, with all the dishes, the masalas and all the curries prepared the kitchen can smell like a giant curry pot. Very tasty of course, but you would not want everyone walking by to know what was cooked for lunch or dinner. For this space let us follow the below routine.
Cook, clean, deodorize. Always have your chimney or exhaust fan running while you have something on the hob. Do not let the utensils rest in the sink for a long time.... the smell from these tend to mingle with the rest of the scents and you are in for a smell soup. What we want is a fresh smelling kitchen. So after clean up, lets do a stove top potpourri. This is a very easy method, and makes the kitchen smell fresh.
The below recipe is best for summers. Keep a large pot or vessel on the stove, if you have the induction stove at home use it now. Pour in at least 3 to 4 liters of water, add 1 sliced lemon or orange peel, rosemary sprigs or mint leaves and bring this to a boil, once boiled keep the stove on simmer and let it simmer away for an hour or so.... Trust me the kitchen will smell fresh. One warning though, you have to keep an eye on the water as if the water evaporates completely this might turn to a fire hazard.
Let's also make a natural deodorizer for the counter tops...
juice of 1 lemon
1 table spoon of vinegar
10 - 12 drops Green apple essential oil
water as needed to fill the spray bottle.
Mix all the above ingredients in a spray bottle, spray on all surfaces, especially the stove, the hood, counter tops. This will ensure that oil and grease are done away with and all you are left with is a fresh fragrance. Once all cooking and cleaning are done, light a scented candle --- any fragrance which compliments the fragrance that you have in the diffuser in the front room would work.
For the kitchen sink
wash down the sink with regular dish soap or dish washing liquid
mix half cup vinegar and half cup hot water and pour down the drain.
The sink will smell and be clean all the way. Keep the trash can closed or put away the day's trash so that the smell does not get caught in the trash area. Do this every night before you close the kitchen.
The dining room....
The space where the family sits together, having food, exchanging stories of the day or entertaining guests with a sumptuous meal. This space should smell yummy... but also merge with the scents of the rest of the house. The best way is to keep a mason jar potpourri. Things you need
1 lemon sliced - you can use apples/oranges etc too
10 - 12 drops of green apple essential oil
sprigs of rosemary
1 mason jar - or re-use an old jam or coffee jar
hot water --- to fill the jar
t-light
Put in the sliced lemon, the essential oil drops, sprigs of rosemary and fill the mason jar to the neck with hot water, put the t-light candle on top and light it. The t-light will keep the water warm and the aroma will waft thru the space for a long time.
The washrooms.....
The space that everyone uses, but discusses the least and dreads the most when a guest comes home. Keeping the washrooms clean and dry is the first step. To keep the washrooms fresh and fragrant let us follow the below routine...
Use, clean, dry, deodorize.
If wet and dry areas are not defined in your wash room, then swipe out all water after each use. This will help the keep the space dry and also will not leave any musty smell.
If you keep tissue rolls in your washroom, then put in 10 -12 drops of essential oil to the card board that holds the tissue.
Put a cap full of fabric conditioner to the flush tank, (you would have to do this every two days or depending on the usage of the washroom) you will have a fresh smelling toilet each time you flush.
Change the face towels and bath towels every day. If this is not possible then put them in the sun for a couple of hours each day.
Always keep a t-light diffuser in the bathroom. Light it when ever you are at home. Even if you do not do this in every washroom of your home, do it in the most frequented ones.
Remember, in all rooms of your home you need to use the scents that compliment each other and compliments the season that you are in. Start doing these routines, feel the difference in the fragrance of your home, and how it makes you relaxed and clam each time you enter any space of your home. You can thank me later ;)
I will do the part on bedrooms on another post and will also include ways to freshen the linen cupboards and shoe racks. Also, most of the essential oils and fragrances that I have mentioned in this post compliments the summer and rainy seasons. Later on, I will also do an updated post with the fragrances for fall and winter season.
Till then....
Happy Musings,
Tina
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