Recipes and tips for a great-smelling house

There’s nothing worse than heading into your kitchen or bathroom and being hit with a wall of bad odours. It seems that no matter how much air freshener you spray (often toxic for both your health and the environment) it always creeps back. Here are Batmaid’s tips and tricks for a fragrant home.

Wouldn’t it be great to have a kitchen that smells great even after cooking a cheesy gratin, a fish dish or any of those lovely dishes that come armed with a strong smell? While it might sound like a tall request, it’s actually feasible.

The fridge

If opening your fridge has you reaching for a gas mask, it's high time to remedy the problem. First of all, make sure your food is kept at the right temperature to avoid foul food odours from spreading. In case of doubt, here’s our article on the matter. An easy trick is to cut a lemon in half and place it on your fridge’s door, this also works with a small dish of baking soda. From there you’ll just have to refresh your chosen method when the effects run out.

Did you know? Milk isn’t only good for cereal, it also absorbs odours. Similarly to the baking soda method, pour a bit of warm milk into a bowl and place it on a shelf in your fridge for a night.

The oven

To get rid of cooking odours, try putting citrus fruit skins in your oven when it’s cooling down. If it is encrusted with grease, citrus fruits will unfortunately not be heavy-duty enough, but fear not! Our article on oven-cleaning will provide you with all the necessary methods to fix it.

If you prefer spices over citrus, simply place your favourite blend on a tray in your oven on low heat. Leave the oven door open and let the fragrances waft through your home.
Careful not to burn them!

The microwave

If your microwave is dirty, pour a mixture of white vinegar and lemon into a bowl and microwave it for 3-4 minutes. This will loosen the stains, and all that will be left to do is wipe it off and enjoy your freshly-cleaned microwave.

The bin

After conscientiously cleaning your bin with a mixture of lemon and baking soda, place a piece of cloth or cardboard doused with lavender or essential oils at the bottom of your bin bag to give off a delightful aroma.

The bathroom

Bathrooms can quickly become the source of unpleasant odours. Several solutions exist for sale; unfortunately these often contain toxic chemicals. When it comes to small spaces, especially when unventilated, natural air fresheners will be your best bet. Batmaid offers you a recipe that is both simple and effective as well as economical and sustainable.

The Drains

When it comes to bathrooms, it's a whole other story. If your drains aren't smelling too fresh, try pouring some vinegar down them to see if it helps. For more drastic solutions, check out our article about drain maintenance.

The living room and bedroom

If you want to freshen your living room or bedroom, give your furniture a clean with a cloth soaked in a mixture of white vinegar and baking soda. The effects will be immediate. You can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil into the mixture to give a lasting scent.

Speaking of baking soda: Fill up a small cloth bag with it and add a few drops of essential oils. In no time at all, you have a tool to help your shoes smell fresh! Leave the bag in your shoes overnight, and you will notice a big difference by morning time.

Although we’ve never tried it, placing a drop of lavender oil on top of a lightbulb can apparently spread a pleasant smell in the room when it is turned on. Anyone care to confirm?

Lavender can also be used to perfume your clothes. You can put a bag of dried lavender in your wardrobe and let it permeate your clothing. Alternately, you could simply add a few drops of lavender oil into your iron before use. If you’re a smoker, know that spraying a mixture of lemon and baking soda diluted in water on your clothes will eliminate the smoky odours.

Do you have any tips and tricks to deal with bad smells? Write to us, we would love to hear and use them!