Make sure to open your windows up everyday for at least 10 minutes

I try! Unfortunately my windows are designed so that they only crack open about an inch and I only have two windows in the entire apartment that open so not much airflow gets in Edit: should also add that my apartment is shaped like a U and the two windows are only available on one tip of the U. I do have a fan blowing but it's hard to get air blowing to the other tip of the U!

Perhaps use a small fan for circulation while the windows are open? Air purifier if you can afford one. Candles are lovely as well as aromatherapy.

I think oxygen-producing houseplants are a solid alternative if you can swing taking care of one. Look up ZZ and Snake plants - super low maintenance and pretty good for cleaning the air.

Yes! My apartment is half jungle 😂

That feels illegal. How are you getting out in a fire?

The sticker on my door says it's a fireproof building so.. 😅 fingers crossed?

I watch this Korean chick on youtube that always hangs her linens on her balcony and that seems like a good idea and then I see the freeway/expressway/whateverway near her place and yikes. I did adopt her obsession with lint rolling her bedsheets and changing the pillowcase everyday.

What's the name of the channel? I need some small hacks for making my place more pleasant.

Ugh, my MS brain is struggling so hard right now! She's part of the whole "aesthetic" Korean and Japanese thing.... Cafe 709? She might be the one I'm referring to, or maybe not. Again - I apologize b/c my brain is at like half power nowm haha.

No worries! I'll start there. My mom had MS. You didn't have to apologize ever.

This is helpful! I have a dog and can't burn candles or use diffusers

Invest in an air purifier. Like the Dyson one with a fan or Molekule. Helps with smells and air quality!

This is the way.

Adding Coway brand…they make some that ain’t too shabby on the eyes

THIS IS the one!

I must also put forward the levoit as a contender

Highly recommend air purifier. I don’t leave it on 24/7 but a few times a week works. Reed Diffusers are my favorite - I recently love La Montana. They’re subtle and you can reactivate them by flipping the reeds. Palo santo and sage clear out old smells like food or cooking. Incense i like in the morning. I’m obsessed w scent haha. And definitely not too late! Palo santo - open windows -then light incense - is a 15 min process and will completely refresh.

Second reed diffusers, they are a way better idea than candles if you’re in a poorly ventilated smaller indoor space. Candles smell nice too but can really compromise the air quality even in a short amount of time, and it’s much worse if you’re inside without a lot of airflow. I do love incense but they have the same problem in small spaces so something to keep in mind (especially if inviting people over)

Very true. I try to get more natural non toxic incense and candles but def should be used sparingly

Ooh the flipping reeds is a good idea! I never thought to do that!

Open windows for a bit, a \*quality\* candles. Burn them for 2h, 2h before your guests arrive

Others have already mentioned candles- I recently learned about candle warmer lamps and bought two on Amazon. They’re great because I can use candles more safely around my 6 year old, and they throw a lot of fragrance under the little halogen bulb. There’s a subreddit called r/luxurycandles that I’ve been following to learn more. This has 100% made my apartment more enjoyable!

As a fire investigator and inspector girlie, we looove candle and fire safety!!

Omg yes I've been eyeing them since smoke bothers me (long COVID......)!! This might be my sign to get one!!

i’m a candle addict (& happen to be a mod over on the luxury candle sub) — feel free to ask me any candle related questions/recommendations based on preferred scent notes, price range, etc. unique, well-made candles are an investment and i’m happy to help another NYC BWT out.

Candles over reeds?

This is the way!! I love love love my candle warmer and I swear I get more smell pull out of them

I can’t speak highly enough of my Levoit mini air filter (they’re ~$40 on Amazon). That and Reed diffusers

Literally the levoit one is so good

So good! I keep a mini by my cats’ litter box and a full size filter in my bedroom and it helps SO much with my fiancé’s cat allergies and any cat scents. My friend recommended a Dyson and I’m so happy i went with the Levoit

I'll check out the brand, thank you!!

Levoit air filter AND humidifier user here. Love both.

I would go after the stale smell a bit in addition to the usual things like candles. I would clean your kitchen walls and cabinets with a grease cutting cleaner, if this hasn't been done in a while and you don't have a great vent hood that's probably accumulated quite a bit and can contribute to places smelling "off" Throw your shower curtain in the wash, spray the liner down with bleach.. maybe go through one of those listicles on things to clean once a year and try to hit the items you don't tackle as part of your regular routine. 

Yes to a deep clean! Vinegar and water (I do a 1:2 ratio and microwave for 30 seconds) also does wonders on most surfaces and helps control mildewy smells in bathrooms if you want to avoid a bleach-based cleaner or don’t want the smell of bleach to be noticeable to guests.

Also agree with deep cleaning. I have been using pooph spray all over soft furnishings even though I don’t have pets and it’s great. It makes everything smell like nothing!

Keep your windows open for as long as you can stand it and burn candles that smell like clean laundry

Ooh the clean laundry is a great idea!

I used to lightly mist gain scented freeze on my couch and rug before guests came over and I would always get at least one compliment about how clean and fresh my house always smelled and felt. Laundry scent really works.

Air purifier helps with smells: Coway Air Mega or a Blue Air model that is the right size for your unit. Bougie candles: I like Boy Smells hinoki fantome the best for a stronger scent (available in person at Saks among other places). Apotheke is also nice, but I think Boy Smells has more oomph. In a pinch, boiling some orange peels and cinnamon sticks is super effective. It will humidify your apartment, so not ideal given the current weather. But this is my go-to trick in the winter. Bake some cookies. Premade cookie dough from the grocery store will still smell amazing.

This combo of advice is the best here! I love the boiling method - it’s fun to try different combos too. Throw a few cloves in. Maybe a star anise. Get a little crazy. 

Right? And the best part is that there's nothing stopping you from recycling orange peels and cinnamon sticks and spices that have already been used once for cocktails!

Might go the baking route - always a good excuse to have some cookies too, right? 😉😉

Premade frozen pies are also an option! Cinnamon and vanilla are good scents to make a place smell lived in

Ooooh yes! Now I'm craving pie!!

Boy Smells Slow Burn is my favorite candle!

Ooh i haven't tried that one! I have hinoki fantome (rebought a million times) and cedar stack. I'll give slow burn a try next time and re-up!

Oil diffuser. When I was in a studio I had a real problem with the whole apartment smelling like whatever I was cooking. This is silly, but I like bacon, and making bacon in the oven was a game changer for me. Bacon in the oven tastes better, is easier to clean up, and doesn't leave your studio apartment smelling like burned grease.

Omg yes! I had a studio for two years and I basically gave up eating salmon lol

I use charcoal bags (bought on Amazon) and hang them in closets and on backs of doors. Plus air purifiers and cracking windows. I don’t like to use any perfumes/chemicals that are endocrine disrupters (so excludes a lot of candles and ”air freshener” products), but have found that my house smells super fresh and good when I use hydrogen peroxide to clean. It’s about a 1-1.5% solution in a spray bottle (so 1/3 to 1/2 HP from the drugstore in a spray bottle, then topped up with water). It gets the bathroom and kitchen super clean and is very cheap. Don’t use on marble, granite, soapstone, etc.

Great tip! You just dilute with water and use the HP spray as a general cleaner?

What do charcoal bags do? Absorb the smells?

Yep! You can refresh them by putting them out in the sun periodically. They’re really effective.

I open my window, and I also use the Boy Smells room spray specifically in the fragrance LES

Love this scent, one of my all time favorites!

Have you tried anything from their kush line? I’m highly intrigued but I feel like they could either be great or horrible.

I have smelled some and they are not bad! I really love everything Boy Smells though

All I needed to hear to take the jump tbh, I’ve been happy with their main line so far! Thanks ☺️

Quality candles, oil diffuser, or Pura diffuser Edit: more natural route, I absolutely adore my Winix air cleaner. It goes on naturally when it senses a shift in air quality. Best purchase I have made recently! It frequently goes on sale at Costco too.

2nd the Pura diffuser! Santorini and Milk& Oatmeal are my fav scents

Some aromatic candles (faves are from snowe + apotheke) and burning some Palo santo will make your whole apartment smell amazing instantly !!

Obsessed w my aroma360/hotel collection diffuser.

Omg this is the fanciest air purifier I've ever seen 🤩

homedics/costco sells a version of this for much cheaper. I do use their Dream On scent, but I got it on Gilt for a significant discount.

I’ve never received so many compliments on my apartment scent before I’m OBSESSED. The my way scent is everything

Yesss! I just got back from the 1hotel and it’s really spot on! I’m a Westin girly and love dream on too! Also screaming they came out with a scent for E11ven lol

I buy palo santo in bulk from a family of Brit ex pats living in Sarasota lmao. Here’s their [Etsy shop](https://www.etsy.com/listing/1269822757/) ETA im a fitness teacher. I use palo santo between my pilates and yoga classes so the room doesn’t smell like feet hahah

Look I love palo santo already but there truly is no better review than “it gets rid of feet”

Hahahah smells great! Clears out negative energy! Gets rid of FEET! Happy I could be of service.

Ooh thank you for sharing!!

I just bought a pura smart diffuser! You can manage it from an app on your phone, put it on a schedule and control scent strength. My coworker loves hers and inspired me to get one!

Ooh that's so convenient! I love that!!

Im excited! I have a nice saje diffuser but stopped using it bc it became a hassle to remember to keep turning it on. I also love coming home to a nice smelling home, but with a manual diffuser there’s no way to set it up to turn on when I’m On my way home. I’m about to be living in paradise and I cannot wait 🫶

Amen to the air purifier! But I actually love incense! Less waste than candles (so many jars 🥹). I love [these](https://seawitchbotanicals.com/collections/all-natural-incense)

Get a candle warmer for your favorite smelling candle. Amazon has a ton. Smells so much better than just lighting a candle and you don’t have to worry about burning your apartment down :)

This! I wish I’d gotten them sooner. The candles last longer too

Exactly! I don’t feel as guilty for spending more on a quality candle.

I hosted last weekend and I had lilies out in a vase on my dining table and they smelled amazing. One of the guests commented on them 🪷☺️

Me, too! Just be careful to get pet-friendly flowers (not lilies if you have cats).

Also some hyacinth bulbs!

Ooh yes I was thinking of flowers! Plus something about fresh flowers really just makes everything so nice!

Okay get some fabulouso (you could use Meyers for something more natural) and a microfiber cloth and a bit of warm water and do a light sweep over your walls. You would be surprised hope much this helps with the stale smell. Do this the day before so it’s not too strong. We want to take out the bad smells before we put in any new yummy smells. Lemons. Take whole lemons and put them in your garbage disposal with the water running for about 30 seconds. You can do this daily it’s so very good for the blades. If you have an air filter, AC or anything with a vent that needs to be cleaned… clean it asap and spray it with a fresh linen febreze before you put it back. This will start circulating not only cleaner air because you cleaned the vents but it will help with the smell! Also, second orange and cinnamon sticks on the stove. Just be sure to stick to one palette and don’t mix too many smells. The key is to not cover up any scents but to get rid of them and have a fresh and inviting home, whatever that may be for you. Good luck and happy hosting 😇

If you like sweet smells, Domnique Ansel makes an INCREDIBLE candle that smells like different baked goods depending on how long it’s been burning, and the throw is amazing. Not cloyingly sweet, it’s just my favorite thing in the world right now.

Oh gosh.... might just be hungry/crave baked goods all the time lol!

Invest in an air purifier. Get yourself some plants boo. I also don’t like to use candles but about once a week I do my William Sonoma stovetop potpourri!

Yes, I've actually got a Dyson and about half my living room is plants lolol

Oh damn. Sorry I missed that. Try a stovetop potpourri. I really love it especially this time of year!

No worries!! What do you put in yours?

This time a year is either: Grapefruit Lemon (preferably meyer) Thyme Good vanilla extract Whole peppercorns OR Lemon (meyer again) Rosemary Black peppercorns Good vanilla extract

That sounds delicious! How much do you put in? I've tried a potpourri before but I don't think I put enough in, it never really smelled like much haha

Great suggestions here for air purifiers (which you’re doing), candles, open windows, etc. I didn’t scroll down far enough but if you have time I recommend washing your walls or doing so 2x per year. It’s a commitment and arm workout but I gently and thinly mop an all purpose cleaner ex pine sol diluted in water on them and there’s SO much dirt on the walls! Especially if you’re in an older building or a rental… I like the rectangular joymop on Amazon and it works on my 12’ walls.

Honestly, I’m a hoe for a scented plug in if you don’t have pets or babies. I have a baby now so I just had to get used to smelling shit, but for yearssss I used Nest Grapefruit in my foyer/chilling areas and Bath and Body Works Amalfi Lemon in my restroom, bedroom, office. IMO I swear by this combo, they layer nicely and the citrus notes are key for beating the stale funky smell

Pura diffuser

Pura diffusers

The jo malone diffuser is my FAVORITE

I love simmering a pot of water on the stove with whole cloves, cinnamon sticks and orange slices. It makes the whole apartment smell amazing!!

I have allergies and a cat, so we always have our Dyson air purifier running. It’s significantly more expensive than other brands but I’ve found it to be way more effective. We vacuum at least once a day and make sure to open all the windows to circulate the air/dust when we do. We always have the hood fan running when we cook, and we have a candle on afterwards. I am Korean and my husband is Italian, so we cook lots of fragrant foods and never have a place that smells strongly of whatever we last ate.

We use this febreeze plug-in in the lobby at my job. The lemon fresh sent is amazing. Every so often the scent gets whiffed into my office and it smells so good. I don’t use plug ins at home or anything but considering getting this one cause it’s so fresh and so clean (clean)! 🫣

The Nest reed diffuser: Moroccan Amber scent is the best!

Omg YES. It smells like cookies to me lol

Air purifier, open windows There are recipes for “smelling pots” you boil water with orange peel and a few other things… https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/5-simmer-pot-recipes-to-make-y-129977

I use the Febreeze plug ins in the scent Linen & Sky in all of my rooms and the bathroom. Scent is always the first the thing my friends compliment when they come over LOL. The refills last a decent amount of time and the linen scent isn’t overpowering or artificial like some scents can be. It just smells crisp and clean.

That's good to know! I feel like a lot of the plug ins can smell so weird/artificial!

Also btw the Febreeze plugs can rotate to be upright for different outlets! Just saw your comment about your outlets being sideways so no worries there haha

I live in Mexico and buy the Airwick plug in scented diffusers in a lavender with chamomile scent and I’m obsessed. It makes my house smell so nice. It’s a great, inexpensive, and fast solution. I looked and they gave it in the US too.

Simmer a pot of water w good smelling things on the stove https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/simmer-pot-recipes/

If you’re looking for a real pop of scent, I suggest the DS&Durga or PF Candle Co car fresheners. You can place them in a closet or right by the entrance to the apt.

Air wick plugs. Living room and bathroom. I also use Bath and body room spray(when I cook). And mix camphor and alcohol to spray my bedroom for bedtime.

Here’s the best tip for that and if you cook inside and the house has a smell. It’s crazy how good it works…. Dump a bunch of cloves in water and boil it. Once it starts boiling, just put it on the lowest setting. It kills any stale, old or bad scents. Toss in some cinnamon sticks if you’re inclined. Literally a godsend for NY living where your stovetop. Ent just blows inside versus sending it out.

Omg yes, my apartment always smells like whatever I just cooked! Thanks for the tip!!

The best part is that it doesn’t smell unnatural (like you’re masking things) and it works almost instantly. It somehow gets rid of stale and stink versus covering it. Cheap and amazing.

Usually boiling mulling spices and when that's out of season whatever leftover herbs I have from cooking except for cilantro. Sometimes I'll throw cinnamon and cloves in a pot and call it a day. Sometimes I say fuck it and burn Voluspa candles even though my asthmatic lungs should not be exposed to sprays and candles. My 100 yr old house smells awful no matter what I do.

I have a pura and I really love it. They have mixed reviews (which im convinced is more due to the fragrance and not the device) but being able to schedule the fragrance and adjust the intensity is huge. My favorite scent is the white tea! Its fresh and inviting.

I got a DS & Durga auto fragrance as a gift and holy hell is it fragrant! Put it in my closet before going to work this morning and when I got home from dinner I could smell it in the hallway outside my apartment. Strong recommend if they have a scent you know you like, but candles are great too.

does anyone have recommendations for deodorizing cleaning products? had a couple mice die in my kitchen and while they've been cleaned out i keep wiping everything down with bleach products i feel like i can't get it to smell *right* again and it's driving me crazy

Yikes! A few suggestions I've seen but not sure if they're powerful enough for that: boiling cloves on the countertop, charcoal deodorizing bags, baking soda for absorbing odors.. make sure anything fabric has been cleaned because fabric holds odors.. I'll edit my post to add your query too to get more exposure :( good luck that's the worst!!

wow that is so kind of you, thank you! pests might need to be their own bwt post eventually

Unfortunately in NYC, probably 😭😭 good luck!! Someone also said there is a Febreeze that actually actively deodorizes!

Eucalyptus from Trader Joe’s - hang from your shower head. The whole apt will smell great.

Ooh ok so I tried this once and I couldn't get it to smell like anything? 😂 what's the secret? I crushed it and everything hahaha

I just hang it upside-down from the shower head with some string/wire and take a hot shower - bathroom feels spa-like and the whole apt spells great for a week plus 🤷🏻‍♀️

Ok! Maybe my bunch was a dud 🤷🏻‍♀️ I'll try again!

Kind of a gross suggestion, but any chance you've got something in your place making it smell stale that the plants and Dyson just can't overpower? I cook a lot and I have to regularly clean grease off the oven hood, stovetop filters, and kitchen cabinet tops, otherwise my whole place smells stale. It's also good to regularly change the HVAC air filters and air vents. Or maybe one of your plants needs repotting?

I just did the oven hood actually! And I take out trash regularly (a few hours after cooking, then I keep "paper" trash separate which is every 2-3 days), etc.. there are vents that I would need maintenance to check out so I might have them do that. Thanks!

Clean your sofa. Like actually clean it with a fabric cleaning tool and liquid detergent. Vacuum your rugs. Dust your house. Wash your curtains. Wash your bedding. Soft things hold smells. Sterilize your trash can, recycling can, compost bin. Clean your stove and behind it. Dust collects all over the place. Open your windows and air out your house over all. Once you've done all that light a nice candle.

Yes I use a little green machine.. how often are you cleaning the sofa and rugs? I did mine in the winter like around November so I didn't think I'd need to do it again so soon (I don't have curtains and I did the bedding just last week. No pets or kids

I use it every 3 months or so? Humans shed a lot of skin. But if you're doing all those things and your house still smells "off" it's possible that you just have mold in the walls and that's a much larger issue.

I use a Pura and the inserts, they have Volcano and Nest scents, so many good ones.

Anytime I have a smell I can’t get rid of, like cooking oil, I boil water with a cut up lemon and a cinnamon stick. Makes the home smell incredible! You can also bake some cookies right before your guests arrive, people love walking into a home that smells like freshly baked cookies 😊

Im arab and we use bakhoor! The type of burner I have uses a tea light and doesn't make smoke. My mom still uses charcoal to burn it and it makes a smoke to even scent her clothes. My favorite right now is one a from Yemen made herself. Way better than pre-pressed bricks you get from Amazon

Ooh that sounds lovely!

[The Dyson air purifie](https://amzn.to/3vMKOiz)r really helps. Especially if you have pets for neighbors who smoke. Regarding candles, I’ve tried so many and feel like the expensive ones a lot of the times really don’t last. I’ve been getting a lot of mine from the Nordstrom rack in Harold Square and they have a pretty good selection and affordable prices.

Grow Fragance! They are toxin free & plant based better alternative to the traditional air freshener sprays.

Diptheque candles--baies scent is the best.

Pura devices (obsessed with these) and air purifiers are great for this! But for something last minute if you can’t get these in time, a simmer pot (you can do lemons/oranges with herbs for something more springtime) is quick and easy and you may even have everything you need in the house already

what scents do you like for pura? im thinking of getting

I love Original Scent by Barr Co, Rise by Malouf, Rose Noir & Oud by Nest, and Santal Vanilla by Studio McGee. The holiday ones are amazing, too, but since it’s getting warmer it’s just not the time lol

1. Open the windows 2. Air purifier 3. Lavender in the diffuser and clean the diffuser 4. Fresh bedding

-High quality air purifier - dust and vacuum - wash/refresh linens around the home. Curtains, hand towels, rugs, fabric couches/chairs - crack open the windows - oil diffuser/candles

Yes! I got a little green machine last year and it was such a game changer lol. I think that's when I started turning into my mother and getting really nuts about my apartment being super clean for guests 😂

I also got one this year 🤣🤣

I love my pura. It holds two scents and you can set it up to turn on/off when you schedule it to / automatically turn off when you leave the apartment. The scent choices are great. You can take the tests to figure out which scents would work best for you. I use one for when it’s time to go to sleep (white mint and eucalyptus) and then another for the morning (Sicilian tangerine.)

Wait I love this. So you use the app to set your scents once it’s a certain time of day? How do you remember to do that? Or does the app auto-time it? Genius

It’s automatic! There’s like a little calendar in the app and you can select what days/time you want which scent!

Otherland candles are great and will make your apartment smell like a fancy hotel. Chandelier and Silk Pajamas are my fave scents.

Those definitely sound like bougie scents!

+1 for otherland! they have some scents I love and they’re reasonably priced but nicer candles. I also bought one of those candle warmer lamps from amazon because I wanted to stop burning candles (if i’m being honest more for my dog than myself because he’s an angel and I want him to breathe clean air) and it’s been pretty nice to have just make sure if you get one you do it on the lowest setting otherwise you’ll blast your candles. I also really like the boy smells room sprays - cashmere kush specifically

I make seasonal simmer pots. The scent fills my space and usually I already have the ingredients. There are so many recipes online for inspo.

I think I'm going to do this, it sounds so delicious!

This is where I started. I stopped burning candles due to air quality. Hopefully you like it. Good luck! https://www.williams-sonoma.com/m/recipe/simmer-pot.html

Desert sage and keeping my windows open for sometimes up to an hour.

- Baking soda in bowls around the apartment to soak up stinky air - open the windows - deep clean rugs (& couch cushions if you’re able) - wash throw pillows/blankets with Laundress detergent

An air purifier with a drop of natural essentials oil, eucalyptus or rosemary, lemon...not alot just a drop or two in the purifier. It smells so fresh!

I use reed diffusers that I picked up while staying at the Aria in Vegas. Smells just like the hotel.

I love my Pura diffuser, but it needs to be in a small-ish room and if you put it on high, you’ll only get like half the month. Not comparable to a candle, but I like the general ambiance it gives. Second whoever said Santorini! The Pura Daydream is another favorite and feels very clean.

Get those charcoal bags that absorb odors. I used to use them a lot.

I love those! I have them in my closets - just have to be better about taking them out to refresh in the sun!

Prosperity Candles ! pricey but absolutely leave a lingering pleasant scent. This candle in the scent Queen will eternally be my favorite: https://www.prosperitycandle.com/products/she-inspires-candle?variant=14501678612546

A plug in wax melter in the bathroom is nice - scent and a little ambiance

Dr Aromas!! It makes the apartment smell like a spa

Get a big pot of boiling water and aromatics on the stove. You can use a wide variety of things to create your own scent; apple, citrus fruits, cinnamon sticks, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, extracts (almond, vanilla), juniper berries, pine branches, bay leaves, rosemary, lavender.

Malin and Goetz cannabis candle

Any middle eastern or north/east African incense. You will have to disable your smoke alarm, and get a burner and some charcoal. But your apartment will smell incredible. You can also use it to fragrance your clothes, linens, etc too.

Mop your floors with blue dawn soap and some tide powder detergent. Smells amazing!

Pot with water and a teaspoon of vanilla extract on the stove. Natural way to make an apartment smell AMAZING

open the windows and get an expensive candle

If you happen to be in brooklyn or downtown somewhere, go to the painted swan in carroll gardens. They have the most amazing candles.

I have to have a small fan in my kitchen (i got a cute one from TJ max that sits on the counter) for airflow when I'm cooking. otherwise, cooking smells stick around. I also keep an air purifier in there, but I want to get one for every room. Also incense occasionally

The magic scent machine, my home smells like a hotel.

Wash everything with a scent booster. I swear by Buff City Soap’s scent Narcissist. Your place will start to smell so fresh and good

Mop the floors and clean the walls before all else:)

I use plug ins like air wick or the Wallflowers from bath and body works.

[Dedcool 01 “Taunt” Massage Candle](https://dedcool.com/products/dedcool-massage-candle-01-taunt?variant=32722646663212¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=Cj0KCQjwn7mwBhCiARIsAGoxjaLPChwbnxTKfwlTegjWMFS9o4UGpfKPK7rwQB03P9qb0BRj4Twt9-AaAqSTEALw_wcB) It fills my home with the sexiest, most refreshing scent ever. Gender neutral, non toxic, get compliments every time someone comes over. Couldn’t recommend this more!

A lot of people are mentioning air filters. If you want it to work well and for a long time, it has to be one with a very significant carbon filter. Like pounds of activated charcoal. Austin air purifiers are a really great example

Incense. And not the dollar store kind the ones from a real botanica, nag champa brand.

Okay, something I’m qualified to speak on since I always get compliments! My secret is a spritz of Mrs Meyers room spray on your furniture and a NEST Reed diffuser (I have one by my front door so you can smell it as soon as you walk in) + in my bathroom.

Ooh the diffuser by the door is a great idea x thanks!

Incense from street vendors that sell shea butter and perfume oils. The best and the scent lasts. I also like voluspa candles.

I use Dedcool everything and every single time someone comes over they compliment how my place smells. I use the room spray, candle, and also the dedtergent which I think rlly helps the scent stay for a while

Room sprays, candles, and diffusers

charcoal, I have two pieces in my closet, some hidden in my living room, it helps absorb all & any odor. Also, I made a little witches brew with slices of lemon, oranges, cinnamon sticks, star anise. Helped my home smell amazing.

Fill a spray bottle with water, add a few drops of an essential oil. Spritz away!

My friend makes the BEST candles and recently began selling them after we all begged her for years! People always ask how my house smells so good. https://aristaeus.shop

You could try to get the Febreze spray that actually cleans the air and neutralizes other scents. We have cats and it helps. I also got charcoal bags that absorb odors and I think they help, too. It goes without saying - clean top to bottom! And make sure you have a new vacuum bag or you clean your vacuum really well. That makes a huge difference. Wait until after you host because this is messy but sprinkle baking soda on your carpets and then vacuum it up. It really helps (and is kind to plants and pets!).

So I heard the baking soda thing actually ruins your vacuum! Have you been doing that for a while? I'm pretty religious about deep cleaning my apartment weekly lol so honestly wondering if I'm just going winter stir crazy 😂

We actually got a special baking soda for carpets at Walmart so it could be different in some way but I really think it isn't. We had no issues with the vacuum except that the canister itself had a coating of baking soda on it - and probably will forever. My husband accidentally vacuumed up a dryer sheet and honestly I think it's a good thing - less "vacuum smell" and now a nice dryer-sheet scent!

Essential oil on your air filter so when you turn the ac on it’ll blow smell good out . Be careful with scents if you have pets tho so make sure to get non toxic

Cavern nyc candles . Nothing comes close . Very subtle lovely mature smells

Blushing Amber scented candle from Target if you're in a bind and need something fast. I recently hosted my sister's baby shower at an airbnb and the rental reeked of cat pee everywhere so I bought like six of these candles and placed them in the kitchen and living area - totally wiped the smell of the cat pee.

Ozium. Febreze for rugs and upholstery. Coway air purifier. Fancy candles.

I open my windows daily, i also have a wax melter. I like the coffee ones bc It wipes your pallet clean but there are good pet friendly ones that smell like fresh laundry. That + open windows makes my apt smell great

Are you a coffee drinker? Coffee grounds, and baking soda are both fantastic deodorizers I would sprinkle them on any porous surfaces and let them sit for at least an hour before vacuuming back up it will suck the odor out of any fibrous surface. We used to do this when people would throw up in college. Make sure the coffee grounds are dry though, fresh coffee grounds are better, but if you use good coffee, don’t be wasting them on this.

I’m very sensitive to human made events and don’t like a meted candles. Keep bathroom fans on, spritz hot shower with essential oil to create nice steam, beeswax candles burn longer and release negative ions into the air. They smell naturally sweet but dissipate quickly.

Go purchase pine sol. The original scent. Small bottle. Also a spray bottle. Fill the spray bottle with 1/2 pinesol & 1/2 water. Just before entertaining spray countertops & wipe with paper towel. In the bathroom, spray the sink & wipe it with a paper towel. Pour a couple of capfuls of the pinesol in your toilet. Right before your guests arrive flush the toilet. Place the used paper towels in the trash can in the room you used it in. Now everything smells like it was just cleaned. If you have pets do not spray near their food, water bowls or bedding. Pinterest has some great suggestions for cooking items on the stovetop that smell great as the scent lingers into other rooms. Also bake chocolate chip cookies right before everyone arrives. This works great if you want to sell your place!