How to Make Your House Smell Good While Staying Clean for the Holidays
‘Does everyone’s house have a smell?’ I wondered to myself in my kitchen while grimacing at a particular funk that had passed through my sensitive nostrils. The answer to my question, as I would come to find out, is that if you have to ask yourself that, it means you might have a home fragrance problem.
Our homes can develop an odd stench from any number of things - mildew, animals, compost, gunked up garbage disposals, stale air, an unclean carpet...the list goes on. In my case, it was essentially all of the above. To make matters worse, an intrusive family of pantry bugs and fruit flies had made themselves comfortable in the crevices of my kitchen as a result of my increased amount of cooking for the upcoming holiday season.
So, what are the best ways to eliminate the presence of flies and foul odor? My initial solution to this problem was to burn the house down and cut my losses. However, after I realized how hard it is to commit insurance fraud, I found out that there are slightly less dangerous ways to simultaneously get rid of both my bug and odor problem: Ladies and gentlemen, meet the unbeatable combo of VEVA and Katchy.
This beautiful air purifier and bug trap twosome solved both problems in a matter of days. DAYS! And I’m going to show you how. We’re going to go over some reasons why your house may have a funky smell, how to make your house smell good for the holidays, and the best bug traps to use to get rid of any remaining pest problem.
Why Does the Air in My House Stink?
Again, there are a lot of potential contributors to the musty smell in your home. The most common one is mold and/or mildew. Both of these thrive near food, darkness, moisture, and warmth (around 80 degrees F). Check the corners of your house, or even under your carpet to see if any mold or mildew is growing where the sun don’t shine.
If you have neither mold nor mildew, but still have a weird home fragrance, it could be your garbage can, your pet (if you have one), your carpet, your compost, or just a lack of ventilation in your home.
So, now that we know what is causing the smell, let’s see what we can do about it (at least, what I did):
How Can I Make My House Smell Good All the Time?
Get your cleaning tools ready because we’re going to learn how to power clean, how to purify air, and how to douse your house in holiday scents!
1. If you have a garbage disposal, clean it.
- If you’ve got fruit flies in your sink or around your kitchen, chances are you have some goo in there that needs to be removed. Sprinkle half a cup of baking soda into your disposal, then a cup of white vinegar. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes, then run it while hot water rinses it away. You can also use chopped citrus peels for some pleasant home fragrance!
2. Refresh your rugs and carpets.
- Start with a clean-filtered vacuum cleaner - this is important, because vacuums with dirty filters can just blow more dust and grime into your carpet. Check out these VEVA vacuum filters and vacuum bags (they don’t just do air purifiers!) if you’re worried your vacuum might be overdue for a cleaning.
3. How to Deodorize a Carpet.
- After you’ve vacuumed, check for any stains that may be causing an odor, such as a pee stain or hidden food. After that, pour some baking soda on the spot, and let it sit for a few hours, then vacuum it up! The smell should be gone.
4. Clean your trash can.
- Learning how to keep flies out of your garbage can may solve both your pest AND odor problem! Take out all the trash, and spray down the can with a hose. Next, you’ll want to scrub it down with a soap and water solution, spray it down again, then let it dry. No more mess, no more stress.
5. Rethink your kitchen counter organization.
- Kitchen insects thrive on cramped countertops and in messy pantries. Free up some space on your counter and spray it down with a disinfecting spray. This will keep the hidden bugs and smells away and give you more space to cook for the holidays!
6. Get an air purifier.
- This, my friends, is the biggest key for how to make your house smell good. Even after you’ve cleaned, you may find there is still some lingering stale air. Having one of these bad boys gets rid of any foul odor, fine dust, mold, pet dander, microbes, smoke, lint, pollen, and bacteria, all while filtering your air to be crisp and clean. I suggest this VEVA ProHEPA 9000 air purifier, as it includes medical grade H13 filters that can help protect against illness (which is important given the times we’re living in).
- Also, be sure to get some extra air filters as well - you’ll need to change them out periodically to keep your air completely clean. If you have any questions or are interested in even more of what VEVA has to offer, visit their website or contact page!
Now that you’ve done the cleaning, it’s time to get to the fun part: holiday scents! Here are some different ways for how to make your home smell like Christmas:
- Simmer herbs and fruits on the stove. Put cinnamon sticks, citrus peels, fresh ginger, or chai tea bags in some water and bring it to a simmer on your stove. Before you know it, your whole house will smell like the holidays.
- Light some holiday candles. Candle technology has really come a long way, and can completely upgrade your home fragrance.
- Get some essential oils. Holiday-themed ones are the best, but you can mix and match depending on what you enjoy.
- Bake some cookies or pastries! This is, without a doubt, the most fun way to make your home smell great while you get into the holiday spirit. Test out your baking skills and be rewarded with a smell everyone loves!
How to Get Rid of Any Remaining Bugs
Alright, so your house is clean and smells like the North Pole. But, what if you still can’t get rid of some of the bugs? For stubborn pests that won’t take the hint, you’ll need a bug catcher. That’s where Katchy comes in!
What is Katchy?
The Katchy indoor insect trap was the answer to my prayers. It’s a no-chemical, all electric indoor fly catcher that gets rid of gnats and other pests by using a UV light to attract small bugs into a fan, where they then become stuck to a glue trap. The insects stay in place, and don’t come back!
There are two different trap options - manual and automatic. Check out this blog to see the differences and pick the right one for your home! Both traps come with 4 glue boards, they both use chemical-free UV lighting, and are perfect for taking care of your pest problem.
Can You Use Katchy Outside?
No. These products make great gnat and fruit fly traps, but won’t be effective outdoors. The general coverage area is about 320 square feet.
Does Katchy Work During the Daytime?
Not as well. While you’re totally allowed to use them during the day, they work best with no competing light source.
Common Q’s for Controlling Pest & Odor Issues
Do Cinnamon Sticks Keep Bugs Away?
Yes! While it may not be as effective as a bug catcher, putting cinnamon sticks outside can keep away ants, cockroaches, spiders, fruit flies, rats, earwigs, mosquitos, and even bed bugs! All while smelling great!
Does Peppermint Oil Repel Bugs?
Yes. Peppermint oil is a great natural solution for how to make your house smell good and how to keep bugs away! By leaving it around your home’s entry points, you can keep away ticks, spiders, roaches, flies, moths, fleas, beetles, and ants. Again, not quite as effective as a bug catcher, but still a good natural solution!
Do Air Purifiers Get Rid of Bugs?
Small bugs, yes! Air purifiers suck in air, and can remove small insects like fruit flies and mosquitos from the air it takes in - making it the perfect combo to use with Katchy!
Final Thoughts
If you were feeling a little overwhelmed about the state of your home for the coming holidays, I hope this helped - I know it helped me! Enhancing my home fragrance didn’t just improve my way of living, it improved my mood. Also, my mom isn’t on my case about the ‘stale stench’ whenever she comes over anymore, so that’s a plus. For more products, tips, and tricks, check out the websites for VEVA and Katchy!
Happy holidays, and good luck!
Contributing Writer: Aurora Detor