How to create a pleasant aroma in your home?

How to choose a scent?

Smells surround us everywhere: frosty air and sun-warmed sea sand, a new book and fallen leaves all smell different. Quite a lot has been written and said about the influence of scents on well-being. To avoid repeating ourselves, let us remind you that:

• pleasant scents of coffee, cinnamon, basil, and bergamot are best suited for the kitchen;
• pine and lemon scents help to concentrate in the study;
• sea, herbal, and floral scents will create freshness in the bathroom and toilet;
• lavender, rose, cedar, or chamomile will help you relax in the bedroom. Ylang-ylang, amber, patchouli or jasmine will contribute to a romantic mood.
• the living room provides scope for experimentation, depending on the mood and preferences of guests and hosts.

It is good if each room in the house or apartment has its own purpose. In this case, it is easy to create your own atmosphere in it. It is more difficult in universal rooms that can serve as a living room or study during the day, and a bedroom at night. In such cases, you will have to alternate aromas.

Choosing a method of aromatization

Today we can choose pleasant aromas for our home ourselves. This topic is of interest to many, so in stores you can find air fresheners and diffusers, traditional candles and sticks. But first things first.

Scented candles

Scented candles are a small container filled with a fragrant base, into which a wick is placed. It can consist of:

• solid fatty acid – stearin;
• paraffin;
• natural wax.

When buying a candle, it is important to pay attention to its quality. The wick should not contain any foreign inclusions, and the wax, stearin or paraffin should be evenly distributed throughout the glass.

Interesting! Scented candles came into use in the second half of the 20th century. Many perfumers worked on their creation, but the greatest contribution was made by the Frenchman Mario Rigaud. In the 1960s, he managed to obtain a natural soft wax that could change shape and simultaneously transmit pleasant smells.

The choice of aroma is a personal matter, but I still suggest paying attention to several proven brands of candles:

• Оminimalism, “Heat” – a sandalwood-based aroma with spices and ginger;
• Benua, Bergamot – a composition of bergamot, fig, freesia amyris and moss;
• Arya Home, Arya Whipped Vanilla & Coconut Rose – for those with a sweet tooth: rose, vanilla and coconut;
• Skandinavisk, Fjäll – the fresh scent of a Scandinavian meadow with elements of physalis and heather;
• Daje, Create – an invigorating aroma of lime, amber and basil with woody notes.
• Flame, Mira – a complex combination of myrrh, immortelle, labradorite, geranium, laurel, caraway, seasoned with resinous components;
• Tonka Perfumes, Svezhiy – a floral scent (rose, mint, monarda) with forest notes based on cedar.

A candle is usually lit for at least 40–60 minutes. The place in the room is chosen so that air currents flow around it. Before this, it is recommended to ventilate the room so that there is no layering of odors. Often, an aroma candle is inserted into a special vessel, which serves as a frame for it.

Aroma lamps

The design of classic aroma lamps is simple: at the bottom there is a heating element, at the top there is a bowl of water to which a few drops of essential oil are added.

Of all the abundance of aroma lamps on the modern market, it is better to choose those that have a water capacity of at least 50 ml. It is important to pay attention to the material from which the lamp is made. It must be resistant to heat and not react to oil vapors. Stone, glass, ceramics, porcelain, stainless steel best meet these requirements. After all these requirements have been taken into account, you can think about how to choose a lamp for the interior of the house.

Today, electric and ultrasonic, water and waterless aroma lamps have been added to the usual aroma lamps, as well as those that can be connected to a computer via a USB port. Among the many manufacturers of these devices, we can highlight: Inbreathe Eco and Giftman.

Note. Those who visit Orthodox churches have probably noticed that a church lamp can be used at home as an aroma lamp. To do this, a metal “spider” with a piece of incense instead of essential oils is installed on top of it. When burning in an apartment, it will emit smoke with a pleasant smell.

Bakhoor

The Eastern tradition of burning wood soaked in essential oils is thousands of years old. Modern bakhoors are made in the form of aromatic tablets, balls or shavings. They are burned in bakhoor boxes – mechanical, manual or electric. Various pleasant incense from Hemani, Haneen, Sheikha are popular.

There are special rules for fumigating a room to create a pleasant smell in the house. First, you need to wait until the white smoke fills the space, and the aroma permeates all the objects. After this, be sure to ventilate the room. The smell in the house will remain for quite a long time – up to several days. In a similar way, you can fumigate clothes when drying or the inside of a closet.

Incense sticks

Incense sticks can be used instead of bakhoor. They are bamboo rods soaked in pleasant fragrant compounds. The sticks can be solid or consisting of a core and a shell. The former create a soft aroma, the latter – a more intense one.

The tip of the rod is set on fire for about ten seconds, and then extinguished. After that, cover the burnt tip with your palm, blow on a weak flame and place the stick in a special stand or stick it in the sand. Usually one stick, smoldering for 30 minutes, is enough for a medium-sized room. During this time, it burns out completely.

When buying incense sticks, you need to pay attention to the manufacturer. The best are considered to be Nepal, India, China and Japan firms: Satya, Aasha Herbals, and others.

Ceramic and gypsum air fresheners

Not everyone can stand strong odors. For those who prefer quiet pleasant aromas in the house, gradually filling the space, figurines made of ceramics, porcelain or plaster, which exude complex fragrant compositions, are suitable.

To make them, the necessary components are mixed, the product is given the desired shape, painted and fired. Completely finished figurines are impregnated with a perfume composition. The aroma lasts for several weeks, then you need to refresh the smell with a special agent. The following brands have proven themselves in this segment: Tonatto Profumi, Esteban, Kilian, Avery, Chando.

Sprays

Aerosols have been used in everyday life for several decades. The first samples of this household chemical product had sharp odors, but today the range of aromas has been significantly improved and expanded. They are made on the basis of non-toxic cosmetic components. In addition to aromatization, aerosols humidify the air and clean it from dust. Among the well-known brands of aroma sprays: Help, New Galaxy, Faberlic, etc.

Sprays are not suitable for constantly maintaining the smell in an apartment or house, but they work great in cases where you need to localize an unpleasant situation, for example, eliminate the smell of burnt food.

Automatic air fresheners

Modern devices – automatic air fresheners in the house. They consist of an aerosol can, an electric motor, a timer and a reducer, placed in a plastic case.

With the help of a timer, you can adjust the spray mode in the room, and select the aroma individually. One can last an average of one and a half months. The leaders in the rating of these devices are: Glade, Ksitex PD-6D, Discover, Glade Automatiс, Brait Ivory Freesia, etc.

Aroma blocks

Unlike the previous device, aroma blocks are very simple. They are a flat square polyethylene container filled with fragrant gel. After opening the package, the block is inserted into a special holder and left for one to two months.

At first, it emits a fairly strong smell, which noticeably weakens over time. Usually, they have pronounced berry and fresh fruit aromas: apple, banana, as well as citrus: lemon and orange. The main advantage of aroma blocks is their low price. They are convenient to place in the bathroom. The most common manufacturer is Glade.

Diffusers

The advantages of the listed methods of air aromatization in the house are combined in diffusers. These small vessels, filled with a special incense composition, into which porous wooden sticks are inserted, can be placed in the apartment anywhere to fill the house with a pleasant aroma.

The range of aromas is very wide. You can choose the scent of pine needles or blackcurrant, which is familiar to the middle latitudes, or you can immerse yourself in the world of exoticism.

The intensity of the pleasant smell can be changed by adding or reducing the number of sticks. When the aroma weakens, the sticks are turned over. After the liquid runs out, you can add the same fragrant composition of essential oils. Depending on the volume of the container and the manufacturer, one diffuser lasts from one month to six months.

The list of proven manufacturers of diffusers with rattan sticks is quite large: Acappella, Faberlic, La Casa De Los Aromas, Acqua Delle Langhe, etc.

Today, electric ultrasonic devices have been added to traditional diffusers. Some of the most popular are: Candle Warmers and Medisana AD 620.

An ultrasonic aroma diffuser is a special device that contains a container filled with water. Before use, 4 – 5 drops of essential oil are added to it, and then the device is plugged into an outlet. The volume of liquid is proportionate to the size of the room in which the device will work, according to the instructions.

Aromatization with improvised means

There are almost always people who strive not only to use the achievements of new technologies, but also to create something with their own hands. For them, we can recommend several simple recipes.

Citrus “hedgehogs”

1. Cut the orange into slices, add 2-3 cinnamon sticks, 8-10 cloves, a little anise and other fragrant plants to taste.
2. Mix all this, put it in a jar and fill it with water.
3. To make the mixture emit aroma, it needs to be slowly heated in a saucepan in a water bath at minimum heat or just put the jar on the radiator.

Aromatic stones

To prepare the mixture, you need to take flour (600 g), salt (1 kg), starch (5 tbsp).

1. Add 200 ml of hot water and a little fragrant oil of your choice, and also – optionally – any food coloring.
2. Form flat cakes from the prepared dough, add a few more drops of oil.
3. Place the resulting “stones” in the room to fill the house with a soft fragrance.

Spray

1. For this you will need an empty spray bottle. It must be filled 3/4 of the way with a special composition.
2. You should prepare a mixture of 1 glass of water, 4 tbsp. spoons of vodka and 20-30 drops of essential oil.
3. Spray the resulting liquid as needed to create a pleasant aroma in the house.

A few words about cleanliness

And yet, no air aromatization in the house will give the desired effect if there are unpleasant odors. The causes may be:

• leftovers left on the table;
• trash can not taken out in time;
• cabinets that are rarely cleaned: wardrobes or kitchen cabinets;
• sewer pipes;
• upholstered furniture, carpets, home textiles that have absorbed stagnant odors.

These are the sources that exist in every home, but there are also individual problems of unpleasant odor, such as constant smoking or the presence of pets. In some cases, when a sick person who needs care lives in the house, the smell of human feces may appear.

Each of these problems is solved in its own way. You can remove garbage and wash dishes in a matter of minutes. You can quickly conduct an audit of the wardrobe, wash stale clothes. If you put a sachet with herbs on the shelf, for example, La Decor, then the linen closet will turn into a source of a pleasant aroma.

Note. Sachets are easy to make at home. To do this, put dry aromatic herbs in a bag made of natural fabric: rosemary, lavender, mint or dry petals of roses, jasmine and other flowers. Additionally, you can drop some essential oil.

• Curtains, blankets, bedspreads that have absorbed a stagnant unpleasant odor require washing or dry cleaning. My many years of experience suggest that this procedure should be carried out at least every six months.
• A clogged sewer pipe can cause a lot of trouble. In order not to wait until fatty deposits clog it so much that the water begins to stagnate and emit an unpleasant odor, you need to flush the pipes once or twice a month.
• You can find corresponding recipes on websites containing useful tips for home care. For example, take 1/2 cup of soda, pour it into the pipe, and then fill it with table vinegar. At the same time, you should be careful that these substances do not get on the sink. After 1-2 hours, rinse with a strong stream of water.
• However, I prefer to buy such products in household chemical stores. They are inexpensive, act effectively: “Mole”, “Cinderella”, Sanfor, Synergetic, Tiret, etc.
• But in the fight against foul-smelling excrement and feces, you should not waste time on “folk” methods, it is better to immediately buy an antiseptic. It is most convenient to use detergents that, in addition to surfactants, include QAC – quaternary ammonium compounds, for example, “Desital”.
• In situations where you need to quickly eliminate the “fragrant” source, you need a neutralizer, which is used to treat the problem area immediately after cleaning. Italmas Professional Cleaning, S3, Smell Block, etc. do an excellent job of this.
• The most difficult thing is with smoking. You can spread activated charcoal, rice or coffee beans in the room, sprinkle soda on the surface of upholstered furniture for a day, and then remove it with a vacuum cleaner. However, these measures help only temporarily. If the source is not eliminated, all efforts will be in vain.

Whatever method of air aromatization to create a pleasant smell and comfort in the house we choose, the main thing is that it does not cause allergies and suits everyone living in it, giving pleasure to all family members and their guests.