No one wants to live in a home that doesn’t smell nice.

Even if you keep your home impeccably clean, unpleasant odors can arise from time to time.

While it’s fine to have a home that doesn’t smell like anything at all, it’s nice to have a gentle, pleasant scent in the air.

The key here is subtlety.

All too often, people go overboard when trying to make their homes smell good.

Another common mistake is to mask unpleasant odors with strong scents.

It’s much better to eliminate the source of the foul odor.

Here are 25 great tips for making your home smell terrific…

1. Put Vacuum Beads in Your Vacuum Cleaner

If you’ve never heard of vacuum beads, you’re not alone.

They’re not sold in big chain stores.

The best way to get them is to order them online.

These tiny, scented beads add fragrance to your home while you vacuum it.

The effect doesn’t last long, but it’s nice while it does.

They work on all vacuum cleaner models, and they keep working through several vacuuming jobs.

2. Use Linen Spray

When it comes to linen spray, there are good products and terrible products.

The best ones tend to cost more, but the extra expense is well worth it.

Always use linen spray sparingly.

A little goes a long way.

The nice thing about high-quality linen spray is that it can be used on so many different things.

Give it a try on curtains, rugs, sheets, shower curtains and other fabrics in your home.

3. Burn Incense

If you think incense is strictly suitable for college dorm rooms, think again.

There are definitely some pretty obnoxious incense scents out there, but there are plenty of simply delightful options too.

Even if you live in a large house, you should limit yourself to burning a single stick at a time.

Light it in a central location and let it waft slowly through the house.

You’ll love the results.

4. Buy Oil Diffusers

Oil diffusers are small bottles that have what appear to be incense sticks poking out of them.

They add fragrance to the air in a subtle and intriguing way, and they look elegant too.

A huge array of fragrance oils is available, so finding an option that suits your tastes is easy.

As with anything else, don’t go overboard with these.

Using one on each floor of your home should suffice.

5. Light Candles

There are plenty of inexpensive candles out there, but they often disappoint in terms of fragrance.

It’s well worth it to splurge on pricier candles that actually make your home smell nice.

Besides, you probably won’t burn them 24/7, so they should last.

One tip to keep in mind is not to burn more than one type of candle in a single room.

Stick with a single scent to get the best results.

6. Try an Oil Burner

To add a stronger scent to your home, you might want to try an oil burner.

They come in many shapes and sizes, but they all work the same way.

In most cases, a tea light is placed at the bottom, and a small amount of fragrance oil is poured into the top.

As the oil heats up, the fragrance is released.

Stick with subtle scents when using oil burners because strong scents can be overwhelming.

7. Invest in Fancy Laundry Detergent

When your bedroom linens and towels smell great, your home smells better too.

Everyday laundry detergents are great, but it’s nice to bust out a fancy, scented laundry detergent from time to time.

Search online to see what’s available, and read reviews to find out what people have to say.

You’ll have to pay more than you would for regular detergent, but you’ll be blown away by the lovely scent and how it enhances your home.

8. Bake Bread

A great way to make your home smell warm, inviting and wonderful is by baking some bread.

As an added bonus, you’ll have something yummy to eat later too.

Spiced breads are especially good options.

Apple cinnamon bread and banana nut bread will both make your home smell amazing.

You may not have time to bake bread often, but you’ll love the results when you do.

9. Simmer Apple Slices and Cinnamon Sticks

If you don’t feel like burning incense or lighting candles, another great way to make your kitchen and home smell great is by simmering apple slices and cinnamon sticks on the stove.

The one drawback to this is that the stove has to be lit, so you need to stay nearby.

Therefore, this is a good option for times when you’re working in the kitchen or in an adjacent room.

10. Simmer Orange Peels

Like many people, you may not keep cinnamon sticks on hand.

In a pinch, orange peels work just as well.

After peeling and enjoying an orange, take the peels and put them in a small amount of water on the stove.

Simmering the water will heat up the peels, which will release their fragrance.

Before you know it, your home will be filled with the lovely scent of fresh oranges.

11. Try Vanilla Extract

Vanilla extract isn’t just great for baking delicious cookies, cakes and other treats.

By soaking a small sponge in some vanilla extract and placing it in a bowl, you’ll be able to add the lovely scent of vanilla to your home.

This may not be the most visually appealing way to make your home smell great, but it definitely works in a pinch.

12. Open the Windows

When the air in your home gets musty and stale, the only remedy is to open the windows and let fresh air flow through.

This is obviously easy and nice to do when it’s warm outside.

During the winter, you may be out of luck.

If you have a rare warmish day during the winter, take advantage of it by opening all the windows for at least a few minutes.

It can make a world of difference.

13. Use Carpet Deodorizer

In general, it’s best to avoid using carpet deodorizer, which is usually sold in powder form.

The powder can clog vacuum cleaner components and create serious problems.

If used very sparingly, though, carpet deodorizer can quickly freshen up a room.

Sprinkle it on so lightly that you can’t even see it, and vacuum it up thoroughly.

When you’re done, empty the canister and look over your vacuum cleaner to make sure it’s okay.

14. Wash Carpets and Rugs

Carpets and rugs can harbor all kinds of odor-causing things.

Even if you are really careful about keeping them clean, they’re going to get dirty after a while.

If there’s room in your budget, have a professional company come out and steam clean your carpets.

Otherwise, rent one of those carpet cleaners and do the job yourself.

For best results, do this at the end of the winter, which is when rugs and carpets tend to be in the worst shape.

15. Clean Wood Floors

It’s important to clean the wood floors in your home regularly for a number of reasons.

In addition to keeping them in terrific shape, it can freshen up your home and make it smell a lot better.

That’s especially true if you use a scented cleaning product.

Shop around to find one that appeals to you and use as directed.

16. Polish Wood Furniture

Many wood furniture polishes are available in scented varieties.

Polishing wood furniture wipes away dust and makes it positively glow.

As an added bonus, it can make it smell really nice too.

There are many varieties to choose from, so consider your options carefully.

The right polish will be absorbed into the furniture and shouldn’t leave a residue of any kind.

Despite that, it should make the furniture smell wonderful, which will make your home smell wonderful too.

17. Spray Perfume on a Light Bulb

This neat little trick really works.

Spray a small amount of your favorite perfume onto a cold, unlit light bulb.

When it’s turned on and heats up, it will slowly fill the room with a perfumed fragrance that’s not overpowering at all.

Give it a try to see for yourself.

18. Use Dried Herbs and Flowers

This may seem a little antiquated, but it actually works.

Fill small bowls with dried lavender or rosemary and place them here and there around the home.

To freshen up drawers and closets, fill small sachets with dried herbs and flowers and tuck them away.

You’ll love being greeted with the lovely, subtle scent of rosemary and lavender when you open drawers and closet doors.

19. Keep Baking Soda in the Fridge

Nothing is worse than opening the fridge and being assaulted with nasty odors.

A tried-and-true way to ward off this problem is by keeping a small box of baking soda in the fridge.

There are boxes that are actually designed for use in the fridge.

Make sure to empty out the fridge and give it a thorough cleaning from time to time, and try not to let leftovers languish inside it for too long.

20. Use Citrus Cleaning Spray

To keep your home from smelling like a hospital, use cleaning products that have nice scents.

Citrus cleaning sprays are excellent examples, and they are especially useful in bathrooms and kitchens.

In addition to working really well, they leave a fresh, citrus scent.

Keep a spray bottle of the stuff nearby so that it’s available when you need it.

21. Freshen Up the Disposal with Citrus Rinds

From time to time, you may notice a nasty odor emanating from your garbage disposal.

Pouring bleach down the drain isn’t a good idea.

There’s actually a fresh, natural way to eliminate gross odors from a garbage disposal.

Every now and then, just drop a few citrus rinds down the drain and run the disposal.

This will work wonders to freshen up your disposal, and it couldn’t be easier.

22. Keep Your Clothes Washer Fresh

Over time, a washing machine can develop a musty or mildewy odor.

This can actually make whatever you wash in it smell awful too.

To reduce the risk of mold and mildew, leave the door open when the washer isn’t being used.

If you start to notice a nasty odor, run the washer while it’s empty and use vinegar instead of detergent.

In most cases, this will take care of the problem.

23. Eliminate Nasty Odors from the Dishwasher

Another appliance that can harbor gross-smelling odors is the dishwasher.

Who wants to eat off a plate that smells disgusting?

Furthermore, a bad-smelling dishwasher can make the whole kitchen smell awful.

The solution may surprise you.

Run the dishwasher while it’s empty, and use orange drink mix instead of dish detergent.

Powdered, orange-flavored drink mix will also eliminate stains.

24. Stock Up on Dryer Sheets

Dryer sheets aren’t just useful for eliminating static cling.

They can be used around the house to make it smell better.

Tuck a few between your mattress and bed sheet to keep them smelling wonderful between washings.

Tucking them between sofa cushions works well too.

Cleaning baseboards around your home with dryer sheets will freshen things up nicely as well.

25. Replace Old, Nasty Carpet

If you have carpeting that’s seen better days and doesn’t look or smell any better after it’s washed, you should bite the bullet and replace it.

Whether you replace it with new carpeting or opt for laminate or wood flooring instead, it will go a long way toward freshening up your home.

You may not like spending the extra money, but you’ll be thrilled with the results.

Final Thoughts…

The trick to making a home smell terrific isn’t to mask nasty odors.

Instead, you should keep your home as clean as possible.

The right tricks can add the perfect amount of fragrance to your home, and periodically airing it out by opening all the windows can work wonders too.