Every home has a distinctive smell. Grandma and Grandpa Yeo’s house on Grimthorpe Ave. always smelled sweet and smoky. Sweet, because Grandma was always baking some treat for us and smoky because… well, Grandpa loved his pipe.
On Mother’s Day 1980, while Grandpa was pruning his rose bushes, he toppled over and died. He was 95. I couldn’t understand why I didn’t cry though I loved him dearly and had so many wonderful memories of our times together. Two weeks after the funeral, in a convenience store parking lot, a man smoking a pipe got into his car next to mine. I hadn’t been thinking about Grandpa that day but as soon as I closed the door, the dam burst and the steering wheel was soon wet with tears.
I’ve since learned that when you smell something, to process the smell, your brain uses the same areas that it would use to process emotions.
I love fragrance and often will burn a candle, spritz some mist, or use a diffuser. A few people are sensitive to artificial fragrance so it’s good to be aware of that. We often have Airbnb guests, so when I’m cooking fish or a cruciferous veggie (like cauliflower, cabbage or broccoli), I’ll burn our Lamp Berger for a few minutes. It’s an oil based diffuser originally used in hospitals to purify the air. House plants also purify the air. Especially spider plants.
But the best smelling home smells like CLEAN.
So open your windows, empty the trash bins, change the sheets. Your nose (and your guests) will thank you.
By the way…
Do you wonder why some candles cost more than others? It most often has to do with the quality of the wax. Soya or beeswax burn cleaner, longer and brighter. They are also scented with high quality essential oils or more costly perfumes as opposed to their generic counterparts.
I’d love to hear from you. How would you like your home to smell? Please comment below and if you’re enjoying these weekly homemaking/ hospitality reads, kindly share.
Cheers!
Sue
As a Realtor° & someone who has a fragrance allergy, I always suggest to my Sellers to be mindful of scents. Some Buyers, may be allergic to fragrance. Fragrance means no to plugins, febreeze, candles, melted wax and essential oils. A good deep clean of your home is enough. Thanks, Sue, for pointing out this very important fact that usually goes overlooked.
Thank you so much for your beautiful suggestions, Sue. I will use a lot of them! The air purifier sounds interesting. I have had my windows open most of September. I change sheets weekly and use Scentsy wax. With two cats and their litter, and dog sitting a Bernese every day, I have to find ways to deodorize. Thanks again, Sue.