How to Make Your Room Smell Good? (10 Ways)

No one wants a house smelling of yesterday’s fried bacon, cigarette smoke, dirty laundry, or any other stench you can’t quite locate the source of. 

Still, making your house smell amazing can sometimes feel like a challenge.

However, taking out the stench and keeping your rooms refreshed and smelling good is pretty easy. 

It doesn’t cost very much either.

Why Does My Room Smell Bad?

So, your room stinks, but the reason behind the funky odor might not be apparent.

One possible reason why your room might smell bad, even after cleaning the entire space out, is mold growth. 

A moldy odor inside the room means that mold is growing somewhere in the building.

It can be anywhere from your bedroom walls, under the carpet, inside the bathroom, or on windowsills. 

Once you smell and see mold, it’s essential to kill mold immediately to avoid any more health risks.

Though mold isn’t the only potential source of unpleasant odors in the room.

Other culprits might be:

• Leftover foods, spills, and stains
• Dirty laundry and damp cloth, which can be a breeding ground for bacteria in the laundry room
• Stale air 
• Pet accidents, pet hair, litter box, insect droppings, and dust buildup 

10 Ways How to Make Your Room Smell Good

If you have guests coming over in an hour or so, or you simply want to make your home refreshed and inviting, these tips will make your house smell great and keep every room smelling fantastic. 

1. Identify and Eliminate Odors

If the room emits a stench, reaching for the air freshener is often the first thing on your mind.

However, this is merely a short-term solution. 

The bad smells remain until you get rid of the culprit. 

The first and most effective way to make a room smell good is to identify and eliminate anything that makes it smell bad.

Check the trash can or even the garbage disposal outside. 

Take some time to inspect the room for water leaks, mold, and mildew. 

Once you find obvious signs of mold growth, you’ll want to eliminate it and clean the area right away.

Repairing leaks where moisture can gather is also necessary to prevent mold and mildew from growing back. 

2. Good Cleaning Session

If the room starts developing stinky smells, a thorough cleaning might be the most straightforward answer.

Give the counters and shelves some good dusting, and don’t forget the windowsills, air vents, and the furnace filter.

Vacuuming the room at least once a week will also eliminate food scraps and dust that could make your house smell. 

3. Get Fresh Air into the Room

After some good cleaning, you need to give the room proper ventilation.

Often, getting fresher air into a room and replacing the stale indoor air will eradicate the musty odor. 

The more air you can get moving indoors, the better.

So, open those windows and doors and turn on the fans, if necessary.

4. Air Fresheners

Are there still lingering smells after thoroughly cleaning the room? Room mists and fresheners should help with that. 

While you can use commercial air fresheners, you can also make a homemade room mist with a spray bottle, rubbing alcohol or vodka, distilled water, and a few drops of your favorite fragrance oils. 

5. Pet Odor Eliminator

If you live with furry friends, it can be another reason as to why your home smells. Anybody who lives with pets knows the nice surprise of cleaning after them!

Thankfully, you can make your own pet deodorizer with water, alcohol, and essential oils in a small spray bottle. 

Use it to freshen your pet in between baths as well as their pet beds and litter boxes.

6. Scented Candles

If you want an instant scent to improve the emanation of each room, lighting your favorite scented candles is the way to go. You can either light candles or use candle warmers. 

Interior designer experts also believe aromas from candles get absorbed in the fabric if you put them beside curtains.

7. Essential Oil Diffusers

Lighting candles can be a bit problematic if there are kids and pets around.

In that case, an oil diffuser might be a safer option to make your house smell good. 

You can buy diffusers or blend using different oils and put them on top of the shelf, out of reach of kids and pets.

Remember, also, to occasionally clean the air filter. 

8. Stovetop Potpourri

Making a potpourri is super easy.

You only need to boil water in a pan on the stove and add a couple of fragrant items like essential oil, citrus peels or citrus oil, orange peels, and cinnamon sticks. 

You can mix and match many herbs and spices to create the perfect scent to keep the entire room smelling clean and fragrant. 

9. Cotton Ball Perfume Bombs

Are you looking to make your home smell good, like your favorite perfume? 

Scatter the room with fragrant whiffs by soaking cotton balls in your favorite cologne, perfume, or scented oil. 

Tuck them behind furniture, between cushions, and anywhere out of sight, and the room will smell nice in a few hours. 

10. Cook Something Delicious

Does the room have a bad odor? Why don’t you cook something delicious?

There’s nothing better than the fine whiffs of home-cooked food as it smells amazing.

Just steer clear of greasy odors like bacon and garlic. 

Instead, think about banana bread or fresh baked cookies. 

What is the Best Scent for a Bedroom?

Whether you opt for bedroom scents and fresheners in the form of diffusers, mists, or candles, these soothing fragrances can make your bedroom smell good. 

• Lavender. It has calming properties that will improve sleep quality.
• Eucalyptus Branches. It’s a natural fragrance with anti-insomnia benefits. 

How to Deodorize a Room Without An Air Freshener

No air freshener? These natural deodorizes will eliminate all unpleasant smells from the whole house. 

1. White Vinegar

White vinegar is an all-time favorite house cleaner.

It removes stains and odors on both surfaces and the air, keeping your house smell good.

2. Baking Soda

Baking soda is one of the best natural odor neutralizers.

Sprinkle baking soda in a damp, stinky carpet, then vacuum it the next day, and it will help remove any lingering odor. 

Plus, baking soda is cheap. 

3. DIY Room Freshener

Room fresheners made of citrus oils or vanilla extract diluted in half a cup of water are effective air deodorizers that absorb smells, giving your home a fresh scent. 

4. Boiling Spices

A stovetop simmer of fresh herbs, spices, and even some fresh flowers is a natural home deodorizer that can make the home smell fresher. 

5. Dryer Sheets

Dryer sheets also work well to absorb odor and moisture in your linen closet and get rid of unpleasant odor from dirty clothes in the hamper. 

The Bottom Line

A room that smells bad isn’t the end of the world.

You can do many things to eliminate any odor-causing bacteria that gives your house a musty, bad smell. 

First things first, keep the room well-ventilated, where fresher air can come in.

Then, introduce your favorite scents in the room, whether that’s in the form of fragrant candles, DIY room fresheners, diffusers, or your favorite cookie recipe.