Follow Your Nose

(Image courtesy of João Pavão)

Believe it or not, our noses have a strong connection to our emotions and our memories. In the summer, the smell of fresh cut grass may give us a nostalgic feeling, and who can deny that the scent of cooking food makes us feel like we’re at home? If the way an apartment smells weren’t important, people wouldn’t spend so much time picking out the perfect candle scent, or spraying cans of air freshener.

You can make your home smell more comforting and inviting without filling the air you breathe with chemicals and candle smoke. This article from renters.apartments.com offers two great tricks to permeate your apartment with warm, inviting scents. Keep reading to learn more.

1. The Saucepan Simmer.

A saucepan filled with a few aromatic ingredients, topped with water and set to simmer on low (Only do this while you are home. Fire always needs a chaperone.) is a great way to make your place smell wonderful.

Here are a few mixes to try:

Citrus Spice

You’ll need:

• 1 orange or 2-3 clementines
• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
• a spoonful of whole cloves
• 3 sticks of cinnamon
• a couple shakes of powdered nutmeg
• water
• a saucepan

Quarter the orange (or slice it into rings, if you want to be pretty about it) and put the fruit and spices in a small saucepan. Top with water, leaving a good inch or so from the top of the saucepan. Turn the heat on low and let it simmer for hours, adding more water as needed.

Woodsy Cabin

You’ll need:

• 1 handful of pine or cedar twigs
• 3 bay leaves
• a couple shakes powered or fresh nutmeg
• water
• a saucepan

Toss the foliage and spices into the pan, top with water and turn the heat to low. As the mix simmers, it will begin to smell fresh and give you ideas about trying cross-country skiing.

Fancy Store You Can’t Afford to Shop in

Legend has it this recipe is what makes Williams Sonoma smell like a place that deserves all of my money. 

You’ll need:

• 1 lemon, sliced in thin rings
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup water (adding more as it evaporates throughout the day)

Toss it all on to simmer, wait two hours, and then invite people over for your Pampered Chef party. That oughta move some merchandise.

2. The Crockpot Variation.

Sometimes to smell great, all your place needs is to stop smelling like last night’s dinner. This is easily accomplished with a few tablespoons of baking soda, a little water, and your crockpot, sans lid.

You’ll want to make a baking soda and water mix that’s more like Alka-Seltzer and less like damp baking soda, so add a good amount of water and stir. Set the crockpot with the baking soda mix in the room where the odor is strongest. Turn it on, move the dial to a very low setting, and let it sit without its lid.

The warm baking soda draws the scent out of the air and neutralizes it, freshening your room quickly, cheaply and naturally.

3. The Radiator Method.

For those of you earth-friendly types looking to conserve energy, this is a smart variation. Simply prepare a simmer mix in a saucepan, but instead of turning on the stove, set the pan on top of your radiator.

As the heat comes on, the pan warms up and you get a periodic wave of room refreshment without having to worry about keeping an eye on the stove or using unnecessary energy.