Greesy Old Woman Smell

C.:

Hello! I'm not sure how long you've lived in your house. However, burning candles is only masking a problem. Odors - be good or bad, are an indiciation of something. Mold and other things cause odors.

It really sounds like you need to find the root of the problem first - my suggestion would be doing a HUGE spring clean in the fall -

It's a HUGE project, and should be a family project. Assign the older kids specific duties and it will be done faster.

1. Wipe down all of your walls with something like diluted Pine-Sol, Spic and Span, etc. (dry walls - even painted - hold on to smells for AGES!!)
2. Clean out the closets and wash and dry all the jackets, scarves, mittens, etc.
3. Take out the boots, shoes and such and let them "air out".
4. Have all the carpets cleaned.
5. WASH - not just wipe, each and every cabinet in the kitchen - inside and out. Cooking odors linger on BOTH sides.
6. Pick up couches, chairs, etc. and vacuum under them. Even vacuum them. If they aren't leather, steam clean them the same time you do the carpets.
7. Wipe down doors - both sides.
8. Change the filter in your heating system.
9. Empty and wash all of the trash cans in the house (bathrooms, den, kitchen).
10. Dust everything - remove books from bookshelves and clear out the cob webs - trust me - they can hold a smell for much longer than one even realizes!
11. Pull out the refridgerator and stove and vacuum and mop the floor under them - a lot of refridgerators have coils on the back that get years of dust build up all over them - wipe 'em down.

Even though you can't see them - odors come from MANY different things - good and bad. Candles will only mask a problem. Once you find the root of the problem, your scent of your candles should last for hours in your home.

I am sure this isn't the answer you were looking for, but I know from experience that if you want your home to smell good, it has to be cleaned to the bones twice a year.

It's like buying a home - when you walk through and they have candles burning everywhere - RUN! RUN FAST!! Many sellers utilize candles to mask an odor that they can't get rid of! Granted - there are sellers out there that have just painted and don't want the paint fumes.

Again, I know this wasn't the answer you were looking for - but once you get to the root of the problem, burning candles in your home will smell GREAT!

If you can afford it - there are cleaning companies that come and do "spring cleaning" anytime of the year. I can recommend one that does an AWESOME job and is reasonably priced!

Take care!

Cheryl

C.,

I'm not one for scented candles, but when there are objectionable odors in my house I use white vinegar to get rid of them. You can place a few bowls of vinegar in the areas of the home that smell for a few hours. Now, your home will smell of the vinegar at first, but once removed the vinegar odor only lingers for an hour or so.

Good Luck.

It sounds like you have a lot of people and a lot of activity in your house which all contributes various scents. Instead of just looking for something to add more scent, maybe you should balance that with removing scents. Maybe fresh air (I know -the weather doesn't always help with that!) or air circulation with fans. The more noticeable scents I get in my house are the bacon, which seems to last all day!, or occasionally SOMETHING in the kitchen reeks and I just have to search and clean until I find it! Maybe having the carpets cleaned will help (my toddlers and dogs were very messy!).

Not sure my answer is all that helpful. Good luck!

Here's a tip from a Realtor I used to know: Put some vanilla extract in a little "bowl" made of tin foil, then put it in the oven at about 200 degrees. If you can keep the kids out of the kitchen, keep the oven door open for a while after it heats up. :) Good luck.