Life Hacks: Three top TikTok tips to make your home smell incredible

When it comes to online life hacks, we’ve become well accustomed to disappointment. Whether they’re easily debunked, or downright ridiculous, videos promising to revolutionise the way we operate with one simple step are, more often than not, a bit of a letdown.

However, in order to cut through the clutter and find those precious pearls of wisdom, we’ll be putting together a weekly guide of the top life hacks that actually work. This week, we’re looking at scent-boosting tips and tricks that will have your home smelling sensational.

Everyone’s space has a particular scent unique to those that live there, and factors like laundry detergent, food preparation and perfume all come into play.

Since we tend to grow accustomed to the smell of our homes, here are three ways to freshen things up if you’ve got guests coming over…

Felt pads and essential oils

@martinedelasoul

Cheap and easy! #homehack #smellgood #lifehack #feltpads #goodsmellinghome

? original sound – sola

In a TikTok that’s racked up 1.7 million views and counting, Rooted By Martine shared a great way to add a fresh flair to every corner of your home. Just pick up a multipack of felt adhesive furniture pads from pretty much any hardware shop and add a couple of drops of your favourite essential oils.

Stick them on kitchen cabinets, toilet or nappy bins, every time you walk by a fresh scent will greet you. You could go for eucalyptus in the bathroom, lavender in the bedroom, and peppermint in the kitchen — the choice is yours.

Some TikTok users took to the comment section to warn that certain essential oils may be toxic for pets, advising that if you’re cautious, just dilute the oil and place the adhesives on the high points of each room. Also, if you’re popping them on your favourite furniture, it’s advised that you make sure not to saturate the pad entirely, just in case some seeps through and stains.

Baking soda, baby

@mama_mila_

Treat yourself to a great night sleep ? Link in bio to full tutorial on YT ? #bedroomaesthetic #bedroommakeover

? Rich Girl x Up by Altegomusic – ALTÉGO

It seems you can use this ingredient for a whole lot more than baking. In a life hack video that went viral last year, Chantel Mila shared a top tip on keeping your bed smelling fresh for longer.

All you’ve got to do is sprinkle some baking soda over a bare mattress along with a couple of drops of that all-important essential oil, leave it to rest for anywhere from 20 minutes to 10 hours, and hoover it off to deodorise. The TikTok user also advises that when you’re making the bed up, spritz some water on as you’re tucking in your flat sheet to remove wrinkles.

An essential item for absorbing unwanted odours, baking soda is often used at the base of a bin and in the fridge to soak up the stink.

Your very own coffee house

@apieceofmyglamhome

Diy Odor Hack! #Lifestyle #asmr #decor #homehacks #homedecor #foryoupag #decoratewithme #howto #smellgood #coffee #home #Coming2America

? positions – Ariana Grande

While this may be a little more niche, anyone who adores that rich coffee smell might want to try this one out. In a tutorial posted by A Piece of My Glam Home, this TikTok creator filled a large candle holder with coffee beans and placed a couple of vanilla scented tea lights on top.

Writing that the warmth of the candles will heat the beans up just enough to have your home smelling like a French vanilla coffee. That freshly brewed scent lends an inviting air to your space, enriching the atmosphere and might just make you crave a caffeine boost.

Whether you want this as a permanent fixture in your home, or use it every now and then as a way of ridding your space from particularly stubborn odours, it’s definitely worth a try.

This article was originally published in July 2022.