In this Journal post, we’re sharing our top tips for managing the scents in your kitchen, with ways to naturally add fragrance to your space, and ways to make sure unwanted odours are kept at bay.
As a place to prepare, cook, and dispose of food, the smell in a kitchen can easily turn from comforting and inviting, to lingering and unwanted. Garlic and onion may smell amazing as you prepare a spaghetti bolognese for dinner, but if the scent is still noticeable as you make your morning coffee the next day, it might not be as welcomed. A lingering smell is enough to ruin the atmosphere of a kitchen, no matter how much effort you’ve put into making the space look perfect.
This is why many turn to shop-bought fragrances and odour eliminators, to bring scent balance back to the room. However, commercial air fresheners and cleaners can be made from harsh chemicals, or can simply mask underlying odours with artificial fragrances, sometimes making the smell worse, rather than better.
With many DIY alternatives and natural ingredients available, shop bought solutions don’t need to be your only option.
Let us share our top tips and ideas for scenting your kitchen and eliminating bad odours with natural solutions, so you can bring a freshness to your kitchen that will welcome you in everyday.
Homemade, natural air fresheners are easy to make, use simple, affordable household ingredients, and don’t contain harmful substances or chemicals.
On the hob
To create a natural scent using your hob, fill a pan with water and add your favourite fragrant ingredients, such as slices of citrus fruit (orange works beautifully with cinnamon in the colder months) and/or sprigs of garden herbs. Lavender, Rosemary and Thyme work perfectly for this due to their woody, robust stems.
Then, bring the water to boil, before reducing and allowing to simmer for a couple of hours, allowing the scent to drift around the kitchen and the rest of your home. We would recommend checking the pan a few times as the water may need topping up.
If you then allow the mixture to cool, it can be strained into a spray bottle to use as a fragrant room mist (avoid fabrics just in case of marking).
In a jar
For a quick and easy, natural air freshener that requires no heat, you will need an empty mason jar or small, glass container. Take half a cup (or 90g) of baking soda in your glass jar, and mix well with 20 to 25 drops (depending how strong you would like the scent) of your favourite essential oil. Pure essential oils can be picked up from most drug stores and are mainly extracted from fragrant herbs, spices and fruits, such as lavender and lemon.
When mixed, then place a piece of paper, cotton or linen over the opening and seal with an elastic band. The baking soda will work to absorb odours from the air, and the essential oils will disperse their beautiful scent. If the smell seems to have died down, give the jar a little shake to get more from your homemade air freshener.
Potted herbs are a great way to bring life and greenery into your kitchen whilst improving the scent of your space. Plants like Basil, Rosemary and Sage will give off a beautiful aroma throughout the day, especially when placed in a sunny spot, and will also come in handy for keen chefs!
Alternatively, if you don’t have the worksurface space to grow indoor plants, you could pick the herb from your garden and create bunches, tied with string to hang in your kitchen.
When life gives you lemons, we say clean with them!
A great way to clean your kitchen area whilst making it smell amazing is to use your own lemon-based, natural cleaning spray. All you need is one part vinegar, one part water, a Lemon rind (the more the merrier for scent) and optional rosemary sprigs.
Combine all of these ingredients into a spray bottle, shake and leave to infuse for up to a week before use.
Once infused, the all-purpose cleaner can be used to clean your waste bin, wipe away wall smudges, clean the inside of your fridge, and much more, bringing a fresh scent to your kitchen as you go.
Disclaimer: We wouldn’t recommend using this solution on your 1909 kitchen doors or worktops (depending on the worktop material – seek advice first), as we only recommend using a lightly dampened microfibre cloth.
One way to keep bad odours at bay is to manage your waste effectively, making sure your bin never overflows and never becomes too dirty.
Sprinkling bicarbonate of soda in the bottom of your bin after each bag change is a great way to make sure bad smells are absorbed.
The type of bin you have can also effect unwanted smells. At 1909 we offer a wide range of integrated multi-compartment bins, so your waste is neatly tucked away within a cabinet, keeping odours trapped, and keeping the waste out of direct sunlight which can worsen odours.
Bringing the outdoors in with a beautiful, freshly cut floral display will help your kitchen smell amazing, whilst adding a brightness to the room. You could make small displays in mason jars, or go all out with a full vase display.
Here are some of the most fragrant garden flowers to include in your cut display for the best/strongest scents:
- Roses (some varieties have a stronger fragrance than others)
- Peonies
- Lillies (be careful of pollen staining on your worksurfaces)
- Lavender
- Jasmine
- Lilac
Last but not least, making your own pot pourri is a fun and effective way to bring a lovely fragrance to your kitchen. Forage a selection of leaves, buds and petals from your garden (you can colour coordinate to match your kitchen décor if leaving it out on display) and distribute on a lined baking tray. Pair with thin slices of citrus fruit for an extra scent kick.
Bake at 110 degrees Celsius for a couple of hours and then allow to cool. Once done, place in a bowl or add handfuls to small washer/cotton bags and tie, to display or hide in your kitchen. Adding a few drops of your favourite essential oil will also help to maximise the fragrance.
- Do not spray any homemade solutions directly on to fabrics, as oils may leave spots on your clothes or furniture
- For solutions containing essential oils, practice caution around children, pets, and pregnant women
We hope we’ve provided some useful tips to help you naturally fragrance your kitchen! If you have any further ideas or tricks, please let us know over on social media.
If you’re looking to renovate your current kitchen and would like to discuss your ideas with an expert, head over to our 1909 Kitchens website to begin your planning process with one of our independent retailers across the UK: https://www.1909kitchens.co.uk/retailers
Check out our fully styled kitchen sets and explore our door offering further on the 1909 website or via our brochure (available to download via website).
Book a complimentary design session with your local 1909 expert to start planning your dream kitchen.
With our beautiful brochure, you can explore 1909 inspiration from the comfort of your very own home.
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