September 16, 2021

Room Fragrance Tips

How to choose your home scents - and make them last.

There’s nothing quite like a signature room fragrance to make your house feel like a home. Smell is the most powerful of all the senses, and has the power to transport you through time, evoking memories and feelings, so creating a home scent that is unique will always remind you - and those who enter your home - of your abode.

There are many options to choose from when it comes to house fragrance, but before you even get to the actual scent itself (which is a whole different story), first you need to decide what type of room fragrance you want. Here’s a simple guide to help you choose:

Candles: Probably the most common of all home scents, candles need no introduction. With the ability to fragrance an entire room, most have a burn time of around 60 hours. Candles also have the added bonus of feeling both meditative and relaxing, creating a soothing ambience in the home.

Reed Diffuser: Releasing a continuous scent throughout the day, reed diffusers are ideal if you want a simple, beautiful-smelling option with minimal effort. With a lifespan of 3-6 months they are a good no-brainer option for scenting the home.

Incense: Once reserved for alternative stores and yoga shalas, incense is having a (beautiful-smelling) moment. Modern incense is handcrafted with delicate blends that go beyond the ‘90s patchouli vibe and instead elevate it to a room fragrance essential. The fastest burning of the three, incense has an intense scent and smokes so must always be burned in a well ventilated area. Similar to candles, incense has meditative qualities and calming effects and some feel it is a very spiritual way to fragrance the home.

Make them last

Now that you’ve chosen your house fragrance - here’s how to keep it smelling fresh for longer.

Candles: Not just pretty ornaments, candles actually need quite a lot of care. The first burn is important, make sure the wax burns right to the outer edges so it’s all liquified. This will prevent the “tunnelling” effect. Trim your wick after every use, keeping it at 4-6mm, and make sure it’s always centred. Keep it clean by wiping away any soot with a cotton ball and soapy water, and wiping away any dust with a damp cotton pad.

Reed Diffuser: The key to making your reed diffuser last is to treat it as you would a fragrance. Keep it out of direct sunlight, in a cool dry place so as to not spoil the scent. Also keep away from draughty areas so that the scent will be more effective. If you’re wanting to extend the life of your reed diffuser, reduce the number of reeds and only add to them when you want to enhance the scent.

Incense: Similar to both candles and reed diffusers you should always store your incense in a sealed container in a cool dry place - heat, sunlight and irregular temperatures will affect the scent. High quality incense will not lose their potency if stored correctly.