Keeping it fresh..

We’re not talking about relationships here, we’re talking about your home. Have you seen that advert that talks about being ‘nose blind’? It’s a real thing, and it’s usually nothing to do with how clean and tidy you are and everything to do with how you just get used to smells that build gradually over time.

Olfactory fatigue is the more scientific term for nose blind, and it’s when we stop noticing  common, persistent smells, like our own body odour, perfume, or the smell of our house. It’s a good thing, on the whole, as it helps prevent sensory overload, and allows us to focus on potentially important or unusual smells that might require our attention, such as a gas leak or burning food.

When people view a home for sale they may, even subconsciously, be put off by scents and smells they don’t like, so it’s a good idea to have a think (or ask a friend, even) what scents and smells in your home might be worth tackling.

What are the most common smells we’re nose blind to?

Pets

While your animals don’t necessarily have a distinct smell all of their own, over time a fragrance can build up – from deposits of pet hair in carpets and soft furnishings, from their bedding and their food bowls..It’s easy to be rid of the more obvious source of a pet pong, such as a cat litter tray, when people come to view your home, but this isn’t always enough. People who don’t have pets may pick up on scents you simply don’t notice anymore. 

During the time you are showing your home for sale, take time to wash pet bedding weekly, remove pet bowls and wash around the area where they are normally placed, and vacuum the areas your pets most frequent. Change the bedding in gerbil and hamster cages and if you have doormats where damp animals come into your home, scatter some carpet cleaner and give them an extra vacuum.

Teenagers

You can wash them as often as you like, but they keep on smelling. All those hormones are not helpful, and teenage bedrooms (especially male bedrooms) can make you feel like you should wear a haz-mat suit on entry. Before viewings, change their bedlinen, put all their trainers in a lidded box and tuck it away, and open the windows.

Musty laundry

Over winter, in fact at any time of year in this part of the world, hanging washing outside to dry is not something we can manage every week. With the increase in fuel costs and general pinch on all our purses, many of us are trying to avoid using tumble dryers as much, too. Hanging washing to dry on airers is the obvious solution – however, if the heating isn’t on, or washing is particularly heavy, such as towels, items can take so long to dry they can become musty and impregnate the room in which they are hanging. 

To help prevent this happening, there are a few simple actions you can take:

1. Avoid overloading the washing machine: smaller loads will mean you don’t try to fit as many items to dry onto the airer, allowing better airflow and a shorter drying time. 

2. Air dry in a well-ventilated area: it may seem counter-intuitive, but even on a chilly day opening a window is a good way to ensure your clothes dry faster as it allows the air to circulate. If you can, use a dehumidifier. You can invest in small but powerful models with a built-in tank for collecting the water they draw from the air, or attach a pipe to drain directly into a sink.

Musty towels and bathmats

In winter, when we shower first thing and then put damp towels on radiators that are about to switch off for the day, or in summer when the house isn’t exactly warm, but the heating is firmly off, towels can take ages to dry and often develop a musty smell quite quickly. Bath and shower mats especially can stay damp and get musty, or even mouldy on their underside. If you can’t get the smell out between washes, it comes back more quickly each time. One way to attack this is to add a cup full of white vinegar to your washing machine alongside your regular laundry detergent. Just pour the vinegar directly into the drum before loading your towels, and run the cycle as usual.

Cooking

There are certain cooking smells that linger for days. One of our favourite meals, the humble Indian curry (home made or takeaway) can fragrance our kitchens and dining spaces for days after we have enjoyed them.This is because the strong spices used in curry contain fat-soluble oils that break down during cooking, releasing volatile compounds that can vaporise and stick to surfaces, especially in poorly ventilated areas. After a curry night, take extra time to wipe down all your surfaces with a grease-removing kitchen cleaner, and open the windows for a while to get the air circulating. We’d advise you actually avoid eating the foods with smells (however delicious) that linger, as while you know you had a delicious treat the night before, potential buyers viewing your home might be concerned that the odour is permanent, rather than a temporary thing.

This also applies to fried foods, such as chips cooked in a deep fat fryer, to fish and even to eggs. While the end result of your efforts is always worth it, the lingering fragrance afterwards can be a bit of a turn off.

On the flip side, certain cooking fragrances – puddings, cookies and cakes and fresh coffee – can have a beneficial effect on viewers.

Sink drains

You don’t even want to think about what builds up in your sink drains, bathroom or kitchen. Safe to know it can cause a smell, and by the time you notice it, it’s nasty! Purchase some drain clearing liquid and do regular drain maintenance, so the gunk doesn’t build and the drains don’t smell.

Top tip for deodorising your home

1. Baking soda: the night before a viewing, place bowls filled with white vinegar or baking soda in each room. These are natural deodorisers that pull fragrance molecules from the air, but won’t leave a smell of their own. Simply empty the bowls in the morning and nobody will ever know!
2. Essential oils: put a bowl of hot water in your room and add three drops of an essential oil to perfume the air. Remove before the viewing,
3. Citrus: chop lemons, limes or oranges into slices and add to a saucepan of simmering water. Let the citrus fragrance scent the air of your kitchen before draining and disposing of the fruit.
4. Scentscaping. candles, diffusers and wax melts all have their place in scenting our homes, but don’t overdo it – too much scent and people will wonder what you’re trying to hide!

Eddie – Friday 7th March 2025.